Northamptonshire, 17th in mid-June, continued their rise to within touching distance of Division One status in next year's National League. Extending their recent AXA sequence to just one defeat in seven games, they were never troubled.

It was, though, desperately tepid stuff. Nottinghamshire, put in, never came to grips with the stifling slowness of the same pitch employed for the fourth Test, a strip in its sixth day of use.

Sadly, the incident of greatest note involved a freak injury to wicketkeeper Russell Warren, who was hit below the right eye from a top-edged sweep when standing up to the stumps. An X-ray confirmed a slight depressed fracture of the cheekbone.

Nottinghamshire's innings, containing only six fours, found no momentum at all until 36 runs came from the last five overs. Kevin Evans, batting at No 8, was the chief aggressor, his undefeated 20 bettered only by Paul Johnson's 31 earlier, though Johnson needed 18 overs for his score after arriving when first-change bowler Paul Taylor, the pick of the attack, struck with his third ball.

Northants, needing 3.87 per over, advanced at almost exactly the same pace as Notts, but, knowing what was required, declined to throw away wickets in fighting the pitch. Despite niggardly bowling from Evans, expertly enlisting the grudging bounce, Mal Loye, opening, led with 43 before he was third out in the 30th over.

The catering manager who visited the superb new press box was warned that it was hardly riveting viewing. ``Better than watching the tea urn boil,'' she said. As Northants eased home, this proved accurate, but only just.