County Championship: Derbyshire stay in hunt against Lancashire

Wes Durston has scored six first-class tons and 30 half-centuries

The bowlers dominated day two between between Lancashire and Derbyshire at the County Ground as 15 wickets fell.

The visitors lost their final two wickets for just one run in the morning session and were bowled out for 293.

Derbyshire were indebted to Wes Durston and Billy Godleman's 148-run fourth-wicket partnership as the hosts were all out for 274, a deficit of 19.

But, early wickets for Tom Taylor and Mark Footitt reduced Lancashire to 36-3 at the close, a lead of just 55.

Resuming on 292-8, Lancashire's first innings was brought to a close quickly by Taylor as he bowled Simon Kerrigan for a duck before having Tom Bailey caught behind without scoring.

Derbyshire's innings began poorly as Australia Test bowler Peter Siddle claimed his first wickets for Lancashire to reduce the hosts to 26-3.

Durston (85) and Godleman (76) then steadied the ship with their century partnership before Kerrigan swept up the tail and finished with figures of 3-21, which included his 200th championship wicket.

The red rose county were then guilty of a lapse in concentration as they began their second innings, losing openers Paul Horton (2) and Luis Reece (8) in consecutive balls to Footitt and Taylor respectively, to leave them with a slender lead of 55 and the match evenly balanced.

Derbyshire batsman Wes Durston said: "I would say it's very even but getting those three wickets means we can go into day three still par and I think the first session will be very important to setting up the rest of this game.

"Early in the morning the ball does a little bit and hopefully we can use that to our advantage and nip out a couple more, so the first two hours will be very important."

Lancashire spinner Simon Kerrigan on taking 200 County Championship wickets: "I hadn't a clue, but it's a really pleasing thing for me to achieve and hopefully there are plenty more landmarks to come for me.

"Hopefully we can bat well tomorrow and look to try and get what we did in the first innings."