DERBY

(Day three of four, Derbyshire won toss)

Middlesex 306 (100 overs, Joyce 64) and 53-2 (31 overs)

Derbyshire 347 (103.1 overs, Smith 113, Rogers 80, Kartik 4-93, Richardson 3-46)

Lunch

If this error-strewn match is not to slide into stalemate the time has perhaps come for one side to impose itself. Derbyshire, assisted by some lacklustre seam bowling, looked the likelier candidates, though their new captain, Chris Rogers, narrowly failed to start with a century.

With Murali Kartik continuing to pose the only consistent threat, Rogers attempted to turn the spinner through the onside and, as the ball either bounced more than expected or went on with the arm, the Australian returned a catch off the leading edge. Out for 80 after an hour, he left his overnight partner, Greg Smith, to complete his fourth fifty in five championship innings shortly after a seven-minute stoppage for rain.

Derbyshire trailed by 91 at the interval and probably needed to reach 400 to establish a potentially decisive advantage. For their part, Middlesex realistically required the remaining six wickets in 90 minutes or so after lunch if they were to set up a significant overnight lead.

Tea

Greg Smith, the South African all-rounder, soared above the often wretched standards in this match to record a maiden first-class century in his 61st innings but his dismissal, 40 minutes from a delayed tea, was the first of four in five new-ball overs to put the game back in the balance. Neither side, in truth, knows how to win it.

Whilst Smith was advancing in only 78 balls from his 50 to an eventual 113, Derbyshire were taking command but, in 15 balls, Alan Richardson had him taken at second slip, driving, and added the wickets of Jon Clare and Ian Hunter.

Best known for his Twenty20 hundred in 62 balls against Yorkshire nine weeks ago, Smith is almost the archetype of the modern county cricketer. He represented South Africa at both under-19 and A-team levels before coming to Britain at 21 in pursuit of better financial rewards in club and county cricket, after eight matches for Griqualand West. He is now England-qualified by residence.

His partner at lunch, Rikki Clarke, went 30 minutes after the resumption, slapping a wide half-volley to cover for 21, and Tom New, Smith's next ally in a 70-run, sixth-wicket stand, was dropped three times before reaching double figures, twice in successive balls off Tim Murtagh.

He fell for a charmed 31 in the decline from 300 for five to 321 for nine before the tenth-wicket belted 26 to post a final 41-run first-innings lead. Charl Langeveldt, swiping, skied the catch that gave Kartik his fourth success.

Close

Despite a strangely defensive approach from Derbyshire, Middlesex's attritional attitude in the final 31 overs may yet cost them the game. With a lead of 12 runs overnight, their remaining eight wickets probably have to survive more than two sessions on the final day to secure a draw.

Billy Godleman took 49 balls in finding a single and then fell for two when he edged Jon Clare to second slip. Ed Joyce was undone by Smith's eighth ball as third change when, perhaps playing for turn, the left-hander was leg-before to the South African's off spin for 34. The match's many errors continued when Eoin Morgan was reprieved on nine as New failed to gather a throw from backward point with the batsman out of his ground.