Derby

(Day three of four, Derbyshire won toss)

Derbyshire 270 (86.5 overs) and 323-5 (98 overs) R Clarke 81, FA Klokker 76 not out, CJL Rogers 64, DL Maddy 2-27 ;Warwickshire 310 (98.5 overs)

Lunch

Sooner or later, Chris Rogers will realise that Derbyshire cricket is not good for his health. His previous stint with the club, in 2004, involved damage to ankle ligaments and a hamstring before Mark Cleary broke his thumb with a bouncer that also hit him on the head. Having retired hurt, he did not bat again before returning to Australia for serious shoulder surgery that ended his stay after seven weeks.

Yesterday, he was twice struck on the head by Neil Carter, the second blow pushing his visor into his nose and causing him to retire hurt for 10. Happily, he is expected to resume later in the day.

His opening partner, Steve Stubbings, remained crease-bound to a yorker-length ball from Ant Botha that had him rather softly leg-before for 19 and John Sadler became the second man to fall to a former colleague when, pushing defensively, he played on to Darren Maddy's gentle outswing for 18. Maddy's eight overs brought him one for six and Derbyshire were effectively 21-2 at lunch.

With Tim Ambrose still unable to keep wicket because of a ricked neck, they granted permission for Richard Johnson, a teenager from Solihull and Warwickshire's third keeper, to take the gloves as substitute.

Tea

When Dominic Telo went to the third ball after lunch for one, top-edging a rash, ungainly sweep to short fine leg, it appeared that Warwickshire well on their way to a second victory this campaign.

With three down, Derbyshire were 21 runs ahead and a highly uncertain start for both Rikki Clarke and Freddie Klokker meant that 22 overs either side of the interval had produced only 40 unconvincing runs.

But the stand grew in self-belief and aggression as the captain, Clarke, recovering his touch, reached his first fifty since 22 July last year and brought Derbyshire towards a potentially match-winning advantage by tea. Maddy made ten bowling changes in the session but could not broke a partnership that had added 122 in 35 overs by the interval, when Derbyshire led by 143.

Close

Though the 134-run, fourth-wicket stand was eventually ended 20 minutes after tea when Clarke, for 81 from 161 balls, chipped Maddy's slower ball to mid on, Rogers resumed his innings and flayed the new ball. Freddie Klokker completed a responsible maiden championship fifty but Rogers overtook him in adding 54 more runs to his tally from 51 balls.

He eventually gave Johnson a first catch behind the stumps, bringing Carter his only success, but Klokker continued to the close and Clarke may well have a difficult declaration to make on Saturday, mindful that Warwickshire overhauled a target of 383 a fortnight ago when Northamptonshire left them a chase. Derbyshire led by 283 runs overnight.

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