County Championship: Notts earn first-innings lead over Lancashire in Manchester

Lancashire were unbeaten at home in the Championship in 2017, winning five of their seven matches at Old Trafford

Lancashire ended a rain-shortened third day six runs behind Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford, after the visitors built a handy first-innings lead.

After resuming on 127-6, Notts' seventh-wicket partners Riki Wessels (44) and Tom Moores (38) were the key men for the visitors in a stand of 82.

Lancashire then lost both England opener Haseeb Hameed and Alex Davies in the 20 minutes before the tea interval.

But, with Keaton Jennings on 27 out of Lancs' 58-2, there was no further play.

Going into the final day, after the loss of the entire first day's play on day one, the draw now looks the most likely result.

But the hosts' other discarded England opener Jennings has a chance to make a decent score on his Red Rose debut.

The value of Wessels' knock and the defiant 143-minute 38 from Moores, son of Notts' former Lancashire coach Peter Moores, may only become apparent come this game's conclusion.

In a match in which he took over from retired gloveman Chris Read for the first time, Moores' effort helped Notts claim a useful lead of 64 runs.

But home captain Liam Livingstone took three wickets to match the hauls of Tom Bailey and Australian pace bowler Joe Mennie.

New Lancashire signing Joe Mennie:

"It's always nice to get wickets. It helps to ease things a bit. It would have been nice to wrap things up more quickly this morning but they batted pretty well.

"You're always nervous in a new competition against teams you don't know as well. But I think I've settled in pretty well.

"They bowled well yesterday morning and getting those wickets late on the first day dragged us back in. But the rain has limited things for both teams.

Notts wicketkeeper Tom Moores:

"Sometimes, to score a few runs means I can take confidence into my keeping - and vice versa.

"It's been great to get out there and get my first catch and get up and running.

"The lads bowled magnificently in the first innings and did it again, so to get a couple of catches was great."