Fourteen wickets fell on an eventful opening day of the Specsavers County Championship match away to Leicestershire as the two sides shared success to leave the game well-poised.
Wayne Madsen top-scored with 47, but Derbyshire were dismissed for 139 inside two sessions on a rain-hit day at The Fischer County Ground.
Leading the fightback with the ball, Tony Palladino took three wickets and went at 0.33 runs per over as Derbyshire had their opponents 55-4 at the close with the game progressing quickly.
Billy Godleman won the toss and elected to open the batting with Luis Reece against the experienced bowling pair of Muhammad Abbas and Chris Wright.
With over 800 first-class between them, the pair bowled tightly with the Derbyshire openers forced to settle for playing out maidens in the early overs.
But after seeing off Abbas’ first spell, Derbyshire lost quick wickets to Wright (3-39) and Dieter Klein (2-30) as Reece (11) and Godleman (7) fell in successive overs.
Derbyshire were 75-4 at lunch as Tom Lace was out for five and Alex Hughes was caught behind without scoring.
The wickets continued to fall in the second session as Harvey Hosein was given out lbw, struck in front by Wright and Madsen too was lbw after making 47 which included ten fours.
Abbas (3-38) and Wright continued to trouble Derbyshire as no pair could put on a stand worth more than 28 and soon the visitors were eight down with all recognised batsmen back in the pavilion.
Logan van Beek made 15 not out in a partnership worth 17 with Ravi Rampaul, but the West Indies quick was the last man out as Derbyshire were dismissed for 139.
Rain at the end of the Derbyshire innings forced an early tea interval after which Palladino took 2-3 from his opening six-over spell to claw his side back into the game.
He first bowled Paul Horton, who played on for ten, before he had Ateeq Javid struck in front for three.
Reece then had Cosgrove caught at slip for seven and the hosts slipped to 24-3, still trailing by 115.
The in-form Colin Ackermann and Hasan Azad (13 not out) looked to settle things for Leicestershire and added 26 in a rare trouble-free spell as Derbyshire sought a vital fourth.
It took the return of Palladino to deliver it and he had Ackermann lbw for 18 with the score 50-4 and the game in the balance.
Harry Dearden (4 not out) fended off van Beek and the accurate Palladino before stumps to leave the hosts 55-4, still 84 runs behind Derbyshire with six wickets remaining.
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