Afzaal sparkles for Nottinghamshire

The visitors finished the day on 274 for five in their second innings, a lead of 243 after both sides made more than 450 at the first attempt.

Afzaal was unbeaten on 104 at the close of the play, sharing in an enterprising fifth-wicket stand of 143 with South African all-rounder Nicky Boje, who scored 70

Boje smashed seven fours and three sixes, the pick of which was a dismissive dance down the wicket to Robert Croft that opened the way for a hoist over long-off. He fell in the final over of the day, though, driving Thomas to Steve James in the covers.

Dean Cosker proved effective but expensive for the Welsh side, finishing with figures of three for 101 on a pitch far from ideally suited to his slow left-armers.

Darren Bicknell made 16 before clipping him to midwicket to give David Hemp his second catch of the day, after the 31-year-old had removed Jason Gallian, a centurion in the first innings, at point in the second over.

Gallian missed out on a good batting wicket but fellow opener Guy Welton showed what was possible when caressing successive balls to the boundary on the way to an untroubled 33. He eventually became Cosker's second victim of the morning, trapped leg before playing across the line.

Bilal Shafayat took Cosker on to explosive effect, cracking 14 off three balls that included a huge six hoisted over the deep square-leg boundary. It would have been easy to have adopted a defensive line after that but, to his credit, Cosker continued to probe and got his reward when sneaking one through the gate to bowl Shafayat for 31.

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