Derbyshire’s bowlers produced an excellent all-round effort on Day Two with the game finely poised heading into the second half of the game.
Rory Haydon claimed his maiden first-class wickets on debut to finish with figures of 2-54, with the other wickets shared amongst the other Derbyshire seam bowlers.
Leus Du Plooy scored his second hundred of the season and led Middlesex to a slender first-innings lead on day two at Lord’s.
The Middlesex skipper, who spent five years with Derbyshire prior to joining the Seaxes produced a stoic four-and-a-half hour effort with only eight boundaries as the hosts reached 298 all out.
Josh De Caires (46) and Joe Cracknell (43) provided the main support, the latter sharing a stand of 80 for the sixth wicket with Du Plooy.
Ben Aitchison bowled beautifully for his 3-35, while Zak Chappell also claimed three victims, before openers Luis Reece and Caleb Jewell saw Derbyshire through to stumps at 17 without loss – a lead of two heading into day three.
Aitchison’s probing opening burst provided a stern examination of the Middlesex openers and it was a test Sam Robson did not survive, this season’s beneficiary trapped lbw by one which beat the outside edge.
De Caires and Luke Hollman somehow negotiated the rest of the seamer’s stump-to-stump spell, but in his endeavours to increase the tempo against some looser offerings from first change Chappell, the latter wafted lazily at a wide one to be caught at slip.
De Caires picked up where he’d left off in his 175 against Durham for the second XI at Hartlepool last week, driving sweetly through mid-on and cracking a wide one from Chappell to the fence at point. However, four short of 50 and with lunch beckoning he was adjudged to have tickled one through to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest. His disappointment, whether at himself or the decision was palpable.
It was left to Du Plooy to provide the innings of substance required. The South African-born left-hander got underway with a tickle for four to fine leg, but this was a studious rather than flamboyant knock, a later square drive another of the six fours in his first 50 reached in 80 balls.
His second 50 was even more phlegmatic, nudges into the gaps marking his progress with only one further boundary until he reached the 90s. There was as scare on 91 as the 30-year-old crumpled to the floor after inside-edging a ball from Aitchison, the problem seemingly with his knee.
He was able to continue after treatment, albeit hobbling, and a square drive and a punch through midwicket took him to a deserved hundred.
Others batted around the skipper, Ryan Higgins threatening a big score before a flash at a wide one from Chappell cut his effort short on 31 and Ben Geddes didn’t stay long before becoming the seamer’s third victim, lbw to a ball which looked to be swinging past leg stump.
Cracknell was the man to help in the one partnership of note, the wicketkeeper/batter riding his luck early on before unfurling some trademark aggressive shots, the pick a pull off Haydon which sailed into the Mound Stand. Haydon’s revenge was swift however, a ball stopping a little in the pitch before climbing to take the edge of the bat and flying to backward point.
Du Plooy, now struggling physically, fell lbw to Luis Reece soon after the first innings lead was secured, after which the tail crumbled leaving the hosts two runs short of what could have been a precious second batting point.
Derbyshire seamer Ben Aitchison said: “We were saying last night and this morning if we keep them anywhere near our score with them having to bat last on that wicket we’d be really happy and we stuck at it all day and managed to do that.
“It’s frustrating when you are beating the edge but one thing we always say say if you are not getting the nicks and you are bowling well, someone else is going to get those wickets which is what happened.
“As a unit we all bowled really well and it was probably our best performance of the year with the ball.
“I’ve only played here once before and bowled most of my overs from the Nursery End anyway and I felt in a really good rhythm, so didn’t really feel like changing it. Luis prefers the Pavilion End so I was happy with the one I was at.
“We are pretty happy with our position going into day three. We don’t have to bat on it last and hopefully that is going to have a big part to play in our favour.
“On Rory Haydon’s debut: “He bowled really nicely, he’s really impressive. He keeps it simple and did what he has earned his contract from doing. I’m really happy for him.”
