A superb maiden double-hundred from Sean Dickson saw Kent fight back on the third day of the Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.

Dickson was undefeated on 207, which included 24 fours and two sixes, from 362 balls out of Kent’s 412 when Thakor knocked back Mitch Claydon’s middle stump to claim his first five wicket haul to go with his first innings century.

The 24-year-old became the first Kent player since 2011 to carry his bat through an innings and was given excellent support by Matt Coles who scored 41 out of an eighth wicket stand of 97 in 20 overs.

Kent closed 80 behind and the day ended dramatically with Billy Godleman forced to retire hurt before Coles struck twice and Tredwell once to reduce Derbyshire to 9 for 3 in six overs.

Dickson had a new batting partner before a ball was bowled after Joe Denly returned home to be with his wife Stacey who later gave birth to their first child.

That further weakened a batting line-up that was without the injured Tom Latham and Darren Stevens and Kent were soon in trouble with Thakor striking twice in four overs.

Sam Northeast was caught behind down the legside for 12 and when Alex Blake edged low to slip, Kent had slipped to 113 for 3 and, with Denly absent, were effectively four down.

But Dickson was playing with impressive maturity for a 24-year-old and with Adam Ball, batted through the rest of the morning only for Kent to suffer another mini crisis after lunch.

Ball tried to drive Ben Cotton without moving his feet and edged to Tom Poynton before the fast bowler clipped the top of Adam Rouse’s off-stump.

Derbyshire could have increased the pressure but Calum Haggett was dropped at second slip on one and although he struggled to time the ball, stayed with Dickson for 16 overs before he played round one from Thakor.

The next ball pinned Tredwell in front and left Kent in danger of being asked to follow on but Coles helped Dickson take the momentum away from Derbyshire.

A square drive brought Dickson his 17th four and his 150 which came off 304 balls and although he was lucky when he played a ball onto the stumps without dislodging the bails, he had certainly earned his good fortune.

With the threat of the follow-on averted, Coles opened his shoulders to dispatch Chesney Hughes for six and Dickson drove Wayne Madsen over long on before passing his previous career-best of 173.

Tom Taylor finally broke the stand when he defeated Coles’s big swing to take his first wicket of the season but Mitch Claydon made sure Dickson joined the double centurion club.

Dickson turned the 350th ball he faced to fine leg for two before Thakor deservedly ended the innings but Kent’s recovery continued as Chesney Hughes, Tom Taylor and Hamish Rutherford all went cheaply.

Close of play day three: Derbyshire v Kent at Derby, May 22-25 2016. Derbyshire won the toss and elected to bat.

Derbyshire 492 all out (Thakor 130, Madsen 103; Coles 5/116) & 9/3 (Coles 2/7) Kent 412 all out (Dickson 207*; Thakor 5/63).

Derbyshire side: CF Hughes, BA Godleman, HD Rutherford, WL Madsen, NT Broom, SJ Thakor, T Poynton, MJJ Critchley, TAI Taylor, AP Palladino, BD Cotton.

Kent side: DJ Bell-Drummond, SR Dickson, JL Denly, SA Northeast*, AJ Blake, AJ Ball, AP Rouse†, CJ Haggett, MT Coles, JC Tredwell, ME Claydon.

Umpires: NA Mallender and DJ Millns

Full scorecard available here.