Rothesay County Championship 2025 – Round 2 Day 2: Live Streaming, Scores & Match Reports (April 11–14)

Surrey 253 & 136 for 1 lead Hampshire 219 by 170 runs

By Jon Batham, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

A trio of Surrey stars part of England’s past, present and possibly future put the defending champions in charge on day two against Hampshire at the Kia Oval.

Dan Worrall, who played ODI cricket for his native Australia back in 2016, but now a naturalized Briton, again suggested he might be a shout for the winter Ashes series down under with 3-37 as the hosts bowled out Hampshire for 219.

England’s current Test vice-captain, Ollie Pope (  56 not out ), a little short of runs in his first three innings this term, struck a 67-ball half century, while teammate Dominic Sibley, a man of the pre-Bazball era followed his century of the opening day with 55 not out, the pair sharing an unbroken stand of 80 before bad light brought a slightly premature close at 136-1

For Hampshire, Tom Prest and Nick Gubbins both got beyond 40 without pressing on and they will see this as a chance missed on a pitch of few demons

Overnight batters Gubbins and Mark Stoneman  struck a crisp boundary apiece in the opening two overs of the morning, but thereafter excessive caution rendered them all-but stroke-less against some naggingly accurate bowling from Worrall and his fellow seamers.

The score crept into the 80s as runs became a trickle before drying up altogether. Matthew Fisher twice whistled the ball past the flailing blade of Stoneman and pressure told as Gubbins tickled one from Dan Lawrence around the corner to Pope at leg slip.

Worrall then trapped Stoneman in front with a full delivery and when Toby Albert edged Jordan Clark to Lawrence at third slip three wickets had fallen in 47 balls for only six runs.

Such was the batter’s stranglehold, when Prest flashed one over third slip’s head for four it marked the first boundary for 26 overs.

Hampshire emerged from lunch with a different mindset marked by four boundaries in the first nine balls, more than in the whole first session.

Dawson though soon perished, a deserved wicket for Fisher, and skipper Ben Brown spurned a reprieve when dropped at slip by Sibley, edging the next ball to the safe hands of Ben Foakes.

At 118-6 Hampshire were looking at a sizeable first innings deficit, but Prest and New Zealander Brett Hampton played positively, the latter caressing a wide, full ball from Roach to the extra cover fence. A 50-stand was in the offing when Hampton fell for 26 made at more than a run a ball, Pope grabbing a fine low catch at slip from one which went from inside edge onto the pad.

Worrall returned to have Prest caught by Patel at short leg from a ball which flew off the meat of the bat and would have left the young batter in need of emergency dentistry had he not got his hands up in time.

The fact Surrey’s lead was limited to 34 owed much to Abbott’s swashbuckling 37, including a six over backward square, Lawrence ending his revelry with one which turned to bowl him through the gate.

Abbott made the breakthrough when Surrey batted a second time, trapping Rory Burns lbw, but not before the openers had added 56 with few alarms.

Sibley batted with greater fluency than 24 hours earlier, though surviving a close call for a run out  before moving to 50 from 90 balls with seven fours.

Pope soon followed suit, propelled to the landmarks with the aid of successive sixes off Sonny Baker, the latter stroke just clearing the fielder at wide third.

 

An opening partnership of 184 between Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes placed Sussex in a commanding position at the end of the second day of their county championship match against Somerset.

By the time Jack Leach finally broke the first wicket stand, in the 50^th over, the Sussex lead was 277.  And by the close they had extended their advantage to 339 thanks to a 13^th first-class century from Haines, his first in the top division.  Sussex will be looking for a lead in the region of 500 runs on the third day.  It will take a big total to bat Somerset out of the game. Somerset will remember how, last June, they chased down 410 in the fourth innings to beat Warwickshire by five wickets with four overs to spare.  They will know how the pitches at Hove can flatten out in the course of a match. 

Sussex, for their part, are probably still haunted by the memory of Louis Kimber’s astonishing 243 here last season, which almost pulled off a far-fetched victory for Leicestershire, who were set 464 in the fourth innings and lost by just 18 runs.

A century looked there for the taking for the Australian left-hander Hughes.  But on 91, attempting to cut a wide delivery through backward-point, he was caught behind.  He had faced 151 balls and hit 16 fours.

