Zak Chappell took three wickets in a hostile evening session spell to wrestle back momentum on day three of the LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Warwickshire where the hosts finished 245 ahead.
With Notts having resumed on 173-3, another absorbing day played out at Edgbaston, punctuated by both sides enjoying periods of dominance, before the home side closed on 201-6.
Despite Joe Clarke reaching his half-century within the first over of the day, a wobble saw Notts lose five wickets before lunch.
However, Liam Patterson-White fought back with 36, and he was the last man to fall as the Green and Golds closed their first innings 44 runs in arrears.
After Warwickshire had proved resolute early on in their second innings, the tea break brought about another change of dominance, as Chappell and Luke Fletcher reduced the Bears from 113-2 to 134-6 in the space of 11 overs, before a late stand between Michael Burgess and Danny Briggs saw Warwickshire to the day’s end.
The day started brightly for the visitors, with Clarke caressing Tim Bresnan through midwicket to bring up his fifty, the fourth time he has done so this season, but the innings soured shortly after.
Lyndon James was unable to add to his overnight four not out before being bowled by Craig Miles, and Steven Mullaney suffered the same fate after making a typically belligerent 28, before Tom Moores also fell for 13.
Patterson-White turned the tide with his gutsy innings, and added a vital 33 with Chappell for the eighth wicket, but he was caught behind off Briggs with the Green and Golds narrowly shy of a third batting point.
Warwickshire openers Will Rhodes and Rob Yates stiffly resisted a barrage from Fletcher and Chappell early on, standing together for 76, before Patterson-White’s removal of Yates for 26 opened a door for Notts.
The returning Chappell then took full advantage with three scalps in 33 deliveries, first seeing Pieter Malan held by Patterson-White for 6 before inducing an edge from Sam Hain (5), and removing one of Will Rhodes’ bails with a glorious delivery which moved late.
Bears captain Rhodes had made 63, and his dismissal further demoralised the hosts, as Fletcher continued the rampage with two of his own in the space of one over.
He pinned Matt Lamb in front, and followed it up by ensuring Tim Bresnan would have a pair in the match when the all-rounder feathered through to Moores.
However, another stubborn partnership, this time between Burgess (61*) and Briggs (16*), ensured that was to be the last of the wickets for the day, the match evenely poised heading into the final day.