Nottinghamshire face a herculean task going into the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Hampshire at Trent Bridge.
Left to score what would be the county’s highest successful run chase of 468, Notts reached stumps on 42-2 on the third day.
Earlier, Hampshire had batted until after tea before declaring on 393-7. Jimmy Adams scored 99, Tom Alsop hit 93 and there were half centuries also for Ryan McLaren and Liam Dawson.
Imran Tahir, with 3-111 against one of his former sides, was the most successful bowler.
The visitors enjoyed the sort of morning they could only have dreamt about, as they built a substantial lead.
Jimmy Adams and Tom Alsop extended their second wicket partnership to 160 before being separated just before lunch.
Adams, who had begun the day on 68, had only one real scare during the morning. On 96 he pushed Samit Patel to backward point and, after a brief hesitation, set off for a run. Brilliant work by Michael Lumb produced a fine stop and a shy at the non-striker’s end, which almost accounted for Adams.
The left-hander, whose career best score of 262 not out came at Trent Bridge in 2006, moved on to 99 but then fell to a catch by Chris Read, after feathering an attempted pull off Jake Ball.
Whilst Adams missed out on his hundred, Ball didn’t – it was his 100th first class dismissal.
Liam Dawson led a charmed life as the lunch interval approached. He was bowled by a no-ball, dropped at midwicket and almost chopped on – all in the space of five Imran Tahir deliveries.
Alsop had brought up his 50 from 122 balls during his stand with Adams and advanced to his career best score before falling in the first hour of the middle session.
Tahir, who has played for both these sides during spells with five different English counties, picked up two wickets in quick succession.
Alsop went lbw and then Adam Wheater drilled a caught and bowled straight back to the South African international.
With Dawson and Ryan McLaren then adding 80 for the fifth wicket, Notts were delighted to make a further strike in the final over of the afternoon session.
Dawson had brought up his second fifty of the match from 85 balls but was bowled by Samit Patel for 69, just before the tea interval.
Twenty minutes later, upon the restart, Patel found himself on a hat-trick as Lewis McManus edged his first ball into the hands of Steven Mullaney at slip.
Gareth Berg survived the hat-trick delivery and moved on to 17 before nicking Tahir behind.
McLaren launched two enormous sixes into the Smith Cooper Stand and was unbeaten on 71 when the declaration came.
When Notts batted towards the end of the day they lost Jake Libby for nine, caught at square leg off Andy Carter’s first delivery of the innings. Riki Wessels then perished in the final over, nudging Mason Crane to Will Smith at slip for 11.
A successful run chase would be Nottinghamshire’s highest of all-time, surpassing the 461 they achieved against Worcestershire in 2001. More realistically, with 426 still needed, they will have to bat well to secure a draw and avoid dropping below their opponents at the foot of the Division One table.