FREQUENT heavy showers merged into longer periods of rain to hold up Yorkshire in their attempt to get back on terms with Derbyshire at the County ground today.

The weather turned nasty about an hour before the scheduled start and although the square was well protected the rest of the ground took a soaking, making a prompt resumption impossible.

Yorkshire physiotherapist Caryl Becker, meanwhile, was awaiting a visit from Craig White who has been released by England and was on his way back from Lord's.

The all-rounder has a slight hamstring strain but is expected to be fit for Yorkshire's match with Gloucestershire Gladiators at Headingley on Sunday.

Only 22.3 overs were played today, during which Darren Lehmann took his score to an unbeaten 59 not out as play was abandoned for the day during the tea interval with Yorkshire on 216 for 7.

The only wicket to fall had been that of Gavin Hamilton, who became Matthew Cassar's fourth victim of the innings.

David Byas and Victor Craven laid a solid foundation for the new Championship leaders yesterday but then the roof caved in as four wickets crashed for just four runs.

Yorkshire slumped from 112 without loss to 116 for four and were still in considerable trouble at the close on 171 for six, trailing by 132. Chief destroyer was Cassar - the man who broke Michael Vaughan's hand with a bouncer at Headingley a fortnight ago. In the space of nine balls he grabbed three wickets without conceding a run.

Derbyshire started out on 285 for eight but not with the same overnight pair as Tim Munton was beginning a five-hour hospital wait after being struck on the head while warming up in the indoor nets.

Cricket manager Colin Wells said Munton had had numerous stitches inserted in his eyebrow but was expected to play a full part today.

The innings ended at 303 in the 101st over when Hamilton yorked Trevor Smith to give Yorkshire the third bowling bonus point they needed to push Lancashire off top spot in the Division One table.

Neither Byas nor 19-year-old Craven, in only his second Championship innings, found batting easy but both stuck to their task with Craven displaying an unflappable temperament. Once settled in, he profited from some wristy cuts and at tea reached his maiden 50 out of 94 without loss.

After the interval another glorious cut by Craven made it a century opening stand, the second of the season against Derbyshire. In the first, Byas had scored 49 and at 112 he was out for exactly that again, a loose cut at a widish delivery from Cassar giving Karl Krikken the first of four catches.

In off-spinner Simon Lacey's next over, Craven pushed forward and was caught behind for 58 off 116 deliveries with seven fours, and the total was still on 112 when Richard Blakey nibbled Cassar to third slip.

Lehmann broke the spell with a boundary but Richard Harden, in his first match of the season after a hand injury, also failed to score as a short ball from Cassar which he had to play landed in Krikken's gloves.

Cassar's pace and movement even disturbed Lehmann for a while but he relieved the pressure with some crisp shots until he lost Matthew Wood who could not avoid Dominic Cork's outswinger.

When Cork had nightwatchman Paul Hutchison lbw in his next over, Yorkshire had their backs to the wall again.

SCOREBOARD

PPP healthcare County Championship

Division One

(Day 3 of 4)

Derbyshire v Yorkshire

at Derby

Derbyshire First Innings

Stubbings c Byas b Hutchison 49

Dowman c Wood b Hutchison 16

Di Venuto b Hamilton 30

Cassar c & b Hutchison 47

Bailey c Blakey b Ramsden 29

Krikken b Hoggard 9

Cork c Craven b Lehmann 43

Lacey b Lehmann 25

Smith b Hamilton 19

Munton retired hurt 2

Dean not out 6

Extras 28

Total all out (100.1 overs) 303

Fall: 1-28 2-85 3-137 4-166 5-183 6-198 7-268 8-283 9-303

Bowling: Hoggard 23-4-72-1, Hutchison 18-1-74-3, Ramsden 8-1-32-1, Hamilton 8.1-5-42-2, Middlebrook 23-4-61-0

Yorkshire First Innings

Byas c Krikken b Cassar 49

Craven c Krikken b Lacey 58

Blakey c sub b Cassar 0

Lehmann not out 38

Harden c Krikken b Cassar 0

Wood c Krikken b Cork 9

Hutchison lbw b Cork 0

Hamilton c sub b Cassar 15

Extras 11

Total for 7 wkts (95.3 overs) 216

Fall: 1-112 2-112 3-112 4-116 5-154 6-160 7-180

Bowling: Cork 19-4-41-2, Dean 10-3-21-0, Cassar 24-7-52-4, Smith 7-3-14-0, Lacey 35.3-10-85-1

Umpires: R Julian and J F Steele