Ed Barnard hit a career best 163 not out spanning seven and a half hours as injury-hit Worcestershire pushed Nottinghamshire all the way to achieve a 233 target in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Trent Bridge.
The all-rounder came to the wicket at 32-4 and was still there when Worcestershire had recovered to total 339 all out.
He received excellent support from Jack Haynes, Ben Cox and Adam Finch in setting the home side a challenging total.
It was a superb effort in application and concentration spanning seven and a half hours.
Worcestershire were a bowler short due to Dillon Pennington being injured and had only three front-line seamers in Charlie Morris, Barnard and Adam Finch, having already lost Joe Leach to illness ahead of the game.
But they made their opponents fight all the way to reach their target and achieve a five wicket success with a day to spare.
It was a commendable effort after losing a crucial toss on the first day and being subject to facing the most bowler-friendly conditions.
Worcestershire resumed on 225-5 – a lead of 118 – with the second new ball only four overs old.
Barnard and Cox advanced their sixth wicket partnership to 142 before the first breakthrough of the day.
Cox (55) edged a ball of extra bounce from Stuart Broad and was caught behind. His determined 172 ball knock contained seven boundaries.
Josh Baker (1) departed lbw in the next over from Luke Fletcher at 242-7 but then Barnard found another staunch partner in Finch.
The pace bowler was not afraid to play his shots, cover-driving Broad for four and cutting Liam Patterson-White for another boundary.
Barnard reached his third Championship century before yesterday’s close and he continued to accumulate effectively, leg glancing Dane Paterson for a boundary.
He went past his previous highest score of 128 against Essex at Chelmsford in the opening game of last season.
The all-rounder and Finch completed a half century partnership off just 73 balls when Barnard swept Patterson-White for six.
Barnard completed his 150 when he square drive Steven Mullaney for three.
Finch continued to provide excellent support and had made an invaluable 33 out of a stand of 79 when he was caught behind off Broad in the penultimate over before lunch.
Barnard was still there on 153 out of 322-8 at the interval.
Morris (3) and Pennington (4), who was able to bat, were dismissed soon after the interval to leave Barnard undefeated on 163 from 310 balls with one six and 17 fours.
Morris then gave Worcestershire the perfect start when Nottinghamshire launched their reply with Ben Slater (2) edging the fourth ball of the innings to Ed Pollock at first slip.
Nottinghamshire number three Ben Duckett attacked to good effect in reaching 50 off 46 balls with 10 boundaries.
But Barnard made a second breakthrough for Worcestershire when he beat the defensive prod of Haseeb Hameed (24) who was bowled with 85 on the board.
Morris returned to the attack after tea to strike again when Duckett, having made 78, drove hard at the pace bowler and edged through to Cox.
Worcestershire further boosted their hopes by picking up two wickets in successive overs.
Lyndon James (23) attempted to reverse sweep Baker but only picked out Barnard who had stood his ground at slip.
Nottinghamshire skipper, Steven Mullaney (10), then drilled Finch straight into the hands of Baker on the cover boundary at 182-5.
But Joe Clarke and Tom Moores saw Nottinghamshire to victory with an unbroken stand of 61.
Morris finished with figures of 12-2-34-2, Barnard 15-4-44-1, Finch 10-0-65-1 and Baker 19-1-90-1.
