Notts revive promotion hopes as Worcestershire falter in run chase

Nottinghamshire kept alive their faint hopes of a late push towards the promotion places when they bowled out Worcestershire for 259 on the final afternoon to claim their second CricInfo Championship victory of the season.

Set a victory target of 321 the visitors began the day at 9-0 but in a morning session interrupted by a sweeping storm they lost their opener Phillip Weston and their talisman, captain Graeme Hick.

Hick fell just before lunch, to give Nadeem Malik, Notts' young pace bowler, his first wicket in senior cricket.

Hopes of a home success looked bleak as Anurag Singh and Vikram Solanki each compiled 43 in good time as Worcs entered the spirit of a final day run chase.

Malik nipped out Singh but Andy Bichel and Steve Rhodes kept up the run-rate batting around the solid presence of Paul Pollard, who steadfastly refused to throw his wicket away against his former county.

Tea was taken with the score on 193-5 with both sides still capable of forcing a result. Pollard's run out half-an-hour after the resumption gave Notts the opportunity of attacking the lower order.

Kevin Pietersen picked up a couple of wickets with his off-spin and victory was confirmed for Notts when Alamgir Sheriyar pushed forward at Greg Smith, who took a comfortable return catch to complete a 61-run win.

After being bowled out for just 149 on the first day Notts second innings performance with the bat brought about the transformation and led to an eventual second win of the season against the same opposition.