THERE is a made-to-measure space for another County Championship-winning pennant in the Trent Bridge pavilion, to sit alongside with those Notts earned in 1981, 1987 and 2005.

But you fear that, once again, this is not going to be the year to fill it.

Yes, Notts are still two points clear at the top of the County Championship going into the final round of matches next week.

From that point of view, their aspirations of finishing top dogs are still very much in their own hands.

Yet they are realistically no longer favourites after throwing away a golden opportunity to put themselves in a position of authority.

Beaten by Yorkshire by five wickets yesterday, despite a rousing fightback following their first day, first innings 59 all out, they now lead Andrew Gale's side by just five points.

Breathing down their necks to an even greater extent are Somerset, whose nine-wicket success against Lancashire at Taunton puts them just two points behind Notts.

Of the last set of fixtures, the green and golds look to have the hardest task. They travel to Lancashire, where they are likely to encounter a dry, turning wicket that will favour their spinners in the absence of Notts possessing a front-line equivalent.

Somerset's task is by no means simple as they journey to reigning champions Durham, but the hosts are struggling to field the bowling attack that was so successful last season.

Yorkshire, on paper, look to have the easiest task as they host relegation-threatened Kent at Headingley.

As such, nothing less than an eighth victory of the campaign now looks likely to be good enough for Mick Newell's side.

The director of cricket spoke of Notts still having every chance – and it's true they are by no means out of it.

But a resigned look told the story that he knew his troops had blown a significant chance, probably their best one, with one poor session.

It was exactly the same scenario, again with the bat, that cost them a draw at Durham last week.

What Notts will take with them to Old Trafford is a renewed sense of confidence by the way they transformed the game after the early woes.

Andre Adams led the bowling brilliantly, especially with his six-for in Yorkshire's first innings 264.

And their batting, with Mark Wagh, Paul Franks and Adam Voges to the fore, was on a different planet second time around, albeit in friendlier conditions.

Skipper Chris Read was naturally disappointed with the final outcome and felt the toss proved pivotal in the final reckoning.

"It was a terrible start we got off to and I blame myself for that with losing the toss," he said.

"If we'd have won that, then Yorkshire might have been in a similar predicament and left us drinking the beer.

"It swung and seamed more than I have seen in the whole time I have been at Trent Bridge and I would have backed our bowlers to have been just as effective.

"But the way we came back in the game was fantastic and there is plenty of positives for us to take into the game at Lancashire."

Notts lasted an hour after resuming their second innings on 357-6, adding 56 to be 413 all out. Read made 47 while Ajmal Shahzad finished with 4-100.

That left the visitors needing 209 for victory and Adam Lyth (45) and Jacques Rudolph put on 70 of those with little trouble.

But a flurry of wickets saw Yorkshire suddenly 91-4, three of them falling to Darren Pattinson, and Notts sensed an opening.

But the door was firmly slammed shut by Jonathan Bairstow (63 not out) and Gerard Brophy (41), whose 15-over stand of 97 was decisive.

Yet all is not lost.

Maximum points in Manchester next week and those glum faces would quickly burst into smiles.