IT was the kind of mission impossible that even Tom Cruise would turn down.

Yet because the County Championship was at stake, Notts' failure to pull off what would have been a sensational run chase against Hampshire on Saturday was still met with a huge sense of disappointment.

After Durham quickly wrapped up a maximum-points win against Kent at Canterbury, nothing less than a triumph in their own game would do. They had to go for broke.

The equation to do so, though, was nothing sort of ridiculous – 442 runs from 76 overs at a run rate of 5.81.

The final day was always going to be about a run chase of some sort once Hampshire had chosen to declare their second innings.

But once the visitors batted on to 449-5 to allow 18-year-old Liam Dawson to reach a maiden first-class century, it was simply unachievable.

Even so, with top spot up for grabs, Notts had to give it a go.

And with the bat swinging freely from the outset, it was little surprise that the hosts eventually tumbled to defeat.

Hampshire held all the aces – a new ball, the batsmen compelled to attack, the freedom to place the field where they wished and a high-class leg-spinner in the shape of Imran Tahir.

The target was rendered even more meaningless once Swann and Mark Wagh had both fell in the fourth over of the innings to Dimitri Mascarenhas, and Will Jefferson went from the last ball before lunch, at which point the score was 48-3.

Makeshift opener Swann was just doing his best to blast quick runs and was out trying to launch the ball into the river Trent.

For Wagh, out for a second ball duck to a good delivery that left him, it was a sad end to what has been another terrific season.

He has been the only batsman to contribute more than 1,000 County Championship runs – 1,033 at 46.95 – and a few of his top order team-mates could do a lot worse than to follow his example come next season.

Jefferson's dismissal was predictable. Just when he was set he got himself out by driving straight to James Tomlinson at deepish mid-off.

Having taken all three scalps, skipper Macarenhas' success continued after the break as he induced Ashwell Prince into a false stroke to snap up a caught-and-bowled chance.

For the South African it has been a short stint to forget, averaging just over 30 and managing just one score over 50 – in the first innings of this match.

Samit Patel and Bilal Shafayat made hay for a while – just as the Hampshire stroke-makers had done for the previous day and a half.

Both men played some sumptuous strokes to put on an entertaining 88 that lifted the spirits of the home members slightly.

But Patel, who needed to score exactly 100 to reach a four-figure aggregate of Championship runs for the season, fell 23 short of that figure in Dawson's second over – thanks to a terrific piece of fielding.

Trying to thump a big hit over long-on, the right-hander skewed the ball high into the air and Mascarenhas, having a day to remember, ran 40 yards back to hold on to an excellent catch.

The Hampshire skipper was also alert to take a low chance offered by Shafayat on 48, giving Tahir his first wicket.

Although defeat was now looking increasingly likely for Notts, Chris Read played his shots from the word go and reached a run-a-ball 23 by the tea break, including a big straight six off Liam Dawson.

But the end came pretty quickly after resumption.

Mark Ealham was caught by Michael Carberry, running in from the cover boundary, as the all-rounder went for a maximum off Dawson before in the next over Tahir trapped Andre Adams lbw for a pair.

Darren Pattinson could not curb his attacking instincts and gave Tahir a third wicket, with Macerenhas once more the catcher.

And it was all over just before 4pm when Charlie Shreck had a swipe at the Pakistani leg spinner and Carberry did the rest.

Read was trapped on 47 not out as Hampshire completed a victory by 204 runs, retaining their unbeaten run in four-day cricket since late July.

But the biggest celebrations were in the north-east where the result sealed Durham's first title victory in their history. Quite frankly, they deserve it.

Notts had every chance to bring home the silverware. Before the final round of matches it was in their hands and a win of any sort would have been good enough. But they could not pull it off in their match, while Durham did the business in theirs against Kent.

That will not stop people asking where it all went wrong in the decisive last four days of the season at Trent Bridge.

And the simple answer was that their batting, not for the first time this season, let them down.

A team that collapses from 170-3 to 211 all out – and that was after some late hitting from Prince – does not deserve to win the title.

That said, it has still been an excellent year for Notts as a whole.

How many teams could go into the final two weeks of the season saying they were still in the fight for two trophies?

matthew.halfpenny@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk