All is not well behind the scenes at Middlesex, despite yesterday's victory in which Ed Smith, the captain, led from the front with a fluent and urgent 74. Owais Shah then held the subsequent run chase together with a responsible, and often high-class 86 from 161 balls, but as the players celebrated it was confirmed that a petition of 180 members had gone to the club expressing no confidence in the Middlesex committee and calling for a special meeting.

Vinny Codrington, the Middlesex chief executive, said the committee was meeting last night to discuss the issue, adding: “These members are entitled to their opinion and I think there should be an open forum.”

Middlesex have won nothing in 15 years and clearly a section of the 7,000-strong membership is unhappy with the way the club are being run.

At least this victory, gained achieved despite an almost constant threat of bad light - after the mid-afternoon loss of 17 overs to rain and another mini-stoppage of nine minutes - takes Middlesex away from the lower reaches of the second division.

Derbyshire: First Innings 244 (D J Birch 72,

C J L Rogers 63)

Second Innings (overnight 260-9)

J L Clare c Joyce b Nannes 57

K J Dean not out 3

Extras (b 6, lb 10, w 1, nb 4) 21

Total (79.1 overs)273

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-27, 3-81, 4-85, 5-91, 6-156, 7-212, 8-223, 9-259.

Bowling: Nannes 13.1-4-30-1; Murtagh 18-1-70-4; Philander 21-7-60-3; Evans 10-1-43-0; Udal 17-5-54-2.

Middlesex: First Innings 262 (B J M Scott 66, E C Joyce 58; K J Dean 4 for 28)

Second Innings

B A Godleman lbw b Langeveldt 8

*E T Smith b Needham 74

O A Shah b Langeveldt 86

E C Joyce c Langeveldt b Wagg 34

E J G Morgan not out 33

V D Philander not out 10

Extras (b 1, lb 5, nb 5) 11

Total (4 wkts, 62 overs) 256

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-124, 3-185, 4-236.

Bowling: Langeveldt 23-5-75-2; Dean 11-1-47-0; Wagg 9-0-45-1; Needham 9-1-50-1; Clare 10-1-33-0.

Umpires: N L Bainton and B Leadbeater.