Worcestershire Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes insisted "this match is far from over" after a fluctuating third day of the LV = County Championship match with Nottinghamshire at New Road.
Nottinghamshire will resume tomorrow on 157-3, requiring another 75 for victory, after James Taylor and Rikki Wessels added an unbroken 120 for the fourth wicket.
Fine knocks from Ross Whiteley (78), Joe Clarke (61) and Joe Leach (40) had enabled Worcestershire to earlier total 292 all out.
Rhodes said: "Let's take our hat off to the two Notts batsmen first of all. There was pressure on there and both James Taylor and Rikki Wessels both played in a very confident manner and very professional.
"There are a few teams this year who have got into chase situations and panicked a little bit but those two showed their experience and played very solidly.
"We threw everything at them and they got through it in that session.
"The good thing for us we've got a break now. We get in tomorrow, they've got to start again, it always done a little bit at New Road first thing so we will be optimistic we might be able to pick up a wicket or two.
"I fancy their back three, they are wickets we can take in a short space of time, so this match is far from over.
"There are 70 odd runs to get. Still upbeat and positive but I also want to respect the opposition and what those two batsmen did tonight."
Whiteley, Clarke and Leach enabled Worcestershire to set a challenging target after conceding a first innings deficit of 61.
Rhodes said: "Ross played well, Joe played well and the other Joe played well and we managed to get ourselves some sort of score and give ourselves a chance.
"We got the three wickets early and everyone got excited but sometimes you can only play as well as you are allowed to play and Taylor and Wessels were outstanding in that partnership. Thankfully they've got to start again tomorrow."
Jack Shantry bowled a probing spell which brought the remarkable figures of 8-7-2-0.
Rhodes said: "I thought it was a great spell. Sometimes when you get figures like that, eight overs, seven maidens, two runs, then it might be they hang the ball wide of off stump and a lot of balls go through to the keeper.
"He bowled straight, he made the batsman play, it was a superb spell and on another day he may well have picked up two or three wickets."
