Tom Moores and Lyndon James set out Notts' stall on the third day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire, hoisting the Green and Golds into a dominant position with the visitors requiring a further 329 runs on the final day.
Set a target of 443 to win from 135 overs after Nottinghamshire had declared their second innings on 339 for eight seven overs before tea, Lancashire were 115 for one from 39 overs at stumps after Luke Wells (57) and George Balderson (45) shared an unbroken stand of 110.
Earlier, Moores (97) and James (91) batted through the entirety of the first session and each just missed out on hundreds but put Nottinghamshire in what looked like a strong position with a partnership of 176 for the sixth wicket.
Luke Fletcher, the country’s leading wicket-taker, then struck with his fifth ball as Lancashire began their chase, a misjudgement from Alex Davies giving him his 57th success of the season and the 400th of his career in first-class games as the opener shaped to leave a delivery that clipped his back pad.
Lancashire were hopeful of giving themselves a much easier task after Nottinghamshire resumed at 127 for five, just 231 runs in front.
But their three-pronged frontline seam attack, charged with covering for the injured Saqib Mahmood, could not create a chance as James and Moores added 103 before lunch and another 53 thereafter.
Ultimately a century eluded both in turn as they each fell to Wells’s leg spin. Moores, who scored 72 in boundaries, was three away from a third first-class century when he found to deep midwicket; James, having passed his previous best first-class score of 79, was on 91 when he was caught at mid-off, having hit 13 fours.
Tom Bailey, returning to bowl off-breaks with a ball that was 106 overs old, took a wicket second ball as Brett Hutton skied to long on but after Liam Patterson-White had rushed to 37 from 35 balls, skipper Steven Mullaney called his batters in.