The Taunton pitch proved the only winner as Somerset and Nottinghamshire fought out a high-scoring draw on the final day of the County Championship Division One match at the Cooper Associates Ground.

James Rew staged a superbly-judged knock of 122 from 184 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore posted 104 – his fourth hundred in Somerset colours – as the home side declared their second innings on 407-5, setting the defending champions an unlikely victory target of 417 in a minimum of 60 overs.

Although Jack Leach and Alfie Ogborne claimed three wickets between them to at least make the game interesting for a while, a combination of a true pitch, fine overhead conditions and gritty resistance on the part of Nottinghamshire’s top-order batters conspired to frustrate Somerset’s bid to force a win.

Ben Slater top-scored with 60 and shared in a first-wicket stand of 90 with Haseeb Hameed, while Jack Haynes and Freddie McCann served up early-evening resistance thereafter as Nottinghamshire advanced to 140-3 in their second innings before the captains shook hands at 17:17 BST with 15 overs unused, both sides taking 13 points apiece.

Time was of the essence for Somerset, who commenced the final day 223 runs to the good with nine second-innings wickets in hand. Certainly, Rew and Kohler-Cadmore batted with intent after resuming on 214-1, clearly playing with a declaration in mind.

Requiring just six more runs to register his fourteenth first-class hundred, Kohler-Cadmore pulled Dillon Pennington through mid-wicket to raise three figures from 168 balls with his fourteenth four, at which point he and Rew had established Somerset’s highest second-wicket stand in matches against Nottinghamshire, eclipsing the 216 made by Arul Suppiah and Nick Compton at Trent Bridge in 2012.

But it was not all plain sailing for the home side, slow left armer Liam Patterson-White taking a skied return catch to account for Kohler-Cadmore and then pinning Rew lbw on the back foot in the act of playing across the line to hinder West Country progress. Tom Lammonby then enjoyed a slice of luck on 14, dropped by Patterson-White at cover off the bowling of Olly Stone.

He made good his escape to stage a progressive stand of 80 in 14 overs with Tom Abell as the home side regained the initiative. Having struck a six and 3 fours, Abell holed out to long-on for a 37-ball 42, while Lammonby raised a fluent 69 from 80 deliveries before being caught in the deep, Patterson-White taking advantage of Somerset’s haste to claim 4-175 from 35 overs.

Having accrued 156 runs in the morning session, Somerset reached lunch on 370-5, a lead of 379. Not wanting to risk defeat in pursuit of victory, the home side batted on, Lewis Goldsworthy and Craig Overton plundering a six apiece at the expense of Lyndon James in an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 37 from 23 balls to hasten the declaration.

Somerset needed to take maximum advantage of the new ball beneath blue skies and on a pitch that held few demons for the batsmen if they were to force the issue. The new ball pair of Overton and Alfie Ogborne certainly bent their backs, beating the bat on numerous occasions and making life distinctly uncomfortable for Hameed and Slater.

Applying themselves diligently, Nottinghamshire’s openers weathered the storm to raise a 50 partnership inside 13 overs and persuade the home side to call upon veteran campaigner Leach from the River end. Rather worryingly for Somerset, the former England spinner found little assistance in the pitch and Hameed issued a statement of intent when straight-hitting him for six.

Slater also mustered staunch resistance, helping himself to 9 fours in a 74-ball half century as Nottinghamshire reached the tea interval on 86 without loss, still requiring a further 331 from 34 overs.

Although a draw appeared by far the most likely outcome, Somerset briefly brought the game to life by removing both openers with the score on 90 early on in the final session. Recalled to the attack from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion end, Ogborne produced a short-pitched delivery to lure Slater into back-foot indiscretion, the left hander top-edging a catch to short fine leg and departing for 60, while Hameed fell lbw to Leach for 27 in the next over.

Just when it looked as though the contest was petering out, Leach bowled a skittish Joe Clarke for 12 to further reduce the visitors to 104-3 and sow seeds of renewed hope among home supporters. But Haynes and McCann stood firm thereafter to ensure an underwhelming finale.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.