Hales and Brown show crucial calm

Watch free daily video highlights from every LV= County Championship match here on ecb.co.uk this summer

Alex Hales fell in the 90s for the second time in the match, but his 93 will go down as a keynote innings in their title charge

Nottinghamshire took a major step towards the LV= County Championship title after a classy 93 from Alex Hales paved the way for victory over Lancashire by three wickets.

Asked to chase 260 in two sessions, Hales led from the front with 14 fours, with able support from Ali Brown, who made 65, before former Lancashire all-rounder Steven Mullaney saw them home with an unbeaten 34 after a late wobble.

The result was made possible by a pair of declarations after day three was washed out, with opener Tom Smith hitting 76 not out off 79 balls before the visitors declared on 143 for one. Notts had earlier declared their first innings on 203 for five.

The win puts Notts 16 points clear of second-placed Somerset, with a game in hand, and all but eliminates Lancashire from the race.

After losing four consecutive sessions to rain, spectators arriving at the ground for the start of the final day could have been forgiven for thinking that the hosts would be happy to pursue batting bonus points ahead of a draw.

But with Lancashire harbouring faint hopes of the title themselves, visiting skipper Glen Chapple felt bound to approach his opposite number Chris Read to set up a fourth-innings run-chase.

Notts therefore declared their first innings early to concede a deficit of 116, with Hales the only man to fall, missing out on his second century of the season when he edged Kyle Hogg to wicketkeeper Luke Sutton.

The visitors then hit out against part-time bowling before declaring, Paul Horton missing out on the chance to boost his average when he was bowled by a grubber from Mullaney.

With 64 overs available to reach their target at just over four runs an over, Notts appeared strong favourites, although their familiar top-order jitters saw Matt Wood and Mark Wagh fall inside the first seven overs.

Faced with swinging conditions and variable bounce, Samit Patel opted to counter-attack, hitting five fours in the space of six overs to reach 37 before a shooter from Sajid Mahmood removed his middle stump.

But with Hales showing similar determination to his first innings, and with Brown working the field expertly, the pair added 84 in 21 overs to close to within 67 runs of victory before Hales got a thin edge through to Sutton off Gary Keedy.

Read quickly followed with a slice to cover but Mullaney hit two sixes and three fours in an aggressive cameo. Brown and Paul Franks departed in consecutive balls to Hogg with only eight required.

But Mullaney remained calm and two vicious boundaries from Andre Adams saw Notts home for their seventh win of the season.