Frighteningly hostile bowling spells from Olly Stone and Dillon Pennington saw Nottinghamshire stage a remarkable recovery to regain the initiative on a stunningly fast-moving third day against Hampshire at Trent Bridge.
In all, 19 wickets fell across 69.1 overs of play, with the visitors ultimately concluding on 61-6 in their second innings, still 117 runs short of their victory target of 178.
Much of that damage in the second innings was down to Stone and Pennington, who claimed three wickets each and combined for figures of 6/33 after tea.
To reach that point, the hosts had first bowled Hants out in their first innings for 304, with Jake Lehmann’s unbeaten 133 helping them to a deficit of 73.
The Green and Golds were then dismissed for 104 in their second innings as Manny Lumsden claimed 5/36, in spite of the in-form Joe Clarke’s battling 37.
Having set the visitors a potentially in-the-balance target, Stone and Pennington then roared in over the first 14 overs to leave Hampshire’s efforts smouldering.
At one point, they were 27-6, with thoughts of a three-day victory suddenly on the cards, only for Ben Mayes and Scott Currie to put up some resistance before bad light called an early finish.
It was Pennington who was the key man early on in the day’s play, as he removed Eddie Jack and Kyle Abbott, both lbw, in his first spell of the morning to secure a third bowling point.
Lehmann was resistant and ground out his 247-ball innings without being dismissed, but once Stone had bowled last man Lumsden, the hosts had secured a healthy advantage.
A strong bowling display from Hampshire in reply did have the Trent Bridge faithful watching nervously on, even as Clarke stuck around for almost two hours to shepherd things.
A useful stand of 28 with Fraser Sheat pushed the victory target almost to 150, before a pair of late boundaries from Pennington, who was last out, added further valuable runs.
If there were any nerves among those present at that point, they were explosively dispelled by what was to follow, as the opening pace duo left the visitors’ top order in shreds at 11-4.
Opener Nick Gubbins and key man Lehmann both fell to catches from Mitch Hay behind the stumps, with Pennington and Stone the respective architects of their demise.
Felix Organ, meanwhile, fell to a juggling catch by the latter at mid-on off the former, while Toby Albert was also similarly well taken at backward point by sub fielder Sam Seecharan.
Neither bowler was done yet, too, as Pennington had Joe Weatherley taken behind the stumps for Hay’s third catch, before Ben Brown edged Stone to Freddie McCann at second slip.
Mayes advanced to a counter-attacking 21 as Hampshire looked to regain a small foothold, while Currie crept along in a far more pedestrian fashion for 13, with the duo adding 34.
Although such a stand proved frustrating as the light crept in and the umpires called a halt, the advantage still lies with the hosts, who will be hopeful of wrapping things up tomorrow.