Derbyshire v Middlesex day 3

A day to go in an absorbing match. Who's your money on?

I suppose Middlesex are slight favourites with eight wickets in hand, but the thing about this game has been the movement in the first session, generally when the most wickets have gone down. Cloudy conditions forecast tomorrow, so we can still win this.

Of course, we need to bowl the right line and length as we did first innings but apparently did less well today. We're also a bowler light, which could be a deciding factor. The final morning promises to be absorbing though and Mrs Peakfan was her usual understanding self when I phoned home this evening.

"You'll be staying on tomorrow given the state of the game?" she said, impressing me with her knowledge of things once more. Apparently she's taking my mother in law for a new washing machine. Sounds like a good swap...boom, boom!

Yes, I'll be there tomorrow to see the denouement and whatever the result this has been an enthralling game of cricket. We could win tomorrow and I'll float back to Scotland, or we could lose and it will be a somewhat longer drive. Irrespective, I've seen enough from the side in this game to encourage me for the rest of the season.

The second innings batting was again excellent, down the order. If we can sort out the first dig we could do well in the Championship - certainly better than last year. Good to see Dan Redfern in the runs and the form of both he and Wes Durston has been a plus from this match.

Will we win? Not sure just now. Can we win? Most definitely.