Tim Murtagh claimed a career-best seven-wicket haul but Derbyshire staged a rousing recovery against Middlesex at Derby.

Murtagh marked his second LV County Championship Division Two game since returning from a torn hamstring by taking seven for 82, but Derbyshire rallied from 139 for seven with Tim Groenewald and Steffan Jones adding 91 in 22 overs.

The home side lost six wickets for 56 in 18 overs but Jones celebrated his return to Derby on loan from Somerset with an unbeaten 54 while Groenewald hit 48 to lift Derbyshire to a competitive 247.

Derbyshire's bowlers continued the fightback by removing Sam Robson before the visitors closed on 16 for one - 231 behind.

The Middlesex pace attack had fluffed their lines in the morning when they bowled poorly after Shaun Udal had put the home side in on a pitch tinged with green.

Murtagh, Steven Finn and Alan Richardson were guilty of bowling too short and wide which allowed Derbyshire to recover from the early loss of skipper Chris Rogers.

The Australian opener went without scoring in the fifth over of the morning when he was lbw going half forward to Murtagh with only six on the board.

But Middlesex could not keep the pressure on and Wayne Madsen took three consecutive boundaries off Murtagh who thought he had Garry Park taken at first slip but square leg umpire Jeff Evans could not tell if the ball had carried to Eoin Morgan.

The bowling improved after lunch and Madsen added only one run in nearly nine overs before he edged a lifting ball from Finn to first slip.

Park had shown good judgement until he skied a pull at Finn and holed out to long leg for 32 and the slide continued with Wavell Hinds trapped lbw to Murtagh for seven.

Dan Redfearn played across the line at Murtagh and after Jamie Pipe was forced to retire hurt when he slipped and twisted his left ankle, Greg Smith was caught behind pushing forward at Murtagh.

David Nash took a more spectacular catch when Graham Wagg drove wildly to give Murtagh his fifth wicket but Groenewald and Jones hit back to earn Derbyshire a batting point.

Jones dented Murtagh's figures by smashing him for four successive fours and Groenewald pulled Udal for six as the pair set a new eighth-wicket record for Derbyshire against Middlesex, passing the 75 shared by Alan Revill and George Dawkes at Lord's in 1949.

Murtagh came back to have Groenewald caught at first slip and after Pipe hobbled back out only to be caught behind first ball, Nantie Hayward survived the hat-trick ball before Finn took his third wicket.

Middlesex were left with six overs to negotiate but Robson did not survive, edging Wagg's second ball low to second slip to complete a satisfying last session for Derbyshire.