REPORT | Chappell takes four on Day One

Zak Chappell claimed four wickets on Day One of Derbyshire’s Rothesay County Championship fixture against Lancashire at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield. 

Keaton Jennings passed 12,000 first-class runs on his way to 106 while Green celebrated his maiden red ball hundred as Lancashire recovered from 132 for 6 to 367 all out.

The pair shared a seventh wicket stand of 106 in 28 overs with Jennings scoring his 33rd first-class century before falling to Zak Chappell who took 4 for 73.

Green was crucially dropped on nine but played a controlled attacking innings to score 121 which contained 20 fours and a six to turn the day in Lancashire’s favour.

With Jimmy Anderson leading Lancashire and Wayne Madsen skippering the hosts, it was the first time in a Derbyshire game since 1974 that both captains were over 40.

There was certainly a vintage feel to the cricket after Anderson chose to bat on a grassy pitch with the visitors made to work for every run against testing seam bowling.

Derbyshire’s discipline was rewarded in the fourth over of a hot and humid morning when Luke Wells was drawn into driving at Ben Aitchison and was caught low down at first slip.

Such was the accuracy of the bowling that it was not until the 11th over that Josh Bohannon cut Blair Tickner for the first boundary and although he dispatched the next ball through mid-wicket for four, he then fell to Aitchison.

Bohannon got a good ball that straightened to take the edge but poor shot selection accounted for the wickets of Ashton Turner and Matty Hurst as Lancashire slipped to 44 for 4.

It was just as well for the visitors that Jennngs was displaying good judgement, batting out of his crease to counter any movement, and at lunch was well set on 41.

Michael Jones had also established a platform but in the third over of the afternoon, he glanced Tickner only for Brooke Guest to take a superb diving catch.

When George Balderson edged Anuj Dal to second slip, Lancashire were in trouble at 132 for 6 and may not have recovered had Mitch Wagstaff not dropped Green on nine at mid-wicket.

Derbyshire were left to regret that as Green pulled Tickner for six to reach his maiden first-class 50 for Lancashire from 80 balls.

Jennings completed his century in the next over and at tea, the outlook for Lancashire was far rosier at 238 for six.

The stand was broken four balls into the evening session when Chappell brought one back to bowl Jennings but Lancashire’s resistance was far from over.

Green drove handsomely through the offside and with Jack Blatherwick lending more than capable support to pass his previous best score of 35, the 300 came up before the second new ball accounted for Blatherwick.

Green was dropped again on 98, a return catch to Dal, but thoroughly deserved a hundred that transformed his team;s fortunes.

Derbyshire fast bowler Zak Chappell said: “There’s a little bit in the wicket but it’s such a fast scoring ground that you can feel the game is getting away from you but there’s enough in it.

“You’ve just got to keep running in and if you get the ball in the right area, ione will nip and that’s what we did today. I think they’ve done well to get to where they were considering they were four down for not that many and Greeny (Chris Green) played really well.

“We’ve got to build and consolidate tomorrow and get through the new ball and do what they did. I think it will be at its best to bat tomorrow so get through the new ball and just bat.”