Match Preview: Lancashire (A)

Derbyshire’s first away fixture of the season sees them travel to Manchester to face Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

Heritage Officer David Griffin previews the match.

First class games between Derbyshire and Lancashire date back to 1871 when Derbyshire played their first match, one they won by an innings at Old Trafford.

This will be only the second time Derbyshire have played a first class game in Manchester in April; the first occasion was in 1980 when the match began on 30th of the month.

The forthcoming fixture will be the 224th between the two counties and no county has provided the opposition more often for Derbyshire than Lancashire.

Generally, Lancashire have prospered more often than not, winning 102 of these games with 87 draws and Derbyshire victorious on a rather meagre 32 occasions. Two matches, both at Buxton, in 1972 and 1980, were abandoned without any play.

Derbyshire’s last win against their north west neighbours was in 1997 when they won by an innings and 37 runs at Derby, although the last away win was at Old Trafford a year earlier when Jason Gallian’s 312 was not enough to prevent an inspired Derbyshire side winning by two wickets.

Derbyshire appeared on course to win the County Championship in 1996, topping the table as late as 30th August, but subsequently finishing second to the eventual champions Leicestershire. Dean Jones’ side, with Kim Barnett, Chris Adams, Dominic Cork, Philip DeFreitas and Devon Malcolm to the fore, produced some of the county’s best first-class cricket in decades.

Derbyshire’s highest innings total of 577 all out at Old Trafford in 1896 included 274 with 37 fours by George Davidson and remains the highest individual score in the county’s history, although two players, Barnett and Peter Bowler have both scored more hundreds (four) against Lancashire than any other player.

Amongst the bowlers Bill Mycroft (11) and Cliff Gladwin (10) took five wickets in an innings most often, although Les Jackson’s nine for 60 at Manchester in 1952 are the best innings figures.

The most recent instance of a bowler taking five wickets in an innings came in the match at Derby in 2019 when Luis Reece took six for 58 in Lancashire’s first innings.

Davidson and Bill Copson both took hat tricks against Lancashire, at Derby and Burton-on-Trent, respectively.

Derbyshire’s record partnership against Lancashire is 321 for the second wicket in the second innings at Old Trafford in 1981 when John Wright and Peter Kirsten both scored hundreds.

For the hosts, aside from Gallian’s 312 in 1996, Johnny Tyldesley made two double hundreds, one each at Chesterfield and Old Trafford, while Graham Lloyd, Eddie Paynter – also at Old Trafford, and Ashwell Prince (at Southport) also made doubles.

With the ball, slow left armer Johnny Briggs recorded the best innings figures of nine for 29 at Derby in 1885 while the best match figures came from William McIntyre who took 15 for 47 at Derby in 1877.