A DEFIANT ninth-wicket 92-run stand rescued Derbyshire from an embarrassing defeat inside two days against Worcestershire.

But Steve Selwood, 99 overnight, failed to add to his score when he was caught behind off Kabir Ali today. Kevin Dean was on 30, but Derby led by just 63 runs with just one second innings wickets remaining.

Worcestershire resumed yesetrday on 189-5 and reached 320 from 89.5 overs with Steve Rhodes making 83.

The County then had Derbyshire on their knees at 50-5 and 83-7 before the heroics of Selwood and Dean. Off-spinner Gareth Batty was the bowler to do the damage with figures for 5-58.

Michael Di Venuto looked all at sea when he was trapped lbw moving across the wicket to Kabir Ali for one.

Next over Alamgir Sheriyar trapped Chris Bassano lbw for a duck to leave Derby on 9-2 and when Batty sent James Pyemont back for one they were 18-3.

Much rested on the shoulders of opener Andrew Gait, who had moved onto 21, but he too fell to the Batty-Anurag Singh combination at short-leg.

Matt Rawnsley then got in on the act, holding one that came straight back to him from the bat of Luke Sutton (seven) in the 23rd over, and it was to get worse.

Selwood and Graeme Welch added 33 for the sixth wicket, but the latter became Batty's third victim and Tom Lungley was his fourth two balls later.

Five overs later Batty grabbed his fifth wicket of the innings, bowling Mohammad Ali for six.