Billy Godleman hit an unbeaten 60 as Derbyshire responded well to Leicestershire’s 619 on Day Two of the Specsavers County Championship match at The 3aaa County Ground.
Adding to their overnight score of 415-3, Leicestershire scored quickly in the morning before they were all out for 619, Jeevan Mendis taking six wickets in the innings.
Derbyshire openers, Godleman and Ben Slater, followed by Shiv Thakor in at three, lead the hosts’ reply, guiding them to 154-1 at the close on Day Two.
Godleman said: “We had 45 overs to bat and the new ball was always going to be the most threatening time but we were able to negotiate that without losing wickets which set a good platform.
“We’ve been in this situation quite a lot over the last two or three years and one thing I’ve learnt that having spent a long time in the field I used to come out and try and be ultra-positive but waiting for the bowler to come to me and get myself in is the most important thing.”
Ned Eckersley’s 239-run partnership with Mark Cosgrove was finally broken as Cosgrove (188) was caught by Tony Palladino off Jeevan Mendis, with Leicestershire at 516-4.
Leicestershire went into lunch on 563-4 with Eckersley on 149 and Mark Pettini on 23 after replacing Cosgrove.
Eckersley (158) reached his 150 from 158 after hitting 23 fours and one six, before he was caught by Alex Hughes from the bowling of Tom Taylor.
Pettini was lbw to Mendis for 35 and just eight balls later Tom Taylor took his 50th first-class wicket, Rob Sayer (0) caught in the deep by Hughes.
Lewis Hill (12) was caught behind by Daryn Smit off Mendis before the leg spinner removed Clint McKay, caught at long on by Tony Palladino for 7.
The Sri Lankan closed the Leicestershire innings with his sixth wicket, Klein stumped by Smit for seven, the visitors all out for 619. Mendis is the first leg spinner to take five or more wickets for Derbyshire in an innings since Kim Barnett in 1991 against Glamorgan.
Godleman and Slater opened the Derbyshire innings and Godleman passed 3,000 first-class runs for the Club in the pair’s opening stand of 85.
The partnership was broken when Slater (42) was caught at short leg by Ned Eckersley off Zak Chappell. Godleman went on to reach his half-century from 96 balls, including eight fours as he and Thakor saw Derbyshire past 100.
Thakor hit seven fours in his unbeaten 35 and Godleman was 60 not out as Derbyshire closed the day on 154-1, 465 runs behind Leicestershire’s first innings total of 619.
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