Charlie Morris and Joe Clarke provided two of the major plus points for Worcestershire on the second day of the LV = County Championship match with Nottinghamshire at New Road.
Morris picked up three wickets during a fine morning spell to reach the 40 wicket mark in the LV = CC this summer – a figure also surpassed by Joe Leach (49) and Jack Shantry (47) as Notts were bowled out for 330 – a first innings lead of 61.
Then Clarke followed up his century against Gloucestershire in the Royal London One-Day Cup with an unbeaten 43 as Worcestershire closed on 115-4 – an advantage of 54 runs.
Notts resumed on 71-0 under clear blue skies which looked perfect batting conditions and former Worcestershire loanee Alex Hales went to his half century off 80 balls with 10 fours.
Joe Leach made the first breakthrough with his 49th Championship wicket of the campaign as Brendan Taylor (31) was trapped lbw.
It was also the 100th first class victim of Leach's career.
Notts reached 120-1 but the introduction of Charlie Morris into the attack brought a burst of three wickets in 10 balls from the paceman.
Steven Mullaney (21) edged to Tom Fell at third slip, James Taylor (5) was bowled and Rikki Wessels (0) was adjudged lbw.
Morris then played a part in running out Samit Patel (0) before he had faced a ball attempting a second run after Hales had played Ross Whiteley out to the cover boundary to leave Notts on 128-5.
That brought in the in-form Chris Read and he was responsible with support from the lower order in ensuring the last five wickets added 202 runs.
Hales moved to 85 but shortly after lunch he shouldered arms to Jack Shantry and was bowled.
Wicket-keeper Read was joined by Brett Hutton and the pair added 83 in 22 overs with the latter bringing up his half century off 103 balls with six fours and a six.
He had a let-off on 55 when dropped by stand-in skipper Alex Gidman at first slip off Whiteley.
Whiteley ended the stand when Hutton (40) nicked through to keeper Ben Cox. Read then found another useful ally in Jake Ball during a stand of 60 in seven overs before Ball (38) was lbw to Saeed Ajmal.
Imran Tahir (2) chopped on to Brett D'Oliveira and Read fell 10 runs short of a third successive hundred in the competition when Shantry had him trapped lbw.
His 137 ball knock contained oe six and 12 fours.
Worcestershire began their second innings immediately after tea and Richard Oliver was dismissed in the first over for four, caught behind by Read off Ball.
It became 9-2 when Tom Fell – also on four – was bowled by Hutton for four. Joe Clarke looked in good form and straight drove Ball for four and then turned him through mid wicket to the boundary.
Brett D'OLiveira made a patient 19 but was then lbw to Hutton with the total on 44 in the 14th over.
Clark pulled Hutton for four to bring up the Worcestershire 50. Skipper Alex Gidman, who top-scored with 71 in the first innings, edged Steven Mullaney wide of second slip for the boundary which put Worcestershire in front.
He then produced a sparkling cover-drive for four against the same bowler. Gidman reached 21 before he played forward to Mullaney and was bowled with Worcestershire 78-4.
The 100 came up in the 29th over as Clarke moved into the 30s. By the close Clarke (43) and Whiteley (22) had added an unbroken 37.
