Nottinghamshire remain in second place behind Durham in the LV County Championship, but the weather denied them the chance to push for victory on the final day. Having set Lancashire a target of 393 to win, Nottinghamshire were unable to take the field until 3pm yesterday and could take only two more wickets before the close. As a result, they are now 18 points behind Durham, but they have a game in hand and the two sides meet in a game at Trent Bridge that starts a week on Wednesday.

The most frustrated of all Nottinghamshire's players was Ryan Sidebottom, who had little chance to press a final claim for Ashes selection. He bowled only five overs, in which he took the wicket of Karl Brown, the right-handed opening batsman, who was sharply caught at third slip by David Hussey from a ball that left him as he played to leg.

But even if he had run through Lancashire and taken seven cheap wickets, none of the England selectors were in attendance, which may suggest that he had already been discounted for the first Test in Cardiff. This was his first-first-class game for almost two months and he probably needs more match practice to prove his readiness to return to Test cricket.

Lancashire, after a bright start to the season, have been fading fast in the championship. They had lost their previous two four-day matches and had very much the worst of this draw. They missed the penetration of Sajid Mahmood, who was on duty with England Lions against the the Australians at Worcester, and their batting looks short of confidence. They have a Friends Provident Trophy semi-final tomorrow at home to Hampshire tomorrow, in which victory would provide them with a welcome injection of confidence.

One bright spot has been the form of Mal Loye, who was their top-scorer with 84 in the first innings and made an unbeaten 31 yesterday as Lancashire reached 97 for three by the close. He will need much more support in future if Lancashire are to arrest the worrying slide in their championship form. Fortunately for them, perhaps, their next four-day game is at home to Worcestershire, the bottom-placed side.

Nottinghamshire: First Innings 388 (D J Hussey 126, A D Brown 54)

Second Innings 289 for 7 dec (M A Wagh 131, D J Hussey 74)

Lancashire: First Innings 285 (M B Loye 84, G Chapple 55; M A Ealham 5 for 31)

Second Innings (overnight 22-1)
K R Brown c Hussey b Sidebottom 19
K W Hogg b Pattinson 34
M B Loye not out 31
M J Chilton not out 7
Extras (b 4, nb 2) 6
Total (3 wkts, 33 overs) 97
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-45, 3-68.
Bowling: Sidebottom 8-1-23-1; Pattinson 8-1-25-1; Shreck 9-0-32-0; Ealham 3-2-10-0; S R Patel 3-0-3-0; Hussey 2-2-0-0.
Umpires: R A Kettleborough and G Sharp.