Derbyshire claimed the late wicket of Eoin Morgan to reduce Middlesex to 146-3 on a rain-affected opening day of the Division Two championship match.

Only 48 overs were bowled, with the pre-lunch session a wash out.

Middlesex were put in to bat, but the home side wasted the new ball as openers Billy Godleman (22) and Ed Joyce (64) put on 46 runs in 11 overs.

Charl Langeveldt claimed Godleman's wicket before Joyce was run out and Morgan (35) fell in the last over.

Derbyshire captain Chris Rogers' decision to put the visitors in to bat looked to have backfired as his bowlers failed to pressurise the opening batsmen.

Langeveldt (1-42) was the pick of the home bowlers and it was the South African who made the first breakthrough, with Godleman edging to Rogers at first slip.

Joyce was authoritative and composed, reaching his 69-ball half-century with a glorious four through the covers.

But four overs later the left-hander misjudged a quick single and was run out by a direct Graham Wagg hit.

The departure of Joyce was a setback to a Middlesex batting line-up which had already been weakened by the absence of Andrew Strauss, Ed Smith and Owais Shah.

Derbyshire could have claimed another wicket five overs before stumps when Dawid Malan edged Ian Hunter only to be put down by wicketkeeper Tom New.

However, another wicket soon followed when Morgan pulled Hunter (1-26) to long leg for Langeveldt to catch.