With Chris Rogers and Greg Smith following up Tim Groenewald's career best figures of 6-50 with an unbeaten third wicket partnership of 122 in 26 overs, Derbyshire fought back strongly against Surrey on the second day at Whitgift School.

Following an early lunch and the loss of 24 overs, the Brown Caps' first innings fell away badly, albeit in conditions which, at the time, were ideal for seam bowling. In the fourth over of the day, Usman Afzaal pulled Graham Wagg for four, but, off the very next ball, the former England left-hander was caught at deep backward square leg, where Wavell Hinds had just been positioned.

After a further stoppage, which put paid to four more overs, Stewart Walters drove Wagg through wide mid-on for four before despatching Groenewald to the rope at extra cover. Surrey then slumped from 336-4 to 362 all out in the space of twelve overs, with Walters going next, lbw pushing forward to the final delivery of the 97th over.

Groenewald then enjoyed further successes in the 101st, 105th, 107th and 109th overs, starting with the wicket of Chris Schofield, who was leg before attempting to work the ball to leg.

Four overs later, Jade Dernbach, driving, gave Rogers a routine catch at second slip. Pedro Collins, promoted in the order to ten, brought up the fourth batting point for the home side by driving Groenewald to the straight boundary, before slicing him high to third man two overs later.

Groenewald then clipped the bails to account for Simon King, though not before the 21-year-old off-spinner took a blow on the left foot, which prevented him taking the field.

Derbyshire lost Wayne Madsen during the seven-over passage prior to tea, lbw to Dernbach, who appeared to do the 25-year-old for pace. But, immediately after the break, Garry Park square drove and then cut Dernbach to the boundary. The main danger for Surrey, however, was always going to be Rogers, who came out of his shell in the 11th over when he drove the ball straight back past Andre Nel for four.

Collins's left-arm seam was introduced in the 17th over. His first ball was flicked to the fine leg boundary by Park, but, two overs later, the boot was on the other foot when Park edged the West Indian low to second slip.

Greg Smith announced himself by pulling a no-ball from Collins for six, then punching the next delivery through cover point off the back foot. Two overs later, the 26-year-old crunched Collins on the up through extra cover before yielding to Rogers who pounced on anything loose from Dernbach.

In the 33rd over, the Derbyshire captain brought up his half-century, off 104 balls. With Rogers despatching Dernbach through the off-side for two fours in the 37th over, Walters turned again to Nel, who was promptly pulled for six by the 31-year-old Australian.

Rogers then pulled and on drove fours off Schofield before passing the baton back to Smith, who cut and straight drove Nel for boundaries in the 39th over. However, Surrey will have taken some encouragement from seeing the ball grip for the spinners in the day's closing overs.

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