Haines, though, would not be denied.  He moved to 99 by hitting Archie Vaughan for a straight six and then hit Leach back over his head to reach three figures.  He had faced 182 balls and hit 12 fours and two sixes.  And at stumps he was still unbeaten on 117.

The morning session had three distinct phases.  Sussex took two quick wickets, to maintain their dominance of the previous evening. James Rew then led a considerable Somerset counter attack before the last three wickets fell for just 12 runs runs.

Somerset resumed on 62 for five, still 232 runs behind, and their chances of mounting a meaningful recovery were seriously compromised when they slid to 79 for seven.  In the third over of the day Sean Hunt found the inside edge of Tom Lammonby bat and wicketkeeper John Simpson took a sharp catch moving sharply to his left.  The left-hander had not added to his overnight score of 24.  Two overs later the same combination accounted for Kasey Aldridge, this time Simpson completing a jugging catch.

But from that unpromising position Rew and his captain Lewis Gregory took the attack to the Sussex bowlers and added 110 for the eighth wicket in 20 overs. When Rew clipped Danny Lamb through mid-on for four to reach 49 it took Somerset to 145, and they had avoided the chance of being asked to follow on.

Rew then edged Jayden Seals for his eighth four – one of his few false strokes – to reach his fifty from 61 deliveries.  It was the first half-century of the match.  Rew edged Seales for another boundary, this time to raise the 100 partnership.

The partnership was progressing so well that it was a surprise when Gregory, who had hit four fours in his 36, lifted Hunt to Seales at mid-on.  In Hunt’s next over Migael Pretorius edged behind and the bowler ended the innings when he had Leach also caught by Simpson, first ball.  Somerset had lost their last three wickets in 15 balls, leaving Rew unbeaten on an 83-ball 80. Left-armer Hunt’s figures of five for 48 from 12 overs were the best of his  career.

Day 2: Yorkshire 456 and 61-1 v Worcestershire 162, Headingley. Yorkshire lead by 355.

By Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Yorkshire claimed eight Worcestershire wickets during a rampant second-afternoon performance as their seamers helped gain a stranglehold on this Rothesay County Championship match at Headingley.

Jordan Thompson was Yorkshire’s standout player, but he wasn’t head and shoulders above the rest having completed a swashbuckling 70 at the start of day two before returning three for 27 with his seamers. There were a number of impressive performances.

In reply to Yorkshire’s 456 all out, Worcestershire had reached 90 without loss shortly after lunch, but they lost eight wickets for 46 in 25 overs to slump to 136 for eight at tea and were later bowled out for 162, conceding a lead of 294.

The hosts, however, opted against enforcing the follow-on, and increased their lead in the day’s remaining 19 overs. They closed on 61 for one - 355 ahead. 

The day started with Yorkshire advancing their first innings from an overnight 425 for eight. Ben Allison struck twice to finish with an impressive three-for, while the excellent Ben Coad also completed a useful 31 amidst a ninth-wicket stand of 75 with Thompson.  

Coad, 22 with the bat overnight, also added a superb four for 39 from 15.3 overs later on.

New ball partner Jack White claimed two wickets and George Hill one, with Yorkshire’s catching behind the wicket particularly impressive. They took five slip catches added to two for wicketkeeper-captain Jonny Bairstow. 

Worcestershire captain Brett D’Oliveira suffered a dislocated thumb whilst trying to take a diving catch in the outfield before lunch, and he only batted at eight rather than his usual number six before losing his off-stump to White.

The Pears had started their reply strongly through openers Jake Libby and Gareth Roderick, who posted 53 and 37 respectively on a pitch which has offered something for everyone.

Good pace and carry is its most obvious feature. 

During the action-packed afternoon, the home attack were right at it. They hardly gave their visitors a moment’s breathing space.

Yorkshire’s breakthrough came when White had Roderick caught at second slip by Adam Lyth, who also helped Coad remove Libby at 101 for three in the 37th over. Thompson forced Kashif Ali to play on to his leg-stump in between.

Hill also held a juggling catch at first slip to help Coad remove ex-Yorkshire all-rounder Matthew Waite for one. 

Waite was the hero of last week’s draw with Somerset at Taunton, unbeaten in both innings for 32 and 87. 

