THE weight of history is up against the weight of injuries as Derbyshire go into the final day of their LV County Championship match against Surrey at Chesterfield.

If Derbyshire are to win this match – and that is a big if – they will have to score more runs in the fourth innings of a first-class game than any Derbyshire side has ever managed.

Should Surrey close out the victory, they will have to do so with only one fully-fit front-line bowler. It could be a very interesting day.

Surrey were bowled out for 253 in their second innings yesterday at Queen's Park and that was a pretty decent effort by Derbyshire but the 154 lead they conceded in the first innings, by bowling too loosely on Monday and failing to put together more than one partnership with the bat, has made a crucial difference.

It left Derbyshire to chase down 408 for the win and, to put that in context, the highest winning fourth innings score in the county's history is 371-9 against the Australians in 1997 and the highest they have scored batting last overall is 396, when they lost by 28 runs at Leicester in 2007.

No side has ever scored more batting last at Chesterfield than the 336 Derbyshire got in losing by eight runs to the Aussies in 1968 – but hey, records are there to be broken and Derbyshire had moved on to a handy 136-1 by the close, needing a more palatable 272 for victory.

The problems piled up for Surrey yesterday.

Already without seamer Tim Linley, who pulled up with a foot ligament injury bowling in the first innings, they had Andre Nel bowling off a very short run after tea because he felt tightness in his hamstring while he was batting and spinner Gareth Batty has been having treatment for ankle ligament trouble.

That leaves Chris Tremlett, whose career fitness record is about as impressive as Frank Lampard's record for reliability in an England football shirt.

Batting is by no means straightforward at this stage of the game, with the bounce more and more erratic and the ball turning for the spinners.

Surrey found it tricky to handle after resuming on 50-1 and though just about all their batsmen got a start, none of them scored above 30 until Nel came in at number nine to hurt his hamstring and get 35.

The Derbyshire bowling was, overall, far more disciplined than in the first innings and all five bowlers did a good job, though Steffan Jones finished wicketless.

Tom Lungley and Greg Smith claimed two wickets each and Tim Groenewald and Robin Peterson three – Groenewald finishing with match figures of 8-149.

The only setback for Derbyshire so far was the loss of Chris Rogers for 33, caught at slip off Batty with the score 45-1.

Having started the season at The Oval looking as if he might make 1,000 first-class runs before the end of April, he has reached the end of June still short of the mark by 88.

But Wayne Madsen extended his rediscovered fine touch to make it to the close on 55 not out and if he can go on – with no rush of blood this time – Derbyshire may yet have a chance.

Garry Park offered good support to reach 30 not out and the pair have added 91. With plenty of time available, weather permitting, history could be beckoning.