County Championship: Lamb hits big ton as Derbys make Glos toil

Webster struck the first blow when he had Luis Reece well caught low down at short cover by Ben Charlesworth for 27.

Nine runs later, with the total on 60, David Lloyd fenced at a ball from the tall seamer and edged to Cameron Bancroft at second slip for 28, then Marchant de Lange claimed what seemed the key wicket of Wayne Madsen, caught behind off a defensive nick for a duck.

But Gloucestershire then squandered chances to press home their advantage as Lamb and Guest were both dropped before lunch.

Guest was given another life on 74 when Miles Hammond failed to hold a sharp one-handed chance to his left at slip off spinner Ollie Price.

But he was finally out five short of a hundred when he drove at a full ball from de Lange and edged to second slip where Bancroft made no mistake with a waist-high catch.

Derbyshire were then able to capitalise on the best batting conditions of the day as Lamb and Donald batted aggressively against the spin of Price and Middleton until Gloucestershire took the second new ball.

Donald went to a run-a-ball half-century before skying a catch to mid-on to give Webster his third wicket.

But Lamb then went past his previous best score of 173, made for Warwickshire against Essex at Edgbaston in 2019 – and, as well as a likely fifth batting point, there is the prospect of more to come on Saturday.

Match report supplied by ECB Reporters’ Network.