Derbyshire 251-9d and 166-5 (du Plooy 61*)

Gloucestershire 383 (Reece 3-47, Lakmal 3-77)

Match drawn

After the loss of the first days play, this game ended in the predictable draw today, although not before Derbyshire did their best to play themselves into a losing position.

There were no demons in the wicket when the visitors continued their innings today, and only undue aggression got them into trouble. Lakmal bowled his best spell of the summer, but the bowling was largely disappointing.

Gloucestershire had a lead of 132 and it should have been a formality for Derbyshire to simply bat out time. Yet three good wickets were gone in the blink of an eye and it needed a partnership between du Plooy and Guest to get us through to tea without further mishap.

Guest gave his wicket away pulling soon afterwards, but Wagstaff stuck in, although not without alarms. At 19, he appeared a little overawed by things in this game, twice surviving big appeals by the visitors. Bracey, the Gloucestershire wicket keeper, will be very lucky to avoid being mentioned in despatches for dissent, after an appeal for a catch at short leg was turned down. It was uncalled for and unnecessary.

After that, Luis Reece came in and steered us safely to the draw in company with his captain, who batted beautifully for an unbeaten 61.

Not great, but a chance to make an impression with a change of format next.