England hopefuls Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott both failed with the bat as Warwickshire were left in deep trouble at Nottinghamshire.

Left-armer Ryan Sidebottom, also in contention for a place in the final Ashes Test at the Oval next week, ripped through the Bears middle order with a devastating spell of swing bowling which included three wickets in four overs, finishing with three for 33.

Bell was caught behind for one while Sidebottom's new-ball partner Charlie Shreck removed Trott for 15 on his way to three for 62, his best return in an injury-hit season.

Only Rikki Clarke looked up to the challenge with 67 from 127 balls, including seven fours and a six, as Warwickshire finished a rain-interrupted day on 214 for nine, still 174 behind.

Notts Director of Cricket Mick Newell was delighted with the impact of Sidebottom and claimed his senior seamer is "back to his best" ahead of the crucial clash with Australia, having picked up 20 wickets in his last four matches at an average of 17.85.

He said: "Sidebottom put in an excellent opening spell and has been bowling briskly and finding swing in almost all the matches he's played for us.

"I'd say he's back to his best and certainly in better form than when he last played a Test, in the West Indies in the spring.

"If England want a pitch-it-up swing bowler at the Oval, to complement what James Anderson does, then he's certainly in there."

Persistent rain meant no play was possible in the morning session but after an early lunch action was resumed at 1.30pm.

Both Shreck and Sidebottom looked threatening from the start but it was 6ft 7ins Cornishman Shreck who struck first, with Warwickshire skipper Ian Westwood getting a thick edge to Andre Adams at gully.

And Adams repeated the trick in Shreck's next over to dismiss Ant Botha, bringing Bell and Trott together at the wicket with the possibility that both were competing for the same spot in the England squad to be announced on Sunday.

However, Bell had no answer to the skills of Sidebottom, who zipped his first delivery past the right-hander's outside edge and then went one better with his next, which Bell could only follow and edge through to wicketkeeper Chris Read.

It was a very similar wicket to the 27-year-old's dismissal at the hands of Australia's Mitchell Johnson in the second innings at Headingley last week and will have done little to convince England's hierarchy of his qualities.

Sidebottom also removed Jim Troughton and Tim Ambrose lbw in an opening spell of three for 11 from nine overs, while Shreck's out-swinger was too good for Trott, who edged low to Adam Voges at second slip.

Warwickshire were at one point 66 for six but the lower order offered more resistance, with Chris Woakes and Naqaash Tahir providing good support for Clarke before he was run out attempting a second run to Adams at third man.