Joey Evison claimed his maiden first-class five-wicket haul as Nottinghamshire ensured qualification for the LV= Insurance County Championship Division One on the third day of their clash with Durham at Emirates Riverside.
Evison, who returned figures of five for 21, was instrumental as Notts dismissed their hosts for 165 on the stroke of tea, establishing a 163-run first-innings advantage in the process.
He was well backed up by England’s Stuart Broad, who picked up three for 36, as well as Luke Fletcher and Liam Patterson-White, who snared a scalp each, as Durham were all out inside 55 overs.
Haseeb Hameed then passed fifty for the sixth time this season, as Notts rammed home their advantage by advancing to 125-5 at the close, leading by 288.
The three bowling bonus points gained, coupled with the fact that the hosts were unable to pick up any batting bonuses, ensured the Green and Golds took an unassailable lead in the top two spots of Group One.
Earlier, Patterson-White and Fletcher had returned to the crease at the start of the morning session to resume an innings that had been forcibly paused by rain for the entirety of day two.
Both batted with intent, with Fletcher in particular flicking a handsome boundary through square leg, as they added 16 runs in 26 deliveries before Patterson-White was bowled for a joint-career-best score of 73.
That left Durham 328 runs in arrears as they began their first innings, but Broad ensured their reply began in nightmarish fashion when he pinned Australian opener Cameron Bancroft in front with only his third ball.
He then dismissed Bancroft’s fellow opener Michael Jones in identical fashion as Durham fell to 13 for two, but a stand of 64 between David Bedingham and skipper Scott Borthwick ensured the hosts made it safely to lunch.
However, Evison’s introduction in the first over of the afternoon proved the catalyst for a collapse, and he wasted no time in setting out his stall, trapping Bedingham lbw for 30 with only his fifth ball.
He then followed that up by striking thrice more in his next 19 deliveries, removing both Sean Dickson and Ned Eckersley for ducks either side of his dismissal of Borthwick for 38, as Durham fell from 77 for two to 86 for six.
Evison completed his five-for when Ben Raine was well held at square leg by Lyndon James, and when Luke Fletcher rearranged the furniture of last recognised batsman Jack Burnham, Notts were rampaging.
The innings came to a brisk conclusion when Liam Patterson-White spun out Matt Salisbury, before the returning Broad took care of last man Chris Rushworth.
Opting against enforcing the follow-on, Hameed enjoyed a largely untroubled evening, and the lead reached nigh on 200 thanks to an opening stand of 44 with Ben Slater
Notts profited from the short boundaries as Hameed notched up ten fours in his fifty, and he was well supported by Ben Compton (20) and Joe Clarke (16) as the home attack was repelled.
He did fall shortly before stumps, bowled by Borthwick, but not before he had seen the lead reach almost 300, and with runs in the bank, Nottinghamshire will be hopeful of closing their Group One account in a winning fashion.