It ended honours even in Barbados as Northants drew their two-day tour match with Dernyshire at the North Star Cricket Club.
Responding to the 313 for nine that Derbyshire made on day one, the County totalled 321 for nine at stumps.
Star men for Northants were Matthew Spriegel and Rob Keogh, who both made half-centuries, while Luke Evans made 42.
Spriegel opened the batting and made 66, while Keogh finished the day unbeaten on 55.
The day started well for Steelbacks as Spriegel and skipper Stephen Peters put on 55 for the first wicket.
Peters was eventually trapped lbw by Mark Turner for 31, and then Alex Wakely made 17, David Sales seven and James Middlebrook 12 as the middle order struggled.
Spriegel batted for 198 minutes, faced 129 deliveries and stroked nine boundaries before becoming one of Jonathan Clare’s three victims.
At tea, Northants were 217 for seven, but Keogh steadied the ship and guided the tail to a first innings advantage.
Keogh ended on an unbeaten 55, sharing in a last wicket stand of 61 with Luke Evans, who made 42.
Elsewhere, Andrew Hall skippered a combined Northants/Hampshire side to a 60-run victory over a combined Warwickshire/Derbyshire XI at Dayrell’s Road.
Michael Carberry’s undefeated 105 was the catalyst for the win, although Derbyshire’s Mark Footitt impressed with the ball, taking six for 50.
In the evening the entire squad attended a function at Herbert House in Bridgetown, to honour the achievements of West Indian fast-bowling legends Sir Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith.
Northants are back in action on Saturday and Sunday when they take part in the Barbados Twenty20 Cup.