Worcestershire actually suffered a first-innings collapse in that game of all 10 wickets for 84 but dug themselves out of a hole second time around. Whether they can do the same here remains to be seen.

Thompson had Ethan Brookes caught at mid-on for 19 after tea before Coad wrapped things up when Jacob Duffy edged behind.

The only wicket to fall in Yorkshire’s second innings went the way of Allison as Fin Bean played on for 14. Lyth will begin day three on 32.

Thompson ensured an entertaining start to the day, moving from 48 not out to help Yorkshire secure their fifth batting bonus point for passing 450. The visitors also secured their third bowling point. 

Yorkshire lost Coad caught behind off Allison, leaving the score at 435 for nine.

But Thompson took two sixes in an over off another Worcestershire seamer Tom Taylor - one pulled, the other reverse scooped over the wicketkeeper’s head. The second took his side beyond 450. He also reached his fifty off 48 balls.

Yorkshire’s innings, however, was wrapped up when sub-fielder Rob Jones took a superb juggling catch on the deep square-leg boundary to help Allison remove Thompson, whose influence on the day was far from done.

A brilliant bowling performance from Durham put them in a controlling position in their Rothesay County Championship clash with Warwickshire despite excellent half-centuries from Kai Smith and Michael Booth.

Durham were bowled out for 387, adding 44 to their overnight total, with Warwickshire spinner Taz Ali mopping up the tail, picking up two wickets to give him figures of four for 66.

Warwickshire’s reply started well with their opening pair putting on 57, but the visitors struggled to get a grip of the game as Daniel Hogg and Brendan Doggett put them in a spot of bother at 157 for six. 

However, Smith and Booth excelled with the bat to combine for a 115-run partnership which gave Warwickshire some hope of getting close to Durham’s score, but a late cluster of wickets meant that the visitors closed on 287 for eight, 100 behind Durham’s score. 

Resuming on 343 for seven, Ben McKinney and Matthew Potts were looking to pursue quick runs in the opening session of day two. McKinney passed 150 with a nice flick off his pads for four but the opener didn’t last much longer as he was caught behind off an Ethan Bamber ball for 153. 

Potts smashed a Booth delivery over the square leg boundary for six, but his excellent knock ended soon after as he was stumped by Smith off the bowling of 18-year-old Ali for 70 and the spinner wrapped up the innings in the same over when he got Doggett LBW.

Warwickshire’s opening pair of Alex Davies and Rob Yates started their reply well, with Yates producing a lovely cover drive for four off the bowling of Potts.

Davies then found the boundary with a super straight drive from a Hogg delivery and a few balls later he picked up back-to-back fours from the same bowler. Hogg responded though and removed the Warwickshire skipper for 38 as Davies chipped a ball to Emilio Gay, who caught excellently at cover.

Hogg struck again soon after, with the 20-year-old producing a jaffa to bowl Warwickshire prospect Hamza Shaikh for a two-ball duck just before lunch.

The visitors began the afternoon session in a calm manner, but they offered a huge chance to the hosts as Doggett forced Sam Hain into an edge but Will Rhodes dropped a regulation catch at first slip with the Bears batter on nine. 

Durham continued to probe and Yates and Hain were happy to absorb the pressure, but the pressure was too much for the former as he edged a Ben Raine delivery to second slip for 42. 

Hain started to make the most of his second chance as he played a lovely cover drive for four, while Dan Mousley looked good for 24, but Rhodes atoned for his drop by getting the England white-ball player LBW to swing the momentum back to Durham. 

Doggett was then rewarded for his hard work with his first Durham wicket as Hain edged behind to a diving Ollie Robinson for 30. Wickets came like London buses for Doggett as Ed Barnard skied one straight to the hands of Alex Lees at mid-wicket to depart for 12. 

Young Bears wicketkeeper Smith looked good in the early stages of his innings and he picked up three boundaries from a Raine over.

Smith and Booth continued to frustrate Durham, with Smith impressing in particular as he adapted to the match situation and he got his 50 from 86 balls. 

Smith moved through the gears with a cut shot from the bowling of Rhodes going to the boundary and Booth got in on the act as he hit Colin Ackermann for back-to-back boundaries. However, just before close Smith departed for 79 as he spliced a Hogg delivery in the air and Gay made no mistake with the catch at third man. 

