Derbyshire have confirmed their place in the top flight at next year's County Week.
The county men's team avoided relegation from Division One of the AEGON Summer County Cup by beating Yorkshire 5-2 in the final tie.
They started yesterday at a sunny Devonshire Park by leading their opponents 2-1 and, after extending it in the second round of matches to 4-2, needed only one more rubber to survive.
The win came courtesy of two rubbers each from doubles partners Chris Archer and James Rushby and Chris Simpson and Tom Rushby.
Pair Simon Thornewell and Chris McPherson – the latter suffering from a knee injury – claimed their first win of the day and the decisive fifth rubber in the last round of matches.
The win also meant last year's Division Two champions Yorkshire, along with the North of Scotland, were relegated from Division One.
Derbyshire captain Dennis Archer, appearing in his 41st year at County Week, said it was one of the best experiences he has had at the annual competition.
He said: "When the day first started against Yorkshire, I really thought – given the injuries we had – we'd do well if we beat them, so it's absolutely fantastic.
"In all my years at County Week, this result is right up there – it's one of the best we've ever had. The lads all fought so hard and did so well.
"To face the likes of Hertfordshire and Surrey and get the three wins needed to stay in the division is brilliant.
"I'm also really pleased that it was Simon and Chris (McPherson) who won the deciding rubber.
"The other pairs had won two matches each but then we were staring down the barrel in the third set of rubbers because we were down in all of them.
"But those guys came through and took the win. I'm really pleased for them and for all the lads."
Meanwhile, Derbyshire's ladies claimed their first win of the week at the championships in Worthing.
The team had already been relegated from Division Three after four-straight defeats but still rallied to beat Devon 5-4.
Partners Gemma Praditngam and Lauren Trigg, along with Ena Ankutse and Aggie Hau, won two rubbers each, while Naomi Fellows and Roisin Mullins took one.