Lancashire v Derbyshire Chester Broughton Hall 28/7/2020

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The Red Rose return to their training base at Chester for their final pre-season warm-up game against a county whom they have many links with on both the playing and coaching staff.

Lancashire enjoyed a very useful, competitive workout against Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley on Friday and Saturday having played an intra-squad game of the same length at Chester last week.

This game was originally scheduled for today and tomorrow, only moved due to a poor weather forecast today.

It will be a midday start and a planned 7pm finish.

Captain Dane Vilas and assistant coach Mark Chilton are planning to give their players most likely to feature in Saturday’s Bob Willis Trophy clash with Leicestershire another workout.



OPPONENTS
This is Derbyshire’s only schedule two-day game against opposition ahead of the start of the competitive four-day matches.

Their playing staff includes ex-Red Rose players Luis Reece and Mattie McKiernan, although the latter did not make his first-team bow for the county. Another all-rounder, Matt Critchley, is Lancashire-born.

Derby’s coaching staff includes former Lancashire batting favourite Mal Loye, while their former head coach Karl Krikken is now on the Red Rose backroom staff.

Derby finished last season’s County Championship Division Two campaign in seventh position, winning four of their 14 games.

Captained by opening batsman Billy Godleman, their batting is underpinned by the excellent and experienced Wayne Madsen. The pair scored 1,008 and 794 Championship runs respectively last year.

Left-arm seamer Reece led the way in terms of four-day wickets, claiming 52, while former West Indies Test quick Ravi Rampaul claimed 44.

While Lancashire cancelled a four-day overseas deal with New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman BJ Watling, Derbyshire did similar with Australian seamer Sean Abbott, although they have agreed a deal with him to play for the county in 2021.

PREVIOUS MEETING
Lancashire completed the Championship double over Derbyshire on the way to last season’s Division Two title, starting with a 10-wicket away win at the County Ground in late-June when Graham Onions claimed his 700th First-Class wicket in a three-day win.

In mid-September, Lancashire won by an innings and 45 runs at Emirates Old Trafford, also in three days, to clinch promotion. And Josh Bohannon was the star!

Derbyshire, having elected to bat, posted 244 in their first innings, with Billy Godleman making 111. Richard Gleeson did the damage, though, with 5-64.

Bohannon’s maiden First-Class century, 174 batting at number three, then underpinned Lancashire’s strong response of 418 before Tom Bailey, Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Parkinson all claimed three wickets to bowl the visitors out for 129 deep into the third day.

The victory confirmed Lancashire’s promotion back to the top-flight.

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Lancashire's First XI squad had another important run out on Day One of the friendly against Derbyshire at Chester Boughton Hall.

Under the pre-arranged format of the match, the Red Rose bowled for the first two sessions of the day before batting in the final 30 overs, with the roles to be reversed tomorrow.

In their 60 overs Derbyshire made 163/2, underpinned by 69 not out from Wayne Madsen and 60 from captain Billy Godleman.

Lancashire finished on 89/1 with Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon the unbeaten men.



As they have in previous matches the Red Rose rotated their bowlers in the field, allowing as many opportunities as possible for bowlers to get match-ready ahead of Saturday's Bob Willis Trophy opener.

Nine bowlers delivered spells here on Day One, with the wickets going to Tom Bailey and George Balderson.

The former struck first inside his second over, nicking former Lancashire man Luis Reece off to Alex Davies, who once again took the gloves.

Fellow opening bowler Graham Onions was unlucky not to have added a wicket of his own, passing the bat on several occasions on a pitch that was offering plenty.

Godleman and Madsen, the most experienced pair in Derbyshire's top order, rode out the early storm and played diligently therein to keep things ticking over.

Lunch came at 54/1, less than two runs per over, but the visiting batsmen looked more solid as time progressed.

That was evidenced as they added more than 100 runs in the second set of 30 overs, again as Lancashire shared the bowling to give meaningful spells to a range of bowlers.

Godleman produced the shot of the innings, a straight six off the bowling of Bohannon, but was removed by a smart piece of work from Davies.



Stood up to the bowling of Balderson, the left-hander's nick landed safely in the wicketkeeper's gloves. Madsen continued to the second interval to remain unbeaten, with Leus du Plooy making 21.

Keaton Jennings and Davies continued at the top of the order, and the latter was first man out, bowled by Sam Conners for 10.

But the numbers one and three, who have cemented their places in the top order, saw things through to the close. Jennings was superbly caught in the gully off Ben Aitchison, but the bowler had overstepped.

Bohannon saved the best until last, dismissively striking Michael Cohen through cover for the shot of the day with three overs left in the day.

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Lancashire rounded off their pre-season preparations with the second day of a friendly against Derbyshire at Chester Boughton Hall.

Following an intra-squad friendly and a visit to Yorkshire last week, this represented the Red Rose's final chance for practice ahead of the opening Bob Willis fixture against Leicestershire on Saturday.

In the first 30 overs, Derbyshire reached 70/1 before making way for the hosts to return to the crease.

Lancashire then batted until the close reaching 143/6, bolstered by 41 from George Balderson and 39 by the returning Steven Croft.

Their target for 'victory' was technically 145 but the nature of this practice fixture meant it was never really about the result but to give players meaningful time on the field, as evidenced by the amount of bowlers used on both sides.

The sole wicket of the morning went to Ed Moulton, the young right-arm seam bowler, who trapped Luis Reece LBW.

Leus du Plooy finished unbeaten on 46 accompanied by Matt Critchley on 7 as Dane Vilas shared the workload between bowlers.

In response, Lancashire opened with Balderson and Alex Davies, with Keaton Jennings making way after already spending valuable time in the middle over the last week.

Davies and Rob Jones lost their wickets early on but Balderson and Croft put on a 69-run stand, the latter having his first bat of the pre-season after missing last week's fixtures as a precaution with a calf niggle.

The all-round pairing found the off-side particularly fruitful, both crashing boundaries backward of square in the final overs before tea.

After the break Croft departed to Critchley and Luke Wood was bowled by du Plooy, either side of Balderson's retirement from the crease.

Liam Hurt made 28, with Tom Hartley and Graham Onions not out at the close.

All eyes are now on Blackfinch New Road for the start of the 2020 season this weekend.