Despite 47 from Billy Godleman and 44 from opener Ben Slater, Derbyshire lost by an innings and 61 runs to Specsavers County Championship Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire.
Godleman and Slater added 65 to their overnight score, but after Slater was out for 44, wickets fell at regular intervals and the hosts were dismissed for 227.
Derbyshire Captain Godleman said: “We are bitterly disappointed, although there was still a small bit in the wicket for the seam bowlers the surface was only two and a bit days old because of the time lost and it was definitely one we felt we were capable of batting out on and saving the game.
“We had no one who batted a substantial amount of time and even with Wayne [Madsen] batting down at seven, in the conditions we should have found a way of not losing the game.
He added: “We’ve definitely played better four day cricket this season compared to last but if you isolate this game we were exceptionally poor in all departments.”
Persistent rain meant there was no play possible on Day Three and further overnight downpours resulted in a delayed start on the final day at The 3aaa County Ground.
The players took an early lunch at 12.20pm and play got underway at 1pm, with 75 overs in the day and Derbyshire resuming 45-1, trailing the visitors by 243.
Derbyshire managed to surpass the hundred mark before the first wicket of the day fell, Slater caught in the slips for 44 off Brett Hutton (5-74).
Soon after the Captain went, Godleman caught by a good diving catch from Hutton off Samit Patel for 47. At tea Derbyshire stood at 150-4 with Harvey Hosein (11) and Alex Hughes (24) at the crease.
When the pair were both dismissed shortly after the interval, Nottinghamshire took a firm grip of the game and wickets continued to fall in quick succession as Derbyshire slumped to 175-8, Madsen (14) and Viljoen (2) both bowled.
Tom Taylor and Tony Palladino showed good resistance, blocking out ten overs as Chris Read tried a mix of spin and pace bowling from either end.
Once Taylor was lbw to Hutton for 15, Ben Cotton played three nice drives to the ropes for four before Palladino (6) was bowled, Hutton claiming his second five-wicket haul of the match and Nottinghamshire taking the victory.
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[twentyticket]
