NOTTINGHAMSHIRE did their promotion chances the world of good with a 114-run victory over Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.

Lying in third place in the Frizzell County Championship Division Two, Nottinghamshire had reduced the visitors to 40 for four overnight.

Andrew Harris then cleaned up with five for 56 to keep pace with second-placed Essex who also won.

Chasing a victory target of 249, Worcestershire resumed on 40-4 knowing they faced an uphill battle and much depending on skipper Graeme Hick who was unbeaten on 24 overnight.

But it was paceman Greg Smith who struck the first blow of the day after Hick and Vikram Solanki had advanced the total to 59.

Solanki (eight) failed to get his foot to the pitch of a good-length delivery and edged Smith to Notts' skipper Jason Gallian who took a smart catch at first slip.

Only four runs had been added when Worcestershire suffered the body blow of losing Hick for 39, the former England batsman edging a good-length delivery to wicketkeeper Chris Read.

Wicketkeeper Steve Rhodes joined fellow first-innings centurion David Leatherdale but there was to be no repeat of their earlier heroics when they shared a seventh-wicket stand of 256.

Harris struck again with the total on 83 when Rhodes (15) played an uppish cut to a short ball and was caught by Darren Bicknell running around from third man.

It was all over bar the shouting when Harris completed his second five-wicket haul of the match by grabbing two wickets in the space of five balls with the total on 91.

First, Kabir Ali (four) mistimed a pull and four balls later Matthew Mason was bowled for a duck.

Alamgir Sheriyar was last man out for 16.