Mark Ramprakash moved steadily towards another big score as Surrey wrestled back control on the third day of their LV County Championship match against Derbyshire at Whitgift School.

By the close, they were 223 ahead at 195 for three in their second innings, with the prolific Ramprakash 76 not out.

The home side did well at the start of the day to bowl out Derbyshire - who had resumed on 169 for two - for 334 and earn a slender first-innings lead of 28.

The advantage could have been even greater for Surrey had it not been for a powerful season's-best 71 from Derbyshire all-rounder Graham Wagg.

Surrey struck early, Chris Rogers being caught behind off Pedro Collins off the fourth ball of the day without adding to his overnight score of 80.

When Andre Nel removed Wavell Hinds for five and Greg Smith for 54 to make it 185 for five, Derbyshire were by no means certain of passing the follow-on target of 213.

Though Freddie Klokker saw his middle stump sent spinning by Jade Dernbach, a seventh-wicket stand between Wagg and Dan Redfern averted the danger for Derbyshire and saw them almost achieve parity.

Wagg reached his first half-century of the season in a stand of 105 but one ball after pulling Collins for his fourth six, he tried to repeat the shot and skied a simple catch to Ramprakash at mid on to make it 314 for seven.

There were also four fours in Wagg's 66-ball innings.

Lifted by that breakthrough, Nel charged in with the new ball to bowl Tim Groenewald and have Steffan Jones caught behind.

When Nantie Hayward was bowled by Dernbach, Redfern was left 55 not out - his fifth half-century of the season.

Burly South African Nel, playing his final match before going in for surgery on the left elbow he damaged by walking into a door frame, finished with four for 83 and there were three wickets each for Dernbach and Collins.

Surrey made an untroubled start to their second innings through Michael Brown and Jon Batty but, in the third over after tea, Batty was caught at slip by Rogers off Jones for 30 to make it 63 for one.

But that brought Ramprakash to the middle and in partnership with Brown, who hit an impressive 120 in the first innings, he helped take the score to 152 for one.

However, Wagg gave Derbyshire some hope with two wickets in three balls. Bowling his left-arm spin, he had Brown caught by wicketkeeper Klokker for 56 and followed up by removing Surrey skipper Stewart Walters for a duck, caught at slip.

But Ramprakash was unperturbed and is closing in on his fifth century of the season, with Usman Afzaal 21 not out, to set up the prospect of a good final day.