Nottinghamshire face a final-day fight to stay alive against Sussex after another testing day in Hove left the visitors 149-7 in their second innings at stumps, in front by 31.
The Green and Golds had begun the day in fine fettle, taking the last four home wickets for 50 runs, including the ninth with the very last ball of the 110th over, to bank maximum bowling bonus points.
That dismissed the Martlets for 358, giving them a first-innings lead of 118, and the visitors subsequently advanced to 117-3 to raise hopes of a dash for the finish line.
However, Ari Karvelas, who claimed those first three to fall, then picked up another, while Jaydev Unadkat took three late scalps to see the hosts take the upper hand.
The loss of 36 overs to rain before lunch did not help Notts’ efforts, though when play finally did begin at 1:30pm, the visitors rose to their first task effectively.
Tom Price was caught by Freddie McCann in the slips for 72 to give Olly Stone a third wicket, while Jack Carson followed him in the next over after getting a leading edge off Brett Hutton to Jack Haynes.
Hutton then removed Karvelas for three via a smart Hameed catch at mid-on with the last ball that banked three bowling points, before Unadkat was bowled for a golden duck by Liam Patterson-White.
The visitors then aimed to drive home their buoyancy with a strong second-innings showing with the bat, and despite the contentious removal of Ben Slater, Hameed and McCann moved things to 86-1.
However, when Hameed became Karvelas’ second victim after tea, and Joe Clarke followed two overs later, the tide began to turn, and it was difficult going for the visitors from then on.
McCann, Haynes, and Olly Stone all departed as Karvelas and Unadkat began to take hold, before Patterson-White became the final wicket of the day at the hands of the latter.
Mitch Hay was unbeaten on 11 at stumps, with Hutton, who top-scored in the first innings, alongside him, and the pair will hope for an against-the-odds stand as Notts look to take something from the contest.