SURREY will come back for the fourth day of their LV County Championship match at the 3aaa County Ground needing only 21 to win.
After bowling Surrey out for 421, Derbyshire were dismissed for 288 in their second innings as the away side claimed the extra half-hour, despite an unbeaten half-century for David Wainwright.
That left them ahead by only 20 and staring inevitable defeat in the face.
Surrey, eight wickets down overnight, added 29 runs for their last two wickets, with Chris Tremlett going on the attack but only after the 110th over had passed with no fifth batting point for Surrey and no third bowling point for Derbyshire.
Tremlett hit two further sixes before he was caught at long off by Tony Palladino to give Tom Taylor a second wicket, having made 43 with four sixes and two fours.
In the next over, Jade Dernbach backed away from a full length Mark Footitt ball and was bowled, giving the bowler his 150th first-class victim and leaving him with 4-63 in the innings.
Openers Stephen Moore and Paul Borrington put on 62 before Moore pushed forward to spinner Zafar Ansari and was caught behind for 30.
Borrington was out for 38 in the sixth over after lunch when he chopped down at a ball from Gareth Batty and the ball spun back on to his stumps at 86-2.
Marcus North hit Zafari for six but was bowled by the next ball for 16 and Wayne Madsen was caught at silly point for 26 off Batty at 123-4.
Alex Hughes and Scott Elstone resisted for 19 overs before Hughes' indecision brought an lbw for Zafari after he had made 18 at 159-5.
Gareth Cross was caught behind for nine off Batty before the new ball brought two wickets for Dernbach, bowling Elstone for a dogged 47 and Tony Palladino for eight.
Spin finished off the Derbyshire innings as Taylor was caught at silly point for 11 off Batty and Footitt caught at slip for five, leaving Wainwright 56 not out.
