THERE was no mercy for sorry Leicestershire from Derbyshire's bowlers on the second day of their final LV County Championship match of the season at the 3aaa County Ground.
With three wickets from Tony Palladino and two for Ben Cotton, they reduced Division Two's bottom side to 97-7 at lunch in reply to Derbyshire's 289.
It was good seam bowling but dreadful batting from a Leicestershire side who seemingly cannot hurry along to the end of the campaign quickly enough. They are heading to a second full season without a single first-class victory.
From 25-2 overnight, Leicestershire were soon 29-4 when Ned Eckersley (4) chased a Palladino ball and steered it to second slip, then Dan Redfern marked his return to Derby by playing a Palladino ball on to his leg stump and following for nought.
Angus Robson and Tom Wells added 34 before three more wickets went down with the score on 63.
Wells was caught down the leg side off Cotton for 15, then Niall O'Brien edged a slashing cut at Cotton and was caught behind without scoring and Robson, having played and missed countless times, carved Alex Hughes' first ball to gully and went for 26.
Ben Raine (23) and Rob Taylor (9) added a little stability but Derbyshire were well on top.
