A SUPERB bowling effort from Lancashire's Glen Chapple could not prevent Paul Franks from scoring his first century at Trent Bridge to leave Nottinghamshire in a dominant position over the Frizzell County Championship runners-up.
Earby's Chapple bowled 28.3 overs unchanged from the start of the play through to 2.50pm and finished with six wickets for 98 runs as he single-handedly removed the top six batsmen - but missed the chance for seven when he dropped a return catch from Franks on 25.
And the left-handed all-rounder went on to score his second career first-class century from 112 balls with 12 fours and two sixes before Nottinghamshire declared on 319 for eight to set the visitors a target of 477 for victory.
The hosts resumed their second innings on 16 for one with Chapple in the middle of his third over but the 29-year-old struck with the first ball of the day to trap new England wicketkeeper Chris Read leg before for two.
Russell Warren swiftly returned to the dressing room as Warren Hegg snapped up an edge off Chapple for a duck as Nottinghamshire wobbled at 22 for three.
Opener Darren Bicknell reached his second 50 of the match when he drove John Wood through the covers for four but he was out for 53 to the next ball he faced as Chapple induced an edge to Carl Hooper at slip.
Lancashire captain Hegg continued his miserable match as he twice dived across Hooper in one Wood over to drop first Kevin Pietersen and then Bilal Shafayat.
And Hooper completed the hat-trick of missed chances when he dropped Shafayat off Chapple in the next over - with three catches spilt in 12 deliveries.
Just before lunch however Chapple struck again as he bowled Pietersen for 37 with a good length ball which the big-hitting batsman getting a bottom edge on his pull shot.
Nottinghamshire youngster Samit Patel hit Kyle Hogg for two sixes over midwicket in consecutive balls before Shafayat became Chapple's sixth victim with a thin edge which Hegg managed to hold for 26.
Patel went on to reach his half-century before he chipped Hogg to Stuart Law at short midwicket for 55, with Greg Smith quickly following as he cut Iain Sutcliffe to Law at slip for nine.
Lancashire put on the part-time bowlers to encourage a Nottinghamshire declaration in the knowledge that with Surrey's defeat second place in the Division One was assured.
Franks duly completed his hundred after tea and Lancashire were six for no wicket from three overs before bad light ended the day's play early.
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