Derbyshire fightback leaves match poised

Stumps Middlesex 230 (Palladino 5-39) and 145 for 2 v Derbyshire 154 (Berg 4-18) and 403 (Durston 96, Finn 3-55)
Scorecard

Middlesex reached 145 for 2 by the close to leave their County Championship Division Two clash with Derbyshire nicely poised going into the final day. Tony Palladino struck a big blow when he removed the dangerous Chris Rogers for 49. But Dan Housego and Dawid Malan remained together in a stand of 37 by the close, leaving their team needing 183 more runs on the final day with eight wickets remaining.

Palladino had earlier shone with the bat as Derbyshire's last four wickets added what could prove to be 90 match-winning runs to take the home side's second innings to 403. Derbyshire started the third day 117 in front and Middlesex would have looked to Steven Finn to make early inroads, but the England seamer failed to find a consistent line and Derbyshire's first casualty was self-inflicted.

Chesney Hughes had looked particularly good off the back foot but he was guilty off a poor shot when he flashed at a wide ball from Finn and was caught behind for 36. It had taken Middlesex 40 minutes to break through and it was another 15 overs before they took another wicket as Dan Redfern and Greg Smith added 70.

Redfern unleashed some flowing drives and was one short of a half-century when he went for a big cut at Ollie Rayner and edged into John Simpson's gloves. Smith did reach his fifty before he was bowled trying to drive Corey Collymore just before lunch.

But Derbyshire were still well placed at the interval with a lead of 245 and despite having a new ball, Middlesex could not mop up the tail which wagged impressively. Although Luke Sutton was bowled off his pads by Finn in the second over of the afternoon, Jon Clare, batting with a runner because of a hamstring injury, and Ross Whiteley added another 41 runs for the eighth wicket.

It was a further indication of how the wicket had flattened out and there was more frustration for Middlesex as Palladino, dropped before he had scored, and Tim Groenewald put on 37 for the last wicket. Palladino looked far better than a No. 11 and was unbeaten on 29 from 32 balls when Finn finally wrapped up the innings to finish with 3 for 55, although he was a long way short of his best.

Rogers had been off the field with a finger injury but he opened with Scott Newman and the pair gave Middlesex just the start they needed against a Derbyshire attack that was a bowler down in Clare. They scored at five an over and the stand was worth 79 when Newman pulled Smith into the hands of Redfern at deep square leg.

But the key wicket was Rogers, who had looked in ominous touch in advancing to 49 from 64 balls and for the second time in the match, Palladino delivered. The former Derbyshire captain was lbw as he tried to work Palladino through midwicket but Housego and Malan batted through 16 overs to set up a fascinating fourth day.