Dane Paterson claimed his maiden five-wicket haul for Nottinghamshire and Ben Slater hit fifty as the Green and Golds wrestled with Warwickshire on a rain-hit second day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash.
Having resumed on 250 for six at Edgbaston, the hosts wobbled initially, falling to 289 for nine as Paterson sealed his five-for inside the first hour by removing Matt Lamb for 67.
The Bears were indebted to a last-wicket stand of 52 between Liam Norwell and Oliver Hannon-Dalby, as they were dismissed for 341 shortly before lunch.
Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett fell following a pair of rain delays in the afternoon, but Slater continued to battle and brought up his individual fifty with a little over an hour of the day remaining.
He edged Norwell behind late on, but Joe Clarke and Lyndon James confidently saw out the remainder of the day as the visitors closed on 173 for three.
On a day in which both sides found themselves in the ascendancy, it was Notts who started the brighter, as Paterson induced an edge from Danny Briggs to Tom Moores and Luke Fletcher had Craig Miles caught at point.
Lamb was able to pass fifty for the Bears prior to becoming Paterson’s fifth victim, caught at second slip by substitute fielder Brett Hutton, before Norwell and Hannon-Dalby turned the tide with some lusty blows.
Their fifty stand arrived in just 58 balls, but it ran out of steam shortly afterwards, with Steven Mullaney taking a sharp low catch off Liam Patterson-White’s spin to remove Hannon-Dalby and wrap up the innings.
Slater and Hameed’s response was twice interrupted by showers passing over, but that was no distraction to Notts’ opening pair, who delivered a stand of 72 with composure, punctuated by the odd full-blooded strike.
The hosts fought back following the weather interruptions when Hameed was bowled for 39 and Ben Duckett was pinned lbw, both by Norwell, but Slater remained steadfast.
His fifty arrived off 117 balls, and he and Joe Clarke both opened the blades of their bats in the overs that followed, with both sending maximums into the stands.
Norwell claimed his third when Slater was caught behind for 77, but Clarke and James were able to remain unbeaten throughout the final overs, set leave the game finely balanced at the halfway
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