Set 306 to win, Derbyshire finished on 45 for one in their second innings - a deficit of 260. Victory would see Middlesex promoted, while defeat for Derbyshire would make it impossible for them to squeeze into one of the three promotion spots.

Australian fast bowler Ashley Noffke was electric, wrapping the Derbyshire batsmen up in knots on the way to posting career-best figures of eight for 24 from 15 overs.

John Jameson, one of the England and Wales Cricket Board's pitches inspectors, paid Derby's County Ground a visit for the second day running to look at a soft, green strip that was testing if not traumatic. The inspection team were locked in a discussion at the end of play that could see the hosts docked points at a crucial stage of the season.

Noffke used the pitch to full effect, and extremely variable bounce made it impossible to bat with any confidence or certainty. His first breakthrough came when stand-in skipper Michael Di Venuto was surprised on the back-foot by some extra bounce and Ben Hutton snapped up a routine chance at a wide third slip.

That reduced the home side to 10 for two after Simon Cook removed Andrew Gait second ball, and Hutton accounted for Dominic Hewson soon after. But after that it was all about Noffke as Derbyshire's batsmen struggled to come to terms with a ball that was bouncing and moving all over the wicket.

Chris Bassano and Steve Selwood were both deceived by lateral movement, edging to Paul Weekes at second slip, while Luke Sutton was surprised by the bounce, nicking a short ball to David Alleyne behind the stumps. Jason Kerr and Graeme Welch were both out offering no shot - the former bowled, the latter trapped leg before - and Kevin Dean brought about his own downfall, driving to Cook at mid-on.

Noffke was almost sprinting to the crease at the change of overs at this stage and he saved the best 'til last, ripping a superb yorker through Lian Wharton's defences to remove the last man for a second-ball duck.

With a lead of 155, Middlesex would have been looking to consolidate at the start of their second innings, but instead they slumped to a perilous 54 for five. Jason Kerr, who was wicketless yesterday, was the tormentor-in-chief, taking four wickets in his opening nine-over burst. He had Sven Koenig caught in the gully for 11, before Ed Joyce and Hutton were both out mistiming attempting pulls to shorter-pitched deliveries.

The 28-year-old was on a hat-trick after trapping Jamie Dalrymple leg before for a golden duck, but Alleyne saw off his next delivery and went on to make an unbeaten 49 amidst the chaos that was going on around him.

Dean also finished with four wickets, to complete a match haul of 10, as Middlesex's tail collapsed in the face of some fiery bowling. But even that wasn't the end of the story with Gait suffering the ignominy of two ducks in a day when lofting Cook to Phil Tufnell at mid-on in the first over of Derbyshire's second innings.

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