Durham v Derbyshire day 2

Durham 475 (Bedingham 257, Conners 5-83)

Derbyshire 148-5 (Madsen 76*, Critchley 40, Rushworth 4-27)

Derbyshire trail by 327 runs

All things considered I felt Derbyshire bowled with discipline in the long Durham innings over the past two days.

David Bedingham played a sublime innings of 257, the highest made for Durham against Derbyshire, but wickets fell steadily and 475 might be deemed slightly disappointing by the home fans, considering the South Africa's monumental effort.

He rarely looked troubled, had time to spare and appears to be a huge loss to his country's cricket. He is the first batsman this year who has played Matt Critchley with confidence, not that the latter bowled badly.

Yet it seemed a different wicket when Chris Rushworth got to work with the new ball. For me, he is the best bowler in the current county game not to play international cricket (Darren Stevens is a contender in April and May) and was a real handful in his first spell.

Tom Wood didn't settle at all, Leus du Plooy shuffled across and was leg before, while Luis Reece seemed to get a bad decision down the leg side. Luis is a pretty honest guy and his reaction on being dismissed confirmed that it was likely his thigh pad. A concerted Durham appeal did for him and we were in very early trouble.

Truth be told our top three hasn't yet fired. Chopping and changing, enforced and otherwise, hasn't helped and although Madsen looks more his old self at four, too often he is in early anyway. At Edgbaston we were three down for 7 and 17, were 54-3 in the second innings against Worcestershire and here were three down for 26.Only when du Plooy made 98 in the first innings at Derby have Madsen and Critchley come in at more than a crisis.

Again today they batted beautifully, despite the histrionics of Messrs Poynter, Bedingham and Borthwick in the slip cordon suggesting they were facing hand grenades. The pair mounted a splendid century stand for the second innings running, before Critchley, who had batted well  once more, was bowled by a horrible shooter from the returning Rushworth. If such a ball is straight the batsman hasn't a prayer and the batman's run of scores in excess of fifty to start the season was over.

I didn't understand the logic of Aitchison coming in as night watchman against the two best home bowlers and he didn't last long, Raine removing his off stump with one that jagged back a long way.

Madsen played the kind of innings we have enjoyed for years and remained at the close, with Hosein his partner. Derbyshire's two most technically correct batsmen need to bat a long time tomorrow, to keep the game alive.