Dan Lategan kept Worcestershire in the hunt after Martin Andersson scored the first double century of the new season on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship match at the Co-op County Ground in Derby.

Lategan made his maiden first-class fifty in testing conditions and was unbeaten on 77 when bad light brought an early close with Worcestershire 113 for 2, still trailing by 512 runs.

Andersson again took the headlines with a brilliant 228 while Luis Reece made 114 out of a fifth wicket stand of 273 as Derbyshire sailed to 625 for 8 declared, their highest score against Worcestershire.

On another blustery day, Worcestershire’s attack struggled and although Tom Taylor took three wickets, his 29 overs cost 160 runs.

Andersson and Reece carried on where they left off on day one which, from a Worcestershire perspective, was an unwelcome repeat of an underwhelming bowling display.

It was another case of serving up too many balls that could be put away and the Derbyshire pair did not miss out with Andersson reaching the first 150 of his career from 180 balls.

Reece did not score a hundred until the final game of last season but there was no waiting this time as he completed his century on day two from 152 balls.

The stand was only broken when Reece tried to clip Brett D’Oliveira off his legs and chipped a catch to mid-wicket although there was more punishment to come for the weary bowlers.

Adam Finch was uppercut for six over third man by Andersson who went to his double hundred from only 233 balls by sweeping D’Oliveira for his 25th four.

The fact that all the Worcestershire players applauded showed just how good an innings it was and he went in at lunch on 227 after another dispiriting session for the visitors.

Andersson added only one more run before he looped up a return catch which D’Oliveira grabbed diving forward and walked off to a standing ovation with several Worcestershire players running across to shake his hand.

Derbyshire batted on with Anuj Dal becoming the fifth player to reach 50 and Zak Chappell plundering quick runs before the hosts finally pulled out leaving Worcestershire 17 overs to negotiate before tea.

With the follow-on target of 476 a distant one, that looked a demanding proposition, especially against such a skilled practitioner like Mohammad Abbas, but they survived with the aid of two dropped catches.

Abbas should have removed Lategan on 10 in his second over but wicketkeeper Brooke Guest spilled the chance and there was more frustration when Jake Libby was given a life.

Ben Aitchison’s first ball was edged to first slip where Caleb Jewell got both hands to the ball diving to his right but could not hang on.

Libby was also on 10 and on a pitch where there was no margin for error, Derbyshire could not afford to be charitable, despite having so many runs to play with.

England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir had a short two-over spell either side of the interval but it was Chappell who made the breakthrough after Lategan had reached his 50 from 72 balls.

Chappell found enough away movement to take the edge of Libby’s defensive push and this time Jewell took a smart low catch.

Another wicket fell four overs later when Chappell tempted Kashif Ali into a drive and shaped the ball in to hit him in front.

By now the light had deteriorated which made batting even tougher against the pace bowlers but Lategan and Adam Hose survived for another nine overs before the umpires took the players off the field at 5.40pm.