Kent will need some resolute batting along with assistance from the weather to save their County Championship Division 2 game at Derbyshire.
The hosts moved further down the road towards victory despite Ben Compton’s efforts to block their advance on day three.
Compton, who ended day two unbeaten on 105 and went on to score 156 in Kent’s first-innings 326, added 49 with the visitors 157-3 after they were forced to follow on.
Tawanda Muyeye was unbeaten on 55 but Kent were still 104 behind at stumps.
Compton said: “I feel in a good space and have done for all of the year thus far, even in the times where I’ve missed out.
“It was nice to spend some time out there, obviously we are very behind in the game from the initial period where they got a massive score and so we have to try and get stuck in and bat as long as we can and keep them out there.
“Tomorrow we have to fight hard, every dot ball is a little small victory and hopefully at some point we can get past them.
“For the most part the pitch is pretty flat but there has been a ball in there that really accelerates off the pitch and we’ve seen that a few times with some of the nick-offs we’ve had.
“So there is definitely something there and to be fair to them what they did is run in and hit the pitch really hard, so credit to them for that.”
The day had started well for Adam Hollioake’s side with Matt Parkinson extending his nightwatchman duties for another 50 minutes before Derbyshire removed him.
Parkinson (7) was unsettled by a short ball from Zak Chappell and could only fend it to short leg where Caleb Jewell made no mistake.
The leg spinner had done a good job for his side, offering sound defence and good judgement in a stand of 41 from 106 balls with Compton, and was only undone by a good piece of fast bowling.
The same could not be said for the rest of Kent’s first innings, which subsided in tame fashion either side of lunch.
Jack Leaning (15) lost patience and missed a big sweep at Jack Morley to be lbw three overs before the interval and a mini collapse against the second new ball left the visitors in the mire.
Compton had batted with control and calmness throughout his innings so it was a surprise when he drove Anuj Dal low to cover.
Harry Finch lobbed the first ball he faced to mid-off and when Dal moved one in off the seam to bowl Chris Benjamin (5), Kent had lost 3 for 7 in four overs.
Any chance they had of avoiding the follow-on was gone and after Grant Stewart (19) edged Martin Andersson behind, the innings ended when Jake Ball aggravated the injury sustained while bowling on day two and could not continue.
Not surprisingly, given the threat of rain on Monday, Derbyshire sent Kent back in with 261 needed to make the home side bat again and they made a good start with Joe Denly timing the ball sweetly.
He pulled Chappell for six before taking two fours from his next over and with Compton again looking secure, the visitors reached tea on 48 without loss.
But seven balls into the evening session, Luis Reece broke through with one that Denly played slightly across to be lbw for 32.
Compton and Daniel Bell-Drummond (2) shared a century stand in the first innings but this time only 13 runs were added before the Kent captain was drawn into playing at one that moved away and edged to first slip.
That was a big wicket for Derbyshire and they claimed another six overs later when Compton could not keep down a lifting ball from Pat Brown and Jewell dived forward at short leg to take the catch.
Muyeye and Leaning (12) prevented further setbacks, but it was another impressive day for Derbyshire.
Report from ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
