Nottinghamshire made up for lost time, closing in on their sixth win in eight Championship outings by taking complete control on day three of their clash against Durham at Trent Bridge.

Although three full sessions were lost on the first two days, Division Two's bottom side lost 15 wickets in a day after being forced to follow on when Notts declared at 400 for six.

Andrew Harris (four for 40) and Paul Franks (three for 30) led the way as Durham were shot out for 132.

The visitors fared better in the second innings but struggled against the leg-spin of Stuart MacGill (three for 52) and closed on 153 for five - still needing 115 to avoid an innings defeat.

Notts suffered an early setback after resuming on 306 for three, Bilal Shafayat lbw for 48 and Usman Afzaal skyng a catch off Steve Harmison shortly after completing his century.

But Paul Johnson and Chris Read restored Notts' control with a free-scoring sixth-wicket stand of 45.

Read, with 27 not out, and Paul Franks advanced Notts to a fifth batting point with skipper Jason Gallian promptly declaring just over half an hour before lunch.

Second chance

Durham's innings got off to the worst possible start when Michael Gough played down the wrong line to Greg Smith's first ball and departed leg before.

And they then lost two more wickets in Andrew Harris' fourth over to slump to 34 for three.

It became 81 for five when Australian Brad Hodge, who made a battling 48, played an uppish cut off Franks and was well caught by Shafayat at backward point.

And it was all downhill for Durham who subsided to 132 all out in just 46.3 overs.

Following on after tea, the visitors made a better fist of things with Gough and Gary Pratt sharing a stand of 79 before Gough was caught and bowled by MacGill for 40.

But Franks then struck a double blow by dismissing Hodge for a single and Muchall for 12 as the innings slipped to 110 for three.

On 134, MacGill struck another crucial blow, bowling Pratt for 65 - scored off 53 balls - and then trapping Thorpe leg before to leave Durham staring defeat in the face.

Nottinghamshire: J E R Gallian (Capt), G E Welton, D J Bicknell, U Afzaal, P Johnson, B M Shafayat, C M W Read (Wkt), P J Franks, S C G MacGill, G J Smith, A J Harris.

Durham: M A Gough, G J Pratt, B J Hodge, G J Muchall, A M Thorpe, M J Symington, A Pratt (Wkt), I D Hunter, N C Phillips (Capt), S J Harmison, N Killeen.