Greg Smith puts Derbyshire in sight of victory

Derbyshire 363 and 26 for 1 v Glamorgan 272 and 211
Scorecard

Greg Smith followed a career-best batting performance with four wickets as Glamorgan folded feebly to put Derbyshire in sight of victory at the end of day three of their County Championship match at Derby.

Smith scored an unbeaten 165 from 329 balls and shared a last-wicket stand of 78 with Welshman Steffan Jones that earned Derbyshire a first-innings lead of 91 and took the game away from the visitors.

Only Gareth Rees, with his ninth first-class century, offered any resistance as Glamorgan collapsed to 211 all out - leaving Derbyshire a target of 121. And by the close they were 26 for 1 - only 95 runs away from a second win of the season.

The game was in the balance at the start of the third morning when Derbyshire were only 13 runs in front but Smith and Jones stayed together for 86 balls, setting a Derbyshire 10th-wicket record against Glamorgan, to give their side the advantage. Jones survived a blow on the helmet from Chris Ashling to reel off some handsome drives and Smith pulled the young pace bowler for his second six after passing 150 for the first time.

David Harrison ended the stand by having Jones caught behind off a rising ball for 33 but the force was now with Derbyshire and, although Graham Wagg's Achilles tendon injury left them a bowler short, they preyed on some fragile batting to take control.

Glamorgan needed a big innings from Mark Cosgrove but the Australian departed before lunch for 11, upper-cutting a short ball from Tom Lungley into the hands of Jones at third man. The visitors were still 41 runs behind when Michael Powell half swept at Robin Peterson and lobbed a simple catch to short leg and they were only 10 ahead when Ben Wright chased a wide one from Jones and was caught behind.

Skipper Jamie Dalrymple was lbw for 3 shouldering arms to Garry Park and Glamorgan's hopes of setting a testing target all but disappeared when Jim Allenby was leg before to Peterson for 12.

Glamorgan were now only 36 in front with half the side gone and although Rees was playing the sort of innings the situation demanded, no one could stay with him for long. Mark Wallace was bowled by Smith for 11, swinging across the line, and although Cosker lifted the off-spinner over mid wicket for six, he then lobbed a gentle catch to slip trying to reverse sweep.

Rees completed his fourth hundred against Derbyshire from 160 balls out of a sorry total of 171 for seven but he added just two more before he also became a victim of the reverse sweep when he was lbw to Smith. Harrison was the only batsman who could claim he was betrayed by the pitch when he was bowled by one from Smith that kept low and, although Ashling and Huw Waters struck some defiant blows, Glamorgan were facing almost certain defeat.

Cosker gave them a glimmer of hope when he had Wayne Madsen lbw for 17 offering no shot but Derbyshire should finish the game off before lunch on the final day.