Derbyshire head of cricket Dave Houghton targets points accumulation

Just one over was possible in Leeds between the group’s front-runners in the Bob Willis Trophy match.

And Houghton said it was now about getting as many points as possible out of the contest.

“I think it’s all about point collection (from now). We have to get as many points as we can out of the game,” he said.

“We started the contest four points ahead of Yorkshire, both sides having won both of their games. So for us it’s trying to get a few more wickets before the 110-over mark and then get as many batting points as we can.

“Trying to force a result is going to be quite difficult, especially as the forecast for the next two days is not brilliant either.

“It’s due to rain from 8pm tonight until about three weeks’ time.

“We had a pretty good start yesterday with a couple of spells of really good bowling. I thought Mikey Cohen’s spell just after lunch when he picked up those two wickets was quick and aggressive and exactly what we want from a left-arm fast bowler.

“When Dawid Malan got in, I thought we let him get in a bit too easy. You have to be tough on good players when they first come in.

“Once he got in, he played extremely well and put us under pressure. That’s when you see the age of our attack because our ability to defend ourselves, bowl at channels and not go around the park at four or five an over was lacking.

“It was a good learning experience for our guys, bowling at a top player in good nick.”

Dawid Malan moved from 145 to 153 not out during the only over possible on day two of his competitive home debut as Yorkshire and Derbyshire were frustrated by the weather at Emerald Headingley.

Rain and bad light is threatening to ruin this third round Bob Willis Trophy clash between the two teams with 100 percent records at the top of the North Group.

Derbyshire lead the way by four points in the bid for top spot, but Yorkshire have had the better of play so far in advancing to 288 for four from a total of 79 overs.

Left-arm quick Michael Cohen bowled the only over of the day, which was initially delayed until 3pm due to rain.

Malan pulled and cut him for two boundaries, the second of which brought up a sublime 150 off 185 balls, including 23 fours and a six.

Almost immediately, umpires Peter Hartley and James Middlebrook took the players off for bad light. Shortly afterwards it started raining, and play was called off for the day at 4.50pm.

Malan and Jonny Tattersall, who was stuck at the non-striker’s end on 64 not out, have shared an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 182.

It is likely that Yorkshire’s first priority at the start of day three will be to get the 112 runs they need in 31 overs to reach 400 and claim the maximum five batting bonus points.

Derby need five wickets in that time to secure three bowling points.

With only the two best placed group winners advancing to next month’s five-day final at Lord’s, bonus points could easily be a deciding factor come the end of the five-game group stage.