There was another boost for the hosts when Raine got Ali LBW for one, but Booth reached his half-century in the final over of the day and remains at the crease with the visitors 100 runs behind.

 

Day 2: Essex 301-5 (Cox 82, Walter 76) v Notts 347 (Verreynne 128*, Cook 4-44). Essex trail by 46 runs with five first-innnings wickets standing

By ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

A third-wicket stand of  123 through the afternoon, after Nottinghamshire had ended on 347 in the first 30 minutes, proved the platform for what looks a clear, if hardly decisive, Essex advantage at the midway stage of their Rothesay County Championship Division One match at Trent Bridge.

Jordan Cox, cruelly denied a Test debut when fracturing his thumb in the nets on England’s tour of New Zealand last November, continued to a sweetly timed 82 after partner Paul Walter had gone for a more muscular 76. This in answer to Kyle Verreynne’s eventual unbeaten 128 for the home side earlier.

Though the first ball of the final session saw Cox feather a legside delivery to the keeper only one more wicket fell before the close of a second day whose last six overs  were bowled with a new ball under floodlights as April’s blue skies finally gave way to cloud.

With 117 already posted this season against Surrey, the 24-year old Cox has now passed fifty 21 times in his young career for Kent and Essex, notably continuing to eight centuries, a conversion rate that left Notts relieved to see him fall short. His one misjudgement earlier was the scampered single that took him to 80 yet only barely beat a throw at the non-striker’s stumps.   

Walter, who made 95 in his one other innings this campaign, had taken the teenage Farhan Ahmed’s off-spin for a six and a four with mighty blows to mid-wicket when he attempted another, next ball, but sliced to slip as it turned out of the left-hander’s rough. By tea, 40 minutes later, Essex were 205-3 only for Cox to fall on resumption.

Making it two wickets in his eight-over evening spell, Lyndon James then also removed Michael Pepper who cut a short ball to backward point for 26 to bring in Noah Thain. To his credit, the 20-year old, who endured a testing day when bowling on Friday, gamely resisted 75 balls for 21 overnight in support of Matt Critchley who will resume on 50

There is still little in this pitch for bowlers but it may possibly become more uneven. Seamers from the Stuart Broad End have already made the odd ball jump from a length and some have kept a little low. For their part batters frequently prodded and tapped the surface.

Essex, still lacking opener Dean Elgar on paternity leave for newborn twins, had initially made an uncertain start to their innings in the morning when Charles Allison, in only his second Championship innings, aimed an ambitious on-drive at Fergus O’Neill and went lbw for eleven.

Brett Hutton, the fourth seamer, then opened with a superb yorker first ball which whipped out Tom Westley lbw for five. Lunch soon following at 54-2.

At the day’s start, Essex had required eight overs to claim the home side’s two remaining wickets as Notts missed a third batting point by three runs in finishing on 347.  Verreyyne, though dropped at slip off Simon Cook when 33 on Friday, could again not be dislodged.

His undefeated century took his tally in five innings for Notts so far to 376 – this for only once out. And in between his three Notts games last September and this one seven months later he had also made Test hundreds for South Africa against three different countries.   

At least Cook, who had Ahmed dabbing a short, wide one to a juggling third slip for 31 and then bowled Pennington for one, returned four for 44, figures that finally did him some measure of  justice.

Glamorgan 146-3 trail Gloucestershire 546 by 400 runs.

Bowlers on both sides were made to strive hard for wickets on the second day of Gloucestershire’s Rothesay County Championship Second Division match with Glamorgan at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.

The hosts began by extending their overnight first innings score of 368 for three to a mammoth 546 all out, claiming four bonus points to Glamorgan’s two. Miles Hammond contributed 54 and Graeme van Buuren 48, while Zain ul Hussan was the pick of the Glamorgan attack with two for 66 from 24 overs.

In reply, the visitors had reached 146 for three by the time bad light ended play at 5.40pm, Sam Northeast making 50. They still require a further 251 to avoid the possibility of following on, but can sleep soundly in the knowledge that a third-day Bristol pitch is unlikely to offer any greater challenges.

Gloucestershire soon made their intentions to score quick runs clear at the start of play as Hammond, unbeaten on 37 overnight, took two boundaries off the second over, sent down by Asitha Fernando. But nightwatchman Matt Taylor fell cheaply with the total advanced to 379, caught at third slip by Kiran Carlson, pushing forward to Timm van der Gugten.

