Nottinghamshire’s relegation to Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship was confirmed at 2.25pm when Middlesex scored the winning runs to complete a five-wicket success over the Trent Bridge side.
Desperate to end their home campaign with a much-needed win, Notts were still in the contest at lunch, with Middlesex still needing 84 more runs.
Unbeaten half centuries from James Franklin and John Simpson guided the undefeated league leaders over the finishing line though, to keep the Lord’s-based side in contention for their first title win since 1993.
Jake Ball picked up one of the two wickets to fall on the day, taking his second innings figures to four for 54, as well as bringing him nine wickets in the match.
The dramatic day begin on time at 10.30am with Middlesex needing 187 more runs, with Nick Compton and Stevie Eskinazi at the crease.
Ball, who had taken the three wickets to fall on the third evening, opened the bowling alongside Harry Gurney.
Notts had to be patient in pursuit of their first opportunity of the day but when it came it was far from easy. Eskinazi, on 17, nicked Gurney but Brendan Taylor at first slip couldn’t hold a difficult chance diving to his right.
That would have reduced the Division One title-contenders to 74 for four, but the third wicket partnership prospered and reached 50 shortly afterwards.
Ball’s second spell gave the home fans the lift they had been hoping for. The England Test bowler struck when Notts needed it most by having Eskinazi caught behind for 30.
Compton, who had scored a double hundred on the ground for Somerset in 2012, reached his 50 from 155 balls and looked to be on course to make another telling contribution when he was dramatically run out just before lunch.
He had made 63 when he clipped Samit Patel to midwicket and set off. Halfway down he had to turn and head back because John Simpson hadn’t responded.
Jake Libby fielded and threw in to Chris Read, who took the catch above his head and whipped off the bails in enough time to gain the umpire’s verdict.
The dismissal invigorated the home side and their supporters, who burst into life with renewed optimism.
That belief was soon diminished as the sixth wicket partnership blossomed during the opening hour of the afternoon to bring the victory within range.
Franklin hit Patel down the ground for the only six of the innings, which also took him to a 78-ball half century, soon after Simpson had got there from nine balls more.
Although Middlesex claimed 20 points for the win, their gap over second-placed Yorkshire has been reduced to just one point, with the two sides due to meet at Lord’s in two weeks’ time.
Nottinghamshire sign off the season with a trip to Taunton, to face Somerset in 10 days’ time.
Trent Bridge will host an Investec Test Match between England and South Africa, and a Royal London One-Day International visit from the West Indies, in 2017.
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