Cast-iron favourites to win the second division at the beginning of the season, Nottinghamshire fell farther behind the leaders, Somerset, as they played out a tame draw at Northampton yesterday. Any glimpse of a win seemed to disappear with another potentially serious blow to their campaign, when Mark Ealham, their last fit frontline seamer, had to retire hurt with a hamstring strain.

It was a body blow to Nottinghamshire with Ryan Sidebottom (England), Charlie Shreck (shin), Mark Footitt (back) and Paul Franks (ankle) already missing. They will need some of them back for the next Championship game, when Somerset come to Trent Bridge on August 8. Nottinghamshire have a cushion over Essex in third place, but promotion is no longer the certainty it seemed in June.

Ealham, the pick of the bowlers in the first innings, pulled up as he and Chris Read ran a four just before lunch. He attempted to carry on with a runner for four overs, but limped off after a painful drive.

Nottinghamshire had scored sufficiently quickly on Saturday to pass Northamptonshire’s total of 366 in 50 fewer overs. Resuming on 342 for four, Mark Wagh took his overnight 109 to 152 until he was caught behind slashing at Johannes van der Wath. Only the off spinners, Jason Brown and Alex Wakely, the 18-year-old who has distinguished himself with both bat and ball, gave any control during the Nottinghamshire innings.

Nottinghamshire reached 500 at lunch and were all out in a flurry of strokes soon after, giving them a slim victory chance.

Northamptonshire were reduced to 18 for three in the fifteenth over, as Andrew Harris induced three defensive edges behind with swing and seam movement.

Graeme Swann replaced him from the Abington Avenue End and his off breaks looked like being a handful on a wearing pitch, as they occasionally were when he was at Northamptonshire. Chris Rogers, the Australian left-hander, who had hardly been able to buy a run after missing the first half of the season with a broken thumb, was all at sea. But Swann, perhaps hampered by a neck injury, could not find the line on off stump and Rogers weathered the storm. Both he and Rob White then took on the spinners and both reached fifties off 85 balls, guiding Northamptonshire to safety and a five o’clock finish without further alarm.