Young Buck leaves Derbyshire struggling

Leicestershire 279 and 83 for 2 v Derbyshire 207
Scorecard

Nathan Buck underlined his promise with the best figures of his fledgling career to give Leicestershire the upper hand at Derby. The 18-year-old fast bowler took 4 for 44 in 15 overs as Derbyshire were bowled out for 207, despite half-centuries from Greg Smith and Robin Peterson, to trail on first innings by 72.

Will Jefferson and Paul Nixon went cheaply when Leicestershire batted again but by the close they had moved to 83 for two, a lead of 155. Derbyshire went into the second day 239 runs adrift and had shaved just a single off their arrears before Buck struck with the fifth ball of the morning.

Wayne Madsen edged the first ball he faced to second slip and Garry Park lost his off stump aiming a lavish drive at Buck. When Dan Redfern also drove carelessly at Matthew Hoggard and was caught behind, Derbyshire were in deep trouble at 73 for 5.

Peterson is a useful batsman to have coming in at number seven with six first-class hundreds behind him, and he showed why Derbyshire believe he will make them a stronger team this season. The former South Africa Test all-rounder played a measured innings which featured some handsome straight drives, and with Smith also displaying sound judgement, the sixth-wicket pair batted into the afternoon session before they were parted.

Smith hit eight fours in his second fifty of the season and Peterson's maiden half-century for Derbyshire included six boundaries, but Claude Henderson snared them both in consecutive overs. He had Peterson caught behind for 54 to end a stand of 94 in 31 overs, and then Smith went for the same score, caught at short leg off bat and pad.

Henderson has started the season well, taking six wickets in the first innings of the previous game against Northants, and he had another victim when Tim Groenewald missed a big mow across the line and was lbw. Buck had plucked out Lee Goddard's off stump with a rapid ball in the previous over but Leicestershire were frustrated by a last-wicket stand between Steffan Jones and Mark Footitt. The pair added 33, helped by two poor pieces of fielding by Hoggard, who brought himself back into the attack to bowl Footitt with a full-length ball.

Jones pegged the visitors back by trapping Jefferson lbw for six and Nixon played round a straight one from Groenewald, but Matthew Boyce and James Taylor batted out the day in bright sunshine to leave Leicestershire well placed with two days to go.