Derbyshire fly-half Harry Came scored his first Premier League century on day three of the County Championship game against Gloucestershire in Derby.
The 24-year-old went 108 from 192 on 251-9 declared, with Matt Taylor and Ajeet Dale both taking three wickets.
In response, Miles Hammond made it 50 before Gloucestershire slipped to 103-4 against the quality bowling of Suranga Lakmal, who took 1-12 from 13 overs and Luis Reece, 3-37 from 12.
But Ben Charlesworth, 58, not out, and James Bracey, 41, kicked off a rebound that took their side 195-5 in the end as the game in the rain looked destined for a draw.
Although conditions were again overcast for most of the morning, Gloucestershire bowlers did not get the same amount of movement as the day before which made it easier for Came and Reece to hit.
Came again showed judgment in selecting balls to attack and overtook their previous highest score of 78 against Durham at Derby last season with a mid-wicket clip.
Reece had also looked comfortable until he drove Taylor and slipped past Charlesworth to end a 66 in 24 overs position.
Came had an anxious moment when his scoop at Zafar Gohar just cleared the wicketkeeper, but he hit triple figures in style driving the left arm spinner for his 12th four.
There had been little to celebrate for the Gloucestershire attack and, although Gohar had Alex Thomson picked up behind him before lunch, it had been a good morning for Derbyshire and Came, who went unbeaten on 106.
The excellent innings of the first game ended in the second half of the afternoon session when Henry Brookes called him for a sharp single and he failed to beat Chris Dent’s pitch from coverage at Bracey.
When Sam Conners headed Dale down the second slide, Derbyshire was in danger of missing a batting run, but Lakmal secured it with a couple at mid-wicket and then delivered his best spell of the season.
The Sri Lankan beat Marcus Harris and Dent on several occasions and threw six consecutive maidens to build up the pressure which eventually trickled down to the Gloucestershire fly-half.
Dent, who had missed on Conners’ fourth-of-eight slip, tried to cut off a Lakmal ball that was too close to him and continued playing.
Reece had given nothing either and Harris lost patience in the next inning when he flashed on a ball he could have left and was caught on the second slide.
Lakmal’s grip was broken when Hammond drove him through the covers for four, the first runs he conceded for 39 balls, and he took his jersey with the outstanding numbers of 1-8 on eight overs .
Hammond and Charlesworth rebuilt the innings, with the former turning 50 by throwing Thomson long for six years, but Reece’s return sent the visitors back into trouble.
A ball that lifted just enough to take Hammond’s outside edge flew to the gully where Haider Ali took a nice dipping catch to his right and the next delivery swung away from Graeme van Buuren who was caught up.
Charlesworth and Bracey responded with a stand of 79 from 115 balls, which ended when Bracey was low weight shooting Henry Brookes but at the stumps Gloucestershire were just 56 behind.
Report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.
