Nottinghamshire ended the third day of their LV= county championship match against Lancashire in a commanding position. After being dismissed in their second innings for 220, a lead of 348, they reduced their opponents to 7-1 at stumps.
Riki Wessels' 90 was the highlight of Nottinghamshire's batting effort. He scored quickly and fluently to demonstrate his status as the Club's man for all formats.
Earlier, largely due to an unbeaten 42 from Tom Smith, Lancashire avoided the follow-on before being bowled out for 144, with Luke Fletcher ending with figures of 3-15.
Resuming from their second day position of 77-6, still 195 behind Nottinghamshire’s first innings score of 272, the visitors were soon in deeper trouble, losing a wicket to the 13th delivery of the day.
Wayne White (12) guided Harry Gurney away fine for his third boundary but fell next ball, snaffled up at third slip by Samit Patel.
Had Riki Wessels been able to cling on to a low offering at first slip, as Kabir Ali edged Jake Ball, Lancs would have been eight wickets down for 84. As it was, Ali hung around with Tom Smith for around 45 minutes.
Andy Carter broke the stand. Bowling with pace, bounce and accuracy he began with three maidens from the Radcliffe Road end, completed by a rapid delivery which shattered into Ali’s (5) stumps.
The main burden of guiding Lancashire past the follow-on mark lay with Tom Smith, who had remained on nought for his first 23 deliveries and had good fortune as he twice inside-edged past the stumps to the boundary.
He obtained solid support from Simon Kerrigan though, who unexpectedly hit the first maximum of the innings by lifting Carter up and over deep backward point.
With the interval approaching Read turned to Fletcher for the first time in the day and the big fast bowler produced spectacular results – taking wickets with his first two deliveries, as both Kerrigan (11) and James Anderson (0) pushed hard and edged through to the ‘keeper.
Steven Mullaney and Phil Jaques began Notts’ second innings at a gallop. Both played some exquisite shots, as the early threat of Anderson was blunted. The duo added 56 together before Kabir Ali bowled Mullaney (26) for the second time in the contest.
Ali, having been switched from the Pavilion End, then wreaked further havoc by collecting two wickets in the 19th over. His first delivery was edged by Jaques (30) through to a tumbling Alex Davies.
The Red Rose ‘keeper then picked up a more routine offering as Samit Patel (0) featered the final ball of the over behind. Patel, who made 93 on the opening day, looked crestfallen at the decision to give him out.
Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels initially were subdued as they tried to rebuild the momentum but gradually both began to punch the ball around the Trent Bridge outfield as the lead sped beyond 250 by tea.
Wessels cut loose upon the restart, pulling Kerrigan for six as he brought up his half century (81 balls 6x4 1x6). The right-hander, dominating the strike, played a flurry of glorious strokes to accelerate the lead, with Lumb content to let him have the strike.
Two consecutive boundaries off Anderson extended the lead beyond 300 but the visitors soon began their fightback.
Lumb (38) was caught behind off Smith, heralding a collapse which saw seven wickets fall in 12.3 overs for only 32 runs.
The fourth wicket stand had been worth 117 but the next wicket went four balls later when Alex Hales (0) was bowled, not playing a shot at Smith.
Wessels, who had hit the spinner for another six and been dropped by Ali at mid on when 85, then had his stumps demolished by Anderson – and Smith removed both Fletcher (1) and Ball (0) in consecutive deliveries.
Chris Read made an unbeaten 23, which included a maximum but both Carter and Gurney fell for ducks, making a total of five who had failed to score.
Luis Reece (6) fell to Gurney before the close, leaving Notts favourites going into the final day.