Ball's burst revives Notts' hopes

There was a time, not so long ago, when these late season Championship encounters held little significance. Sure, one team might be challenging for a title but, as recently as 20 years ago, such matches very often lacked relevance or competitive edge. The season drifted off to sleep with the same gentle familiarity as "Sailing By" and the Shipping Forecast.

Not any more. Here we are in the second week of September and Nottinghamshire and Middlesex go into the final day of this match with everything at stake. The side that loses will be relegated or see their hopes of a Championship title severely dented. Both have to win. Both can win. We are all set for a classic at Trent Bridge.

So, as county cricket tears itself apart in the quest for a few dollars more - or a few million dollars more - it is worth reflecting on one of the great success stories of recent years: promotion and relegation works. It has improved county cricket markedly. It has made it tougher, more interesting. And, partially as a result of the increased edge to the competition, England's players go into the fierce environment of Test cricket better prepared for the rigours they will face.

It is no coincidence that England have won five of the last seven Ashes series; no coincidence that the side that reached No. 1 in 2011 contained four men in the top seven (Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior) who made centuries on Test debut - two others, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, made half-centuries - and a bowler (James Anderson) who started with a five-wicket haul. We risk diluting the success of the Test team when we meddle with its foundations.

That Nottinghamshire's hopes of survival remain just about alive is largely due to some decent batting from Steven Mullaney and Brett Hutton and another incisive new-ball spell from Jake Ball. Ball's fitness levels might need to improve if he is to enjoy a long Test career - unlike Chris Woakes, for example, it is noticeable that his fourth spell is significantly less hostile than his first, irrespective of the softening of the ball - but with the new ball he is, already, a terrific bowler.

After taking a hat-trick in the first over of Middlesex's first innings, he struck first ball in their second. And if Nick Gubbins, so compact and calm around, might regret being drawn into pushing at one he could have left well alone, the delivery that accounted for Sam Robson - nipping in sharply and taking the off stump as Robson tried to leave it - was a gem.

There was a revealing irony in that dismissal. As Nick Compton went out to bat in the first innings, Robson warned him to watch out for the booming outswing that had just dismissed him. Moments later Compton was walking off having been trapped in front by one that cut back. Here Robson had been undone by the same trick. It bodes well for Ball, and England, that he has such skills. If Nottinghamshire do go down, second division batsmen face quite a challenge next year.

Dawid Malan, also beaten by one that nipped back, but this time to the left-hander from round the wicket, also departed before the close. Middlesex bat pretty deep - Toby Roland-Jones is a No. 9 who could be a No. 6 - but Notts will know the allrounders will be padded up in the morning.

At his best, this is the sort of situation Compton would have relished. But now? He has had looked a defeated man at times this summer, beset by the doubts and scars that torture nearly all batsmen in the end. But perhaps this challenge - and it is a hell of a challenge - might be yet the thing to reinvigorate him, entwine him to the heart of this team's title challenge and prove to himself what most of those watching will know: at this level, at least, he remains a class act with much more to give.

Batting on the fourth day is unlikely to prove easy. Samit Patel, again looking as solid as anyone (technically rather than physically), was undone by one that cut back and kept horribly low while, in the final over of the day, Compton was beaten by a legbreak from Imran Tahir that turned so sharply you imagine Don Bradman, at his best, might just have been good enough to edge it.

Middlesex did not bowl especially well earlier in the day. While Steven Finn finished with three wickets, he gained two with balls that might uncharitably be described as long-hops - certainly the one that Michael Lumb edged as he tried to cut would have to be described that way - and the other with a leg-before decision that seemed to be heading down the leg side. They may yet regret allowing Notts to score 50 or so more than might have been the case.

But the fragility of Nottinghamshire's batting has let them down all campaign. Here, they fought for a while, but like addicts slipping back into bad habits, they couldn't resist for long. A waft here; a poke there: at least three of the top four will reflect that they played a huge part in their own downfall.

Jake Libby, poking at one without moving his feet, was first to go, before Tom Moores slashed to point and Lumb tried to hit his cut too hard. None of them averages 30 in the campaign. And while that can be tolerated for a couple of youngsters learning their trade at this level, it requires compensation from senior players. There has been none of that compensation this year, with nobody in this team averaging even 38 and only Mullaney averaging more than 35.

He batted nicely here. He plays the cover drive as nicely as anyone in the county game and has an efficient cut that was well fed by a diet of Finn long hops. Hutton, too, attacked selectively and eked out 40 runs for the last two wickets that might yet save his county from the drop.

But the sense that Notts had failed to take advantage of a slightly off-colour display from Middlesex was underlined by the manner in which they lost their last three wickets: Ball missed an attempted whip into the leg side; Imran slogged one to cow corner - where Roland-Jones clung on to an outstanding catch leaning backwards having originally misjudged his run and lost sight of the ball in the sun - and Harry Gurney was run-out. Each one of them was unnecessary and, in a match - a season, even - where another 10 runs might yet prove crucial, just a bit sloppy. Ollie Rayner finished with four wickets without ever looking particularly dangerous on a surface offering him some assistance.

Still, it all leaves this match beautifully poised. Triumph and disaster loom. It will be painful for some but it's meant to matter. And the fact that it still does, at this late stage of the season, is something to savour.