Nottinghamshire have drawn with Durham at the Emirates Riverside to secure the points needed to take them to the next step in the Division One County Championship title race.

After scoring 328 in the first innings, Nottinghamshire earned the six points needed to see them through to the second stage of the competition which resumes late August, before some added bowling points helped the green and golds to top the Group One table after ten games played ahead of Warwickshire who drew with Worcestershire today.

Notts, although already through, will now focus on closing their T20 Blast North Group campaign this weekend with games against Leicestershire Foxes and Durham before attention draws to Royal London One Day Cup action on the 25^th July verses Warwickshire.

Having scored a healthy first innings target in the North-East on Sunday, Notts raced to 312/9 overnight with opener Ben Slater scoring 60 and Liam Patterson-White hitting 73 amongst the runs.

On Monday however the heavens opened, and no play resulted in Notts having to wait until Tuesday to resume their last wicket partnership and once Patterson-White was finally out off the bowling of Rushworth, in return the visiting team bowlers got straight into action with a maiden five wicket haul, the first of many we hope, for young Joey Evison who stunned the home side with 5/21 as Stuart Broad took a commendable 3/36.

Durham all out for 165 with Notts setting a Wednesday afternoon target of 380 after slogging their way to 217 all out in the second innings and putting their hosts back in to bat with just a couple of sessions to play, Durham ending eventually on 188/4 before both captains decided to shake on the draw late in the day.

A great performance by Notts who will now enter a small group of six teams which includes the winners and runners up of each other County Championship group, in a format new to this summer to decide the County Champion in a top division where each teams play four games with the two top sides contesting the final at Lords in September.

*Main image @TrentBridge the Notts players celebrate a wicket at Durham.