Alex Hales scored a career best 246 as Nottinghamshire’s Second Eleven put the squeeze on Derbyshire.

Hales had scores of 218 and 128 in his last two innings against the home side and after rain had delayed the start until after lunch Hales and Bilal Shafayat took their partnership to 299 for the second wicket, before Hales was out having faced only 192 balls with 33 fours and 7 sixes.
 
Shafayat appeared to be overshadowed by Hales dominance of the bowlers but he scored an attractive 112 from 198 balls with 16 boundaries before giving Needham the charge to be stumped.
 
The carnage did not stop there as Paul Franks and Jason Mohammed added a further 84 before Mohammed was caught at the wicket for 40.
 
Paul Franks then reached his 50 shortly before tea and was not out on 57 when the declaration came at the interval.
 
In the 150 minute session, Notts had scored 288 from 46 overs to post 519-5.
 
In reply, Paul Borrington was out for 16 when Footitt had him leg before.
 
Footitt then deflected a straight drive on to the stumps at the non strikers end to run out Chesney Hughes for 32. Jason Brown chipped in with the wicket of skipper John Sadler (26) and then Vishal Tripathi, who had batted well for 45, tried to hit Scott Elstone over the top to be well caught by Paul Franks at deep mid off, with five overs in the day remaining.
 
Derbyshire closed on 158-4, 206 behind and will have to bat well to avoid defeat on the third day.