DERBY (third day of four; Derbyshire won toss)

Essex 270 (85.2 overs) RS Bopara 137, JL Clare 3-41, T Lungley 3-68; Derbyshire 239 (93.2 overs) JL Sadler 49, CJC Wright 3-62

Lunch

Andre Nel, the South Africa fast bowler, whose posturing aggression can often grow a little tedious, has been officially reported to Lord's by umpires Richard Illingworth and Tim Robinson for bad language and for hitting Steve Stubbings with the ball when ostensibly throwing at the stumps after fielding in his follow through.

The alleged transgressions occurred on Thursday and, adding to his woes, Nel was unable to bowl more than two overs yesterday morning after tweaking a buttock muscle.

In his absence, Essex, led by Jason Gallian after Mark Pettini reported with an eye infection, shared three more wickets on a slow pitch still offering seam movement as Derbyshire added 89 runs.

Stubbings was leg-before for 39 to one that nipped back and poor shots saw Dominic Telo and Rikki Clarke fall cheaply in five overs. Ravi Bopara should have gained a wicket with his third ball but John Sadler, whose responsible, unbeaten 48 has taken 149 balls, was badly missed from a top-edged pull on 23

Tea

With another 43 minutes lost to rain in the afternoon, tea was delayed until 4.10pm in the expectation that the extra half hour would be added later, weather permitting, for the third day running.

Derbyshire would have been happier to escape further examination on this slow, seaming pitch. Chris Wright, Essex's close-season signing from Middlesex, claimed three wickets in an innings for the first time, in his 21st first-class match, but Derbyshire limped to their first batting point of the summer.

David Masters's lift had Freddy Klokker held at first slip from the third ball after lunch before Wright removed Jamie Pipe, leg-before playing across the line, and John Sadler. Sadler's watchful 49 from fully 171 balls eventually ended when he twitched at a quicker, short ball leaving Graham Wagg and Tom Lungley to pass 200.

But it became 205 for eight when Wagg fell to a good catch at cover by Varun Chopra, substituting for Mark Pettini, as Wagg advanced and mistimed his drive at James Middlebrook's off spin.

Close

A frustrating final session, in which rain and bad light twice intervened, saw only 44 more balls bowled as Derbyshire fell 11 runs short of a second batting point when Jon Clare, driving and held at first slip, was last out for an enterprising 27. Nel, who had fielded through the afternoon session, was eligible to bowl again straight after tea and produced a rasping lifter to remove Tom Lungley.

With showers forecast again, and Essex unable to build upon their 31-run first-inings lead, it seems unlikely they will be able to declare early enough on Saturday to make a viable push for victory.