A mammoth opening stand between Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers left the LV County Championship match between Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire intriguingly poised going into the final day.

After conceding a 96-run lead on first innings, the pair posted 244 for the first wicket in Yorkshire's second innings, with Rudolph making 149 and Sayers 86.

Both batsmen were eventually dismissed by Paul Franks, who had earlier made a rapid 64 before Notts were bowled out in their first innings for 352.

Yorkshire finished the day on 269 for two, a lead of 173, and will face a dilemma in the morning, needing to win to pull clear of relegation trouble on what has become an increasingly easy pitch to bat on.

Despite going into the match second from bottom after a poor season which has seen them win only once, Yorkshire knew that they would still be very much in the game if they could claim the final three Notts wickets.

Instead, Franks and Mark Ealham feasted on a selection of long hops and half-volleys to add 43 in the first four overs before Ealham was lbw to Deon Kruis for 36.

Franks had already passed 50 off only 56 balls with his 12th four but then offered Ajmal Shahzad a return catch in the over after Ealham's dismissal.

Last pair Darren Pattinson and Charlie Shreck secured a fourth batting point before Pattinson played on to Shahzad after 51 runs had come off the first 6.2 overs of play.

The runs continued to flow steadily throughout the day as left-handers Rudolph and Sayers batted with increasing assurance after a cautious start against the new ball.

Their concentration and application helped them record the highest first wicket partnership for Yorkshire since August 2001, in what was also the first occasion an opening stand had passed 100 at Trent Bridge since May 2007.

Former South African international Rudolph went on to his fourth hundred of the summer and had hit 22 fours off 238 balls when an attempted upper-cut off Franks was well caught by a diving Ealham at third man.

Sayers, who had survived one chance on 33, failed to add to his total of 86 in the next six overs and then saw his middle stump flattened by Franks as Yorkshire's momentum stalled.

Skipper Anthony McGrath finished unbeaten on 18 alongside Andrew Gale (five not out) and may need to choose his moment carefully to declare if he wants to force the possibility of a win Yorkshire desperately need.