[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Three

Morning: After a second-day washout, there was a short delay to Saturday's proceedings while a damp patch on the wicket dried out, and when play finally got underway Worcestershire had every reason to be confident under slate-grey skies with the floodlights on. But it was the home side who seized the momentum, surviving early nicks that fell short of the slip cordon to settle in at the crease and advance the score significantly, reaching lunch on an ominous 150-3.

Afternoon: After another rain break, the ominous 150 grew even ominouser as the batsmen accelerated, reaching a comfortable six an over while the Pears attack sent down some absolute pies for them to cream away. Rain ended the session as it had begun, the second in a row completely wicketless, and Notts now on 255-3.

Evening: At last a breakthrough, with Daryl Mitchell prompting Lyndon James to miscue an onside swipe and be caught for 78; yet the Notts charge continued unabated. Steven Mullaney scored 88 off just seventy-three balls as he pushed the hosts up to 400 and maximum batting points before feathering behind off a Josh Tongue bouncer. At 400-5 the inevitable declaration came, and so began the inevitable Pears collapse. With Jake Libby caught at short leg for 2, Tom Fell top-edging behind for 10 off an unnecessary pull shot, Daryl Mitchell LBW for 9 offering no stroke, Brett D'Oliveira and Riki Wessels each departing leg-before for a duck - the latter off his first ball - and Jack Haynes then following them back to the pavilion in the same fashion for 14, Worcestershire closed on 53-6 with the innings in tatters. From making a bowler-friendly pitch look like a flat track, to making seventeen overs under sunny skies look like a September minefield, it was a gutless, pathetic display with bat and ball from start to finish. The weather may not come to the rescue on Sunday, and if the Pears continue to acquit themselves as they have so far in this match and against Durham, those fourteen final-day wickets will be a breeze for Nottinghamshire. Trailing the follow-on by 198 runs, some serious backbone is required to save this game.