Redfern guides Derbys ahead

A torrential mid-afternoon downpour put paid to Derbyshire's hopes of building a sizeable lead over Leicestershire on the second day at Grace Road.

Derbyshire, the Divison Two leaders, had reached 191 for 5 when the rain arrived, saturating the square and outfield and leaving umpires Richard Kettleborough and Nigel Llong with little option but to abandon play after a 5pm inspection.

There were still 43 overs left in the day, and Derbyshire will resume with a lead of just 14 runs as they look to set up their fifth win of the season and cement their position at the top of the table.

With conditions remaining helpful to the bowlers, Derbyshire found progress difficult after starting the day on five without loss, still trailing by 172 runs. Both Chesney Hughes and Matt Lineker enjoyed some good fortune as seamers Matthew Hoggard and Nathan Buck found the edge of their bats on several occasions, only for the ball to fly past the slips and down to the third man boundary.

There was no element of luck about a crunching cover drive by Hughes off Buck, while Lineker was much more circumspect - contributing just nine runs to an opening stand of 43 before being bowled off his pads by Buck.

Hughes followed eight runs later. Having survived one confident lbw appeal by Hoggard, he was again struck on the pads by the Leicestershire captain in his next over and was this time given out.

Wes Durston, however, looked in good touch, hammering 16 runs in one over off Buck with two boundaries through midwicket followed by a huge six to take Derbyshire past 100. But just when it seemed Derbyshire were gaining the initiative, Leicestershire struck back, taking two wickets for six runs in the space of three overs just before lunch.

Wayne Madsen, who shared a stand of 66 with Durston, was out for 21 caught at second slip as he edged a lifting delivery from Wayne White. Then Durston fell in bizarre fashion, pulling a rank long hop from off spinner Josh Cobb into the hands of Michael Thornely at midwicket.

A brief rain shower 20 minutes after lunch brought a half-hour stoppage and, on the resumption, the home side quickly snapped up a fifth wicket with Ross Whiteley dragging the ball back into his stumps as he tried to a pull a delivery from Buck.

Dan Redfern (40 not out) and David Wainwright (20no) shared an unbroken stand of 41 before the rain arrived to halt Derbyshire's progress.