Martin Andersson’s maiden first-class century led a Derbyshire fightback after Logan Van Beek looked to have given his new side the platform to push for a handsome victory on his Leicestershire debut in the County Championship.
Ex-Middlesex all-rounder Andersson finished unbeaten on 101 as Derbyshire recovered from 139-6 six in reply to Leicestershire’s 484 to close on 346-8, still 138 behind but having confounded expectations by avoiding the follow-on.
Netherlands international Van Beek added 3-87 to go with his 83 not out, but Andersson emerged as the player of the day, finding valuable support first from Anuj Dal (43) in a seventh-wicket stand of 110, and then from ex-Leicestershire man Zak Chappell (37).
Derbyshire’s Australian opener Caleb Jewell had earlier profited from being dropped twice in making 83.
Such was Leicestershire’s dominance of the first part of the day that even with left-hander Jewell given lives on two and 25, they still had their neighbours 57-3 at lunch in reply to their own total of 484.
Van Beek – who previously had two spells as a Derbyshire player – was the bowler when Jewell was dropped by Lewis Hill at backward point in his second over.
Derbyshire had already lost David Lloyd – tamely caught and bowled by Van Beek – and Harry Came – beaten past the inside edge to be leg before to Ian Holland. They would have been 8-3 had the chance stuck.
It would have been 53-4 had Leicestershire captain Peter Handscomb not made a hash of what should have been a routine catch at second slip off Ben Green that handed Jewell his second reprieve.
Green, on loan from Somerset, had only moments earlier dismissed Wayne Madsen, so often Leicestershire’s nemesis, with a ball that came back in to hit the Derbyshire skipper in front.
Earlier, Van Beek had shown how much of an all-round asset he may be to Leicestershire by finishing their top scorer on 82 not out after Derbyshire had conceded another 61 runs to the home side’s last-wicket pair from their overnight position.
Left-arm spinner Jack Morley finally wrapped up the innings by having Tom Scriven leg before for 38.
On a pitch that had something for the bowlers but afforded scant room for error, Van Beek had picked off 13 boundaries from 103 balls, the last-wicket pair adding 83 in total.
Van Beek notched his second success with the ball four overs into the afternoon session, squaring up Brooke Guest to end a 25-ball duck with another lbw, before Jewell punished a loose Holland over with a couple of handsome fours as he and Luis Reece tried to mount a fightback.
The fifth-wicket combination added 52 but Reece then flailed at a wide delivery from Scriven to be caught behind at 118-5. When Jewell was bowled for 83 by a ball from Ben Mike that kept low, Derbyshire were still 345 behind at 139-6.
Resistance came finally from Andersson and Dal, the latter battling hard despite needing painkillers for a back problem.
Not only did the seventh-wicket pair steer Derbyshire to tea with no further losses, they extended their partnership for 10 overs thereafter, chipping 110 runs off the deficit before Dal, having paused for more tablets, drove loosely at Van Beek to be caught at backward point.
By now, though, Leicestershire’s bowlers were finding it difficult to conjure much response from an ageing ball and 58 runs more were cleared from the arrears before Ben Mike’s tactics of bowling short paid off when Chappell swatted to deep square leg. Hill, at third man, then spilled his second chance of the day off a Blair Tickner top edge.
Andersson, whose previous best was 93, completed his hundred with the push for two that simultaneously avoided the follow-on, leaving Leicestershire with a handsome lead but in a less dominant position than once seemed likely.
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