Davies and Jarvis set Derbyshire tough run chase target

Davies, who made a career-best 89, put on 100 from 93 balls with Jarvis to take Lancashire to 345 in their second innings and set Derbyshire a tough victory target of 365.

Ashwell Prince (97) and Steven Croft (70) had dug Lancashire out of trouble with a fifth-wicket partnership of 159 in 42 overs and although Tom Taylor returned a career-best 6-61, Derbyshire were struggling at the close on 27-2.

Davies said: “A lead of 250, 260 is quite slender going into a full day (today) so we knew we had to hang around and help the team get into a good position.

“Those extra runs will give us a bit more scoreboard pressure and the pitch is still doing a bit laterally and will start to go up and down as well which will help us.

“I think the weather is set fair and if we bowl anything like (we can), we should be able to knock them over.”

Derbyshire have it all to do, but Taylor said: “I think it’s definitely possible, it’s just how many big partnerships we can get and we’ve got to chip in.

“The ball has swung and it will swing again in the morning so it would be a great win but we fancy ourselves to try and get them (today).”

Hampshire could be set for their first win in Division One after Sean Ervine struck a century against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The away side set their opponents a victory target of 379 with a second-innings total of 339 all out, in which Ervine contributed a fine 102 and Michael Carberry 81.

Warwickshire made a solid start to their second innings, closing on 47-0.

Worcestershire, requiring 247 to win, also finished the day on 47-0 in their match against Sussex at Hove.

With spinners Sachithra Senanayake and Alexei Kervezee taking seven wickets between them, the hosts had earlier been bowled out for 290, Ed Joyce top-scoring with 82.

Essex wrapped up a winning start to their campaign as James Foster led them to a five-wicket triumph over Kent at Chelmsford.

The home side, beginning the day on 66-3 and chasing a victory target of 193, swiftly lost Dan Lawrence to the bowling of Mitchl Claydon (3-55) without the overnight tally being boosted. But Foster then came to the crease and struck 80 not out to drive his side to 193-5 shortly after lunch.

Glamorgan avoided the follow-on at home against Surrey as Craig Meschede’s maiden first-class century (101 not out) helped the Welsh outfit reach 419 all out in reply to their opponents’ massive 563-7 declared.

South African Test captain Hashim Amla is to join Derbyshire next month for three NatWest T20 Blast and two County Championship matches.