DAVID Wainwright and Alex Hughes dug Derbyshire out of a hole on the second day of their LV County Championship match against Leicestershire at Grace Road.
After a timid performance to begin Derbyshire's first innings response to Leicestershire's 311, they struggled to 115-6 and, for a time, were no means certain to pass the follow-on target.
But Hughes and Wainwright put on 91 for the seventh wicket, with Hughes making a career-best 60 and Wainwright 83 not out, a new best score for the county. At the close, Derbyshire were 279-8, trailing by only 32.
Derbyshire lost their first wicket in the second over of the day as Paul Borrington edged to second slip, where Greg Smith took the catch off Anthony Ireland for six.
Eleven overs later, Stephen Moore paid the price for not getting forward to Ben Raine as a ball skipped through low and got him lbw for 18 at 47-2.
Raine led the war of attrition and took a second wicket straight after lunch when a ball rose off a length and was deflected by Wayne Madsen (27) to first slip at 68-3.
Scott Elstone fell to an awful shot at an equally poor ball from Alex Wyatt, caught behind for 13, and Marcus North trudged to 23 off 68 balls before being drawn into a drive by Ireland and being caught behind at 110-5.
Gareth Cross was bowled by Wyatt for nought at 115-6 but Hughes and Wainwright brought much needed positive intent.
Their stand ended at 206-7 when Hughes pulled a long hop from Wyatt straight to midwicket and Tony Palladino also left the field cursing himself when he clipped Raine to a man in the same position.
But Wainwright moved on nicely and found a solid partner in debutant Tom Taylor, who was 20 not out, in a stand worth 48.
