A SECOND successive LV County Championship half-century from Tim Groenewald gave Derbyshire County Cricket Club what may prove to be an important edge on the third day against Hampshire at the 3aaa County Ground.
With Groenewald following his quick-fire 52 at Chelmsford with an unbeaten 56, Derbyshire were bowled out for 399 in their first innings, putting them ahead by 71.
That left Hampshire the prospect of an awkward 24 overs at the end of the day but bad light saved them from further scrutiny with their score 20-0 after nine. Michael Carberry was 11 not out and Jimmy Adams five not out.
A cluster of wickets to the second new ball earlier threatened to undo all Derbyshire's good work as they slipped from 273-2, with Stephen Moore and Shivnarine Chanderpaul putting on a stand of 163, to 312-7 as the Hampshire seamers made excellent use of the new ball on a surface that clearly still had a little life left in it.
Overnight and early morning rain meant a delayed start but play was able to begin, following an early lunch, at 1pm.
There was one further brief hold-up for bad light but Moore and Chanderpaul were soon into their stride and added 70 in the first 21 overs of the day.
Unsurprisingly, Hampshire took the new ball straight away and it paid dividends. South African international Kyle Abbott was very sharp and, one ball after getting one to rise just past the end of Moore's nose, he found the edge of the bat and the opener was caught at first slip.
Moore's 128 came off 251 balls and included 17 fours and a six.
That was 273-3 but Chanderpaul was in supreme touch. In successive balls, he cut James Tomlinson and then clipped him off the legs for boundaries but the next ball was edged to first slip and the West Indian fell for 82, off 141 balls with 11 fours.
Tomlinson followed up by having Chesney Hughes caught at second slip for 9 before Abbott had Richard Johnson caught behind for one and Wes Durston lbw for 11 at 312-7.
But there was a sting in the tail from Derbyshire. Tony Palladino and Tim Groenewald hit their side ahead with a stand of 63 for the eighth wicket before Palladino was caught at backward point for 28 at 375-8.
Mark Turner quickly followed for nought but Groenewald completed a second successive Championship half-century and was 56 not out off 60 balls with nine fours and two sixes when Mark Footitt was last man out.