Hammond went to an attractive half-century off 62 balls, with 8 fours, before van der Gugten forced a ball between bat and pad to clip the stumps. The 400 was brought up in the 108th over, leaving Gloucestershire too short of time to claim a fifth batting bonus point.

James Bracey looked in good touch, producing the shot of the morning with a glorious on-drive for four off van der Gugten and following up with an equally impressive square driven boundary in the same over.

It looked as though Glamorgan would have to settle for one bowling point when the final ball of the 110th over was reached with Gloucestershire 423 for five. But it saw van Buuren and Bracey attempt a quick single to backward point and Bracey run out for 24 by Ben Kellaway’s rapid throw to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke.

Chris Dent was next to the crease in the unfamiliar role of number eight. The experienced opener made a brisk 24, helping van Buuren take the total to 466 before edging a back foot forcing shot off Ned Leonard through to Cooke.

At lunch, Gloucestershire had progressed to 491 for seven, having scored 123 in the session for the loss of four wickets. That became 506 for eight soon after the interval when Tom Price, on 21, was pinned lbw falling across his stumps by ul Hussan.

It was a well-deserved wicket for the seamer, who had bowled without any luck on day one. He quickly followed up by having Zaman Akhter caught at slip for 15, and the innings finally ended when van Buuren, who had clipped ul Hassan off his toes over deep backward square for six, holed out to long-off to give Shoaib Bashir a second wicket of the innings.

Glamorgan had been in the field for 137.5 overs and began their first innings facing severe scoreboard pressure. Openers Eddie Byrom and ul Hassan took the total to 44 before the latter edged to wicketkeeper Bracey pushing forward to Tom Price and departed for 28.

Byrom followed for 23 with the score on 84, getting a nick to a back foot defensive off Taylor for Bracey to take a second straightforward catch. But Northeast had settled in and survived just one major scare, a confident lbw shout by Price, on 46 before moving to a 77-ball half-century, with 9 fours.

That was as good as it got for the Glamorgan skipper who fended at a ball from Ajeet Singh Dale that hurried onto him and edged to Cameron Bancroft at second slip.

Carlson and Colin Ingram then batted with few alarms until, with a possible 11.1 overs left in the day’s play and the floodlights on, the umpires decided conditions were no longer fit for play.

Middlesex 222 all out. Kent 218 all out. Middlesex 222 for 6.

Middlesex have batted themselves into a commanding position at the end of day two of their Rothesay County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury, reaching 222 for six at stumps, a lead of 226.

Stephen Eskinazi gave them a platform with 57 before Ben Geddes cashed in after being dropped twice to make 73 not out.

Earlier Kent were all out for 218, handing the visitors a four-run first-innings lead. Grant Stewart made 56 and Harry Finch 52 but their 101-run partnership was broken in the second over of the morning session. Blake Cullen had Middlesex’s best figures with four for 60, while Ryan Higgins took three for 37.

Kent were still 50 in arrears at the start of Day 2 but after passing 50 in the first over he swished Ryan Higgins to Zafar at midwicket, ending a partnership of 101.

Finch punched Roland-Jones through the covers to bring up his 50 but Higgins pinned him lbw in the next over.

Jas Singh and Kashif Ali almost got Kent to parity, until an eventful 83rd over. Kashif was on 16 when he hooked Cullen, but Brookes reacted a split second too slowly and the chance went down. However, he was run out off the very next delivery, when Singh drove Cullen through the covers and Zafar Gohar’s throw allowed Cullen to break the with Kashif a centimetre from making his ground. Cullen then bowled Singh middle stump to give Middlesex a slender advantage.

Nathan Fernandes’ run of single-figure scores this continued when Nathan Gilchrist had him lbw for one in the fourth over.

Max Holden, lucky to get off the mark with a tailender’s swipe at Stewart, nicked Gilchrist to Daniel Bell-Drummond at third slip for five in the next over, but Eskinazi and Leus du Plooy steered them to 33 for two at lunch and looked well set for an hour after the resumption until the latter edged Stewart to Jack Leaning for 26, breaking a 56-run partnership.

