Needing 321 to win Worcs ended the third day on 9-0 from four overs. Notts' batsmen had totally dominated the day putting behind them their awful collapse on the opening afternoon. A century by Greg Blewett, plus fifties for three of the middle order, renewed home hopes of a first Championship victory of the season at Trent Bridge

Beginning the day on 39-1 Notts were indebted to their second-wicket pairing of skipper Darren Bicknell and Australian Greg Blewett. Their stand of exactly 100 had taken the home side into an overall lead but was ended when Chris Liptrot trapped Bicknell lbw for 38.

The same bowler also accounted for Blewett but not before he had completed his fourth Championship ton of the season, getting there with a lofted six straight back over bowler Matt Rawnsley.

Usman Afzaal made 53 and Paul Johnson 18 as the middle order continued to build upon the earlier fine work. By tea the lead was already more than 200 and shortly afterwards Kevin Pietersen advanced to his own fifty (80 mins 66 balls 10x4s) then lifted Rawnsley high over mid-wicket for six.

Chris Read, on his 23rd birthday, had also hit a maximum during the afternoon session and he lifted Rawnsley for another as he helped Pietersen post the second century stand of the innings.

Pietersen held his bat aloft on reaching 76, acknowledging those who were aware that, after Blewett, he had become the second Notts player to reach 1,000 first-class runs for the season. In his first season of county cricket the 21-year-old could, quite rightly, be proud of the achievement.

A first ton at Trent Bridge looked a certainty but on 86 he was run out by a brilliant piece of fielding from Rawnsley, swooping at extra cover to return Read's shot sharply to Steve Rhodes. Three balls later Richard Logan went without scoring, not playing a shot at David Leatherdale.

Worcestershire took the new ball as soon as it became due and a Bichel half volley enabled Read to clatter it through the covers for the boundary needed to reach his 50 (124 mins 99 balls 5x4s 2x6s).

A J Harris then tried to leave alone a delivery from Bichel but only succeeded in gloving it to Rhodes and without further addition to the total Read edged Sheriyar to Vikram Solanki at first slip. Nadeem Malik scored his first senior runs with a sliced boundary over the slips but then, with the total on 423, he was held in the gully by Weston.

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