WORCESTERSHIRE were skittled for just 110 in seamer-friendly conditions on day three of the County Championship Division One match with Nottinghamshire at Blackfinch New Road.

Joe Clarke made 42 off 35 balls with seven fours and shared in a fourth-wicket stand of 65 in just 11 overs with Travis Head (33).

But otherwise the ball was on top after an uncontested toss following two days of rain and Luke Fletcher returned career-best figures of 5-27 from nine overs.

Notts achieved a lead of 94 in reaching 204-6 before bad light ended play with 11 overs remaining.

Worcestershire's Daryl Mitchell (0), Tom Fell (0) and Brett D’Oliveira (3) were dismissed in the first three overs from Jake Ball and England paceman Stuart Broad.

Clarke then counter-attacked to good effect and reeled off a succession of cover drives.

Head cut Fletcher for four to bring up the half-century stand with Clarke in nine overs.

But then a succession of wickets fell quickly to Fletcher.

He accounted for Clarke, George Rhodes (0), Ben Cox (3) and Head inside his first six overs.

Skipper Joe Leach collected three quickfire boundaries but the last three wickets went down as lunch approached.

Broad returned to dismiss Ed Barnard (4) and last man Charlie Morris (3) while in between Fletcher completed his nap hand by accounting for Leach (12).

Morris is playing his first Championship match for 19 months in place of Steve Magoffin.

The County looked to strike back with the ball and Jake Libby (9) pushed forward to Leach to provide Mitchell with a low catch at second slip.

Steven Mullaney (28) was lbw to Josh Tongue at 44-2 but then Ross Taylor and Chris Nash steered Notts into the lead during a second-wicket stand of 78 in 21 overs.

Leach ended the stand by bowling Nash (26) with an inswinging delivery before Taylor reached his half-century off 76 balls with five fours and a six.

He failed to add to that tally before going lbw to Tongue and Samit Patel (12) departed in the same manner to Leach.

Riki Wessels and Tom Moores added a further 55 in 11 overs before the former on 36 was bowled by Barnard and the players left the field shortly afterwards with the total on 204-6.

Leach admitted: "The first session of the day was probably more than a bit disappointing.

"It’s been the third wicket in a row that has been difficult to bat on, certainly with the new ball.

“But we’ve probably got to be a bit better. I’m sure as a group we know that and then it didn’t seem to do quite as much in the afternoon.

“We stuck to our task relatively well and for us to get the second bonus point just before the close of play is obviously a real bonus.

“We will see what the weather brings. I know the forecast is not fantastic but if we do get out there we will be trying to get that third bonus point and then we are going to have to scrap hard to try to save the game.”