Derbyshire welcome Lancashire to Queen’s Park, Chesterfield, for the first time in first class cricket since 1989 when the sides played out a fiercely-contested draw.
Heritage Officer David Griffin previews the match.
The game in 1989 saw two fast bowling giants on opposite sides; the West Indian Ian Bishop for Derbyshire and Pakistani Wasim Akram for Lancashire. The pitch at Queen’s Park, as was usually the case in that era, was lightning quick and bouncy and Neil Fairbrother played one of the great innings at Queen’s Park, making 161 off only 124 balls with 21 fours and six sixes.
It was a match in which Derbyshire supporters got a glimpse into the future as local boy Chris Adams, aged just 19, made 79, his first half century in just his fifth first class game. His effort against Akram and Phil DeFreitas gave just a hint of what was to come from Adams’ bat in ensuing seasons.
Following two high scoring first innings Derbyshire were set 220 to win on the final day and when stumps were drawn had reached 193 for eight.
When the two sides met earlier this summer at Old Trafford, Derbyshire secured a hard-earned draw on the final afternoon despite the presence of Jimmy Anderson in the hosts’ attack. Should Anderson appear in this game it will be his first appearance in any form of the game at Chesterfield.
Lancashire have played Derbyshire at Chesterfield on 25 occasions, 24 at Queen’s Park and once, in 1874, at Saltergate. The last positive result between these two sides at Chesterfield came in 1966 when the visitors won by seven wickets. Derbyshire’s last win came in 1961 when they won by an innings and 141 runs with the great Les Jackson recording remarkable match figures of 42.1-25-32-8.
Lancashire provided the opposition in Derbyshire’s first ever match in May 1871 at Old Trafford when Derbyshire triumphed by an innings and 11 runs with Dove Gregory taking six wickets for nine runs in Lancashire’s first innings of 25 all out. Gregory’s debut innings analysis has never been improved upon.
Generally, however, Lancashire have tended to get the better of Derbyshire, winning 101 matches with Derbyshire gaining the upper hand on just 32 occasions and having not beaten their north west neighbours since 1997 when they won by an innings and 37 runs at Derby. Their 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 2 wickets.
1996 was the summer when Derbyshire appeared on course to win the County Championship, 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.
