PINK ball gimmickry was forgotten as the best traditions of county cricket resurfaced at Chesterfield yesterday, only to be slightly tarnished by Billy Godleman's refusal to walk.

Durham were convinced they had the Derbyshire skipper caught on ten and 23, but after winning the toss he went on to make an unbeaten 79 in a total of 332 for nine.

Godleman shared a unbroken last-wicket stand of 66 with Gurjiit Sandhu, the former Middlesex left-arm seamer who had a trial with Durham last season.

It was all the more frustrating because Durham reduced Derbyshire from 238 for four to 266 for nine in 47 deliveries with the old ball. The new missile was taken two overs after the ninth wicket fell but it made no impression on Sandhu, who in six previous first-class games had a top score of eight.

Durham fed what was quickly apparent as his leg-side strength and he reached 36 at the close.

The day was previously dominated by the surprising excellence of Matt Critchley's century, but after he put on 99 for the fifth wicket with Godleman his exit sparked a slide.

There were three wickets each for Matthew Potts, who again excelled, and Barry McCarthy, who was not at his best but enjoyed some Irish luck.

In the arboreal splendour of Queen's Park it would be nice to think that the old principles still apply, such as taking a fielder's word that he has held a clean catch.

But left-hander Godleman stood his ground when Graham Clark claimed a low catch at gully off Chris Rushworth. As Durham celebrated the umpires consulted before ruling in the batsman's favour.

There was less controversy about a concerted appeal for caught behind off Potts as both Godleman and umpire Paul Pollard were unmoved.

Doubtless Stuart Poynter was pleased just to catch the ball on his least impressive day with the gloves, not helped by uneven bounce and some wayward bowling.

There were six byes and four leg byes in one Paul Coughlin over, while McCarthy made an erratic start.

Critchley, a 20-year-old Lancastrian, was making his first championship appearance of the season mainly as a batsman after originally being taken on primarily as a leg-spinner.

Derbyshire already have two spinners in Imran Tahir, making his debut, and Hamidullah Qadri, the 16-year-old Afghanistan-born off-spinner. They could pose a big threat in the fourth innings, so Durham will want a substantial lead.

Critchley fully justified his inclusion at No 5 by unveiling some high-class strokes, notably cuts and cover drives, in hitting 18 fours in his 141-ball century.

There was also a half-century from Wayne Madsen, who survived two early scares. He needed lengthy treatment after being struck on his left elbow by a ball from Coughlin which bounced steeply and was dropped at third slip by Michael Richardson off Chris Rushworth with his score on one.

Durham lost the toss on a pleasant morning but Rushworth struck in the third over, when a ball which kept low had left-hander Luis Reece lbw.

Durham preferred Potts to Usman Arshad and he ended a second-wicket stand of 54 when Ben Slater sliced a drive to Clark at gully.

McCarthy's first over cost 13 as Madsen cut two long hops for four and drove another boundary. But in the Irishman's second over Alex Hughes shouldered arms and was bowled.

Durham's only success of the afternoon came courtesy of a fine ball by Coughlin, which Madsen edged to Ryan Pringle at second slip to depart for 54.

But after tea Critchley played across the line and was lbw to Potts for 102, then Tony Palladino edged to slip and Daryn Smit drove straight to mid-on.

Qadri shaped to pull McCarthy and toe-ended a return catch and when Cameron Steel came on to bowl to fellow leg-spinner Tahir he had him caught behind second ball. But the expected swift end with the new ball was not forthcoming.