Derbyshire v Hampshire: Tim Groenewald frustrates visitors

LV= County Championship Division Two, 3aaa County Ground
Close, day three: Hampshire 328 & 20-0 v Derbyshire 399
Derbyshire 6pts; Hampshire 6pts
Match scorecard

Tailender Tim Groenewald hit 56 not out to help Derbyshire to 399 all out and a 71-run first-innings lead on day three against Hampshire.

After resuming on 203-2, overnight centurion Stephen Moore fell to South African paceman Kyle Abbott for 128.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul made 82, but Abbott took 4-84 before Groenewald hit two sixes and nine fours.

Hampshire's Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams played out nine overs before the close as the visitors closed on 20-0.

Derbyshire picked up nicely from their overnight score, but a brief delay for bad light seemed to disturb the concentration of Moore and Chanderpaul.

Abbott removed centurion Moore thanks to a smart slip catch from Sean Irvine, and Chanderpaul fell to James Tomlinson in similar fashion, with both batsmen feeling for deliveries outside off-stump.

After Chesney Hughes, Richard Johnson and Wes Durston fell cheaply, the tail wagged as Tony Palladino (28) helped Groenewald bludgeon some vital extra runs, with the pair collecting 68 in boundaries.

When Hampshire's openers finally made it to the middle, play was disrupted by the gloomy Derby sky and eventually halted with Carberry on 11 and Adams five not out.

BBC Radio Derby's Iain O'Brien:

"Derbyshire may be left to rue a new ball spell from Kyle Abbott and James Tomlinson as they lost five for 39 when they were in a commanding position.

"At one stage, chasing Hampshire's first innings score of 328, Derbyshire were 273-2 and looking to post a healthy first-innings lead.

"They would not have been too disappointed with a total of 399, but there was a chance to just bat once on a pitch that, when the ball is in the right place, is still showing signs of movement.

"Early wickets for Derbshire is the only way that we will see a result on the final day."

Match scorecard