Derbyshire v Gloucestershire day 3

Derbyshire 200 and 305-3 (Godleman 86, Lace 69*, Madsen 69)

Gloucestershire 419 (Reece 4-91)

Derbyshire lead by 86 runs

They still need to work hard tomorrow to avoid defeat, and I am not convinced that anything more than a draw is possible on a wicket that seems to have eased considerably, but today could scarce have gone better than it did for Derbyshire today.

It was a quite splendid, grafting, resilient effort that brought us back into a game that we appeared out of last night. Starting with the quick mopping up of the visiting tail, the batsmen without exception got in, got their heads down yet were unafraid to punish the bad ball.

With plenty of batting to come, and both sides needing a win to reinforce their promotion push, a contrived finish is not beyond the realms of possibility tomorrow, but I struggle to see how we can come out on the right side of it, if it was attempted.

Gloucestershire could bowl us out in the morning, when conditions at Derby are always most helpful to bowlers, but would themselves be wary if it started moving around when they have to bat last.

But a day off tomorrow will enable me to watch the day's play and I hope that something happens, rather than the game simply petering out into a dull draw. Though it is fair to say that we need the win from the game more than Gloucestershire, who will remain very much in the mix, whatever the result.

Even at that, however, from where we were at the start of the day, Derbyshire can take great credit. I have seen plenty of sides representing the county that would have folded when 200 runs and counting behind.

This squad is made of sterner stuff.

And it is a pleasure to see.