Ross Whiteley produced another impressive innings for Worcestershire but a century stand between James Taylor and Rikki Wessels put Nottinghamshire in control on day three of the LV = County Championship match at New Road.
Whiteley followed up his 100 against Yorkshire at Scarborough with an excellent 78 – his highest score in the competition at New Road – as Worcestershire reached 292 all out in 82.3 overs.
Joe Clarke, Ben Cox, Joe Leach and Saeed Ajmal also contributed today with the bat for the home side to set Nottinghamshire a 232 target.
They then picked up three early wickets to reduce Nottinghamshire to 37-3 but Taylor and Wessels added an unbroken 120 in 37 overs before the close on 157-3.
Worcestershire resumed this morning on 115-4 with Clarke and Whiteley at the crease and the 50 stand was quickly brought up in 14 overs.
Clarke on drove Jake Ball for four to reach his half century off 85 balls with seven fours.
He straight drove Ball for another boundary but after making 61 was bowled by the same bowler. The partnership was worth a total of 68 in 17 overs.
Cox turned Harry Gurney off his legs for four to extend the Worcestershire lead past the 100 mark.
Whiteley straight drove Samit Patel for six and went to his 50 off 90 deliveries.
He then collected two boundaries in an over from Brett Hutton and the stand with Cox (34) was worth 73 in 21 overs before the latter was caught at slip off spinner Imran Tahir.
Whiteley moved onto 78 but in the first over after lunch he was bowled by Patel and then Jack Shantry (6) was caught at mid wicket off Tahir.
Resistance came from Leach and Ajmal who added 35 for the ninth wicket.
Ball wrapped up the innings by trapping Ajmal (19) lbw and having Leach (40) caught behind.
Charlie Morris struck an early blow for the home side when Brendan Taylor (4) went leg before in his first over.
The paceman then claimed his 42nd wicket of the summer as Alex Hales (9) edged to Whiteley at second slip.
It became 37-3 as Steven Mullaney (24) tried to work Leach to mid wicket and Brett D'Oliveira took a fine catch at cover off a leading edge.
But then Taylor and Wessels batted sensibly although they had to negotiate a probing spell from Shantry who returned the remarkable figures of 8-7-2-0.
Stand-in skipper Alex Gidman rang the bowling changes in an attempt to initiate a breakthrough.
But Wessels went to his half century off 122 balls with seven fours and then edged Leach for four to bring up the 100 stand with Taylor.
Wessels finished unbeaten on 70 from 144 balls with 10 fours and Taylor 49 not out from 82 deliveries with four fours.
*Admission is free for spectators for the fourth day of the match tomorrow.
