Yorkshire 353 and 147 for 6 (Masood 68*, Watt 3-46) need another 65 runs to beat Derbyshire 111 and 453 (du Ploy 170, Haider 146)
Matthew Fisher and Dom Bess both took three wickets before Derbyshire’s innings ended when Suranga Lakmal was hit by a short ball and replaced by concussion substitute Zak Chappell.
Yorkshire appeared to be cruising at 140 for 3, but spinners Mark Watt and Alex Thomson took three wickets in four overs to raise Derbyshire’s hopes of a remarkable win.
Visitors’ prospects of pursuing a less demanding target quickly evaporated on another hot Queen’s Park morning. Although they bowled a lot better than on the second day, there were few problems for du Plooy and Haider after negotiating the opening volley from Ben Coad and Fisher.
Fisher made du Plooy work for his hundred and opened with a virgin for the Derbyshire skipper, before a short ball was drawn to the midwicket boundary.
The stand had become Derbyshire’s second highest at Chesterfield as Haider moved over his stumps to work George Hill to his leg and was lbw, though the ball appeared to be going down. It had been an excellent innings from Haider, who scored 100 of his runs in border areas and with du Plooy had given his team a chance at a memorable victory.
If Yorkshire thought his exit would open the door, they were disappointed when du Plooy and Brooke Guest survived against the new ball to go in at lunchtime with a 97 lead.
Du Plooy reached his 150 from 272 balls and the score with Guest was worth 67 when a change of ball did the trick for Yorkshire. Gast scooped a catch to the short midwicket as Bess got one, but there was more frustration for the visitors as du Plooy came downfield and Jonny Tattersall failed to complete a difficult stumping.
Bess was hoisted for six by Alex Thomson, but in his next over du Plooy’s great innings ended when he made a big drive and was caught in a slip. The England spinner had bowled much better after a cathartic second day and Watt’s attempt to turn him over ended up in Tattersall’s gloves.
Ben Aitchison drove Fisher low for cover and after Thomson pulled Bess out of the ground, Lakmal was hit in the neck after ducking into a short pass from Fisher.
He was able to walk off the field but was unable to continue and was taken off with Chappell replacing him opening the bowling with Yorkshire facing a much bigger target than they had anticipated as Derbyshire were 17 for 4 on day two.
Adam Lyth and Finlay Bean narrowed the target by 38 before Bean drove Thomson low to cover and the spinner nearly had Masood’s first ball when an edge just avoided Wayne Madsen on a slip
Lyth and Masood took the score to 63, but Watt’s return to the Lake End brought immediate reward as Lyth was lbw and moved back to a faster ball. With Dawid Malan unable to get in until the fall of the fifth wicket after being off the field with a groin problem. Hill joined Masood, but was exhausted when he couldn’t beat Aitchison’s throw from punt.
Masood and Tattersall sent home Yorkshire, but Tattersall was lbw to a keep low from Thomson before Watt removed Fisher and Matthew Revis to turn the game around.