Joey Evison struck with his second ball, bowling Higgins off stump for 15 and Ben Geddes nearly went in the same over but Tawanda Muyeye couldn’t cling on at first slip.

Eskinazi clipped Evison for a single to reach 50 but was lbw to Singh in the 42nd over and there was further encouragement for Kent members, during an otherwise interminable afternoon session, when Michael Cohen came on as a sub fielder after missing the entire 2024 season with a back injury.

Middlesex, however, were 147 for five when tea was finally taken at 4.23 pm and the game began to drift away from the hosts, with Gilchrist unable to take a return catch off Geddes, who subsequently straight-drove Evison for four to reach his 50.

Jack Davies joined him in making batting look easy on a track that had looked treacherous on day one until Leaning got him for 27, caught by Bell-Drummond at first. Cullen then came in for three deliveries before the players came off for bad light.

Day 1: Northamptonshire 1st innings 496. Lancashire 1st innings 139-4 trail by 357.

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

 Lewis McManus made 95 as Northamptonshire posted 496 all out – their highest-ever total at Old Trafford – and then took four wickets to consolidate their advantage on the second day of this Rothesay County Championship match.

Justin Broad took two wickets to have Lancashire in early difficulties before Keaton Jennings and Marcus Harris steadied matters with a partnership of 84 before the latter fell just before the close followed by nightwatchman Anderson Phillip in the final over to leave Lancashire 139 for four, trailing by 357 runs.  

Jennings, whose lowest effort in his three early season innings is 49, looked in great touch, pulling consecutive deliveries from Broad for four and six on his way to his half century and he ended the day on 60 not out. It feels that a lot will rest on their skipper if Lancashire are to make progress towards Northamptonshire’s total tomorrow.

Broad struck twice following his introduction to the attack in the 11th over, his fourth delivery finding just enough movement to trap Michael Jones lbw for 14 with the score on 22 before removing Josh Bohannon for five with a delivery that ripped out the batters off stump.

Harris played some free-flowing drives in making 43 but fell to a great diving catch at midwicket by Broad off Raphy Weatherall five overs before stumps.

At the start of the day. Saib Zaib could only add five runs to his overnight 111 before edging behind off Phillip attempting to repeat the drive that had earned him four runs the previous ball.

Broad helped McManus boost the total by 48 runs until he was run out for 19 by Tom Bailey’s direct hit from midwicket as the visitors reached the 110-over mark on 405 for seven.

McManus, who had reached his fifty earlier from 97 balls, marshalled the lower order superbly during the first half of the day and found a willing assistant in Calvin Harrison. The loan from signing from Nottinghamshire gave steady support in an 81-run partnership inside 30 overs for the eighth wicket that included reverse sweeping Hartley for four to reach his half century from 87 balls.

It proved to be a frustrating passage of play for Lancashire who bowled spinners Tom Hartley and Luke Wells in tandem for the final 33 overs of the innings in an attempt to dry up the run scoring and exert some pressure.

The innings ended abruptly with the final three wickets falling for 12 runs, starting when McManus became the second Northamptonshire batter to fall agonisingly short of a hundred in two days. Having seen David Sales perish for 92 yesterday, McManus departed in similar fashion on 95 top-edged a front foot slog off a Wells delivery pushed wider that went high to Bohannon at mid-off. Hartley (3-91) then wrapped things up bowling both Guthrie for a duck and Harrison for 56 via inside edges.  

By Jon Culley, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Day 2: Leicestershire 484 v Derbyshire 346/8. Leicestershire lead by 138.

Martin Andersson’s maiden first-class century led a Derbyshire fightback after Netherlands all-rounder Logan Van Beek looked to have given his new side the platform to push for a handsome victory on his Leicestershire debut in the Rothesay County Championship.

Ex-Middlesex all-rounder Andersson finished unbeaten on 101 as Derbyshire recovered from 139 for six in reply to Leicestershire’s 484 to close on 346 for eight, still 138 behind but having confounded expectations by avoiding the follow-on.

Van Beek added three for 87 to go with his 83 not out but Andersson emerged as the man 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 for three 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 eight for three had the chance stuck.

It would have been 53 for four 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 before 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 leg-before 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 for five. When Jewell was bowled for 83 by a ball from Ben Mike that kept low, Derbyshire were still 345 behind at 139 for six.

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, the 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.