Former Proteas Alviro Petersen and Ashwell Prince have a crucial role to play for Lancashire if they are to gain anything from their match against Derbyshire.

They were together at the crease when stumps were drawn, with Lancashire leading by just 55 runs with seven wickets remaining.

Petersen scored a great 115 in the first innings and he will need another good knock to put Lancashire in a dominant position. They gained a 19-run lead after bowling out Derbyshire for 274. Their captain, Wayne Madsen, nephew of Transvaal stalwarts Trevor Madsen and Henry Fotheringham, was dismissed without scoring as Derbys slipped to 26-3.

Lancashire, too, wobbled at the start of their second innings, losing three wickets for 21 runs. Petersen was on three and Prince on nine when the clock chimed.

Down in Cardiff, Kevin Pietersen will have to resign himself to the fact that he will not get another chance to bat. Desperate to make his mark and gain the attention of the England selectors, he scored 19 on Sunday, but Surrey went on to knock up 563-7 declared on Monday against Glamorgan. Steve Davies whacked 200, to go with Kumar Sangakkara’s 149. It will take some batting to make Surrey bat again.

Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph, though, did his bit, scoring 69 off 122 balls, with 14 fours as the hosts posted 124-2 in reply,. Warriors all-rounder Colin Ingram was at the crease with 14 when time was called.

Rudolph is determined to make an impact for he has decided to cut his ties with South Africa, and will no longer turnout for the Titans in the ‘twighlight of his career’ as he put it. He has a fight n his hands now, and Glamorgan will need to bat long and hard.

In Nottingham, Vernon Philander toiled without reward as Yorkshire laboured to 226-3 off 81 overs in reply to Notts’ 428. He bowled 16 overs for 31 runs, but the breakthrough was elusive. The visitors are 202 behind with seven wickets in hand. But on that wicket, this game could drag on.