Brown and Voges seal Notts' win

Nottinghamshire 261 and 261 for 4 (Voges 73*, Brown 63*) beat Somerset 138 and 383 (Trescothick 98, de Bruyn 54, Kieswetter 52, Fletcher 3-71) by six wickets
Scorecard

It is an all too rare phenomenon these days: a county match starting its final day with a result virtually certain and both teams apparently equally poised to win or lose. But it was the Nottinghamshire batsmen who took the initiative during the morning session at Trent Bridge, the home side cruising home by six wickets.

That was exactly how Nottinghamshire did it, by calm, confident and professional batting with no sign of nerves. The Western Australian Adam Voges was the man taking the most credit, as he calmly compiled 73 not out by waiting for the bad ball and scoring off it without unnecessary flourish or extravagance. His partner at the finish was Ali Brown (63 not out), the former Surrey power-hitter who has matured into a dependable batsman able to adapt his game to the circumstances. The home crowd may have had their doubts about their team's chances, especially after their fragile batting last season, but Voges and Brown from the very start played as if there was simply a job of work to be done and they had no doubts in their ability to accomplish it. Even Brown's six over long-off that ended the match was a cool, calculated hit by a craftsman who had just completed a job of work and could now retire for a cuppa - or perhaps something a little more toxic.

Notts began the day on 112 for 3, still needing 149 for victory on a ground not noted for high scoring. In their favour was the fact that they faced a bowling attack sadly lacking in potency for a Division One team. Charl Willoughby was the main threat, but if they could see him off, the rest would not be too difficult. The first two overs were significant, and that was possibly when the match was in essence won and lost. Willoughby took a couple of overs to settle down, Ben Phillips strayed in line, and the batsmen - Voges and his overnight partner Samit Patel - made their intentions immediately clear, adding 16 runs off those 12 fateful deliveries.

Willoughby did get his act together and produced a fine delivery that came in and trapped Patel lbw for 35, but that was to be Somerset's only bright moment of the day, as Brown came in and his whole body language stated that he was the man to complete the job.

The bowling at the other end proved a continual problem for Somerset, the bowlers haemorrhaging runs in a steady flow, until Zander de Bruin came on with an economical spell just before lunch. By then Voges had reached his 50 with a smart dab through the slips off the erratic Peter Trego. Somerset had just one chance, when Willoughby returned just before lunch and almost immediately misjudged a none too difficult return catch from Brown, who then had 32. This was the final nail in their coffin. At lunch Notts needed only a further 36 runs, which took them just over 20 minutes of the afternoon session before Brown (50 off 81 balls) sealed the game with his side's only six of the match.

A crowd of a few hundred watched in typical English spirit: doubtful of their team's ability to do the job to start with, but willing them onwards with enthusiastic clapping for every run with little vocal encouragement until the final stroke of the game, and then they drifted quietly away, but not before the home fans took pleasure in seeing the updated Division One table displayed on their scoreboard with their team on top, the only ones with two victories after three rounds.

As for Somerset, they must be seriously worried about their future in this division when their bowling is so weak. They will be hoping to do better when the 40-year-old Andy Caddick returns after a niggling injury.