County Championship D2, Northampton (day two, close): Northamptonshire 203 & 243; Derbyshire 160 & 0-0
Derbyshire's Nathan Dumelow completed a 10-wicket match haul against Northants before the end of the second day at Wantage Road.
But, after 17 wickets fell on day two, the visiting spinner responsible for five of them, it was the home side who had the advantage.
Resuming on 46-3 the visitors were bowled out for 160 - 43 runs behind - before Northants hit a second innings 243.
Derbyshire even had time to play a single over of their second innings before stumps, without making headway on the 287 needed for victory.
Dumelow had little time to rest after a collapse left the Peakites 97-7, but he responded with his fourth first-class half-century in an eighth wicket partnership of 44 with Tom Lungley.
Jason Brown and Andre Nel, who will join the South Africa one-day team once he completes a six-match ban for drunk driving while on national duty, each took four wickets.
Phil Jacques hit a half-century in the home side's second innings and Toby bailey managed a rearguard 40 but Northants lasted just 69 overs before it was Derbyshire's turn again.
Skipper Dominic Cork used left-arm spinner Lian Wharton to open the bowling but it was Dumelow, arriving first-change, who did the damage, with 5-78.
Northamptonshire: M E K Hussey (Capt), M J Powell, P A Jaques, J W Cook, D J G Sales, G P Swann, B J Phillips, T M B Bailey (Wkt), M S Panesar, A Nel, J F Brown.
Derbyshire: A I Gait, M J Di Venuto, C W G Bassano, M Kaif, N R C Dumelow, L D Sutton (Wkt), D G Cork (Capt), T Lungley, G Welch, K J Dean, L J Wharton.