MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire v Derbyshire
The Red Rose produced a strong performance which didn’t gain the ultimate reward as Northamptonshire clung on admirably with the bat during the final day for a draw. However, there will be much for Steven Croft and Sir James Anderson to be heartened about as they prepare to return to home turf at Emirates Old Trafford.
Lancashire v Derbyshire
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two
Friday April 10 - Monday April 13, 2026, 11am
Emirates Old Trafford
There were a handful of promising performances led by Anderson himself and fellow seamer Tom Bailey, Josh Bohannon too.
Lancashire weren’t the only county who had to settle for a draw on Monday. In fact, only Middlesex claimed victory across the four matches in Division Two. They beat Gloucestershire at Lord’s.
Like the Red Rose, Derbyshire were thwarted on day four of their opening round clash, at home to Worcestershire, who - having been made to follow-on in reply to 625-8d - survived eight wickets down in their second innings.
Lancashire are set to welcome Marcus Harris back into the fold for this one, with the Australian overseas batter about to start his second season with the county. He has arrived a week late following his involvement in the Sheffield Shield final with Victoria.
Opposition
In many people’s eyes, Lancashire and Durham are the favourites for Division Two. But Derbyshire are surely right in the thick of the promotion conversation as well.
Under head of cricket Mickey Arthur, and the captaincy of Wayne Madsen, they finished third in Division Two last season and, despite being unable to get over the line last week, they have made an encouraging start to this season as well.
Former Lancashire all-rounder Luis Reece, their leading wicket-taker last season with 50, posted a century against Worcestershire, while Martin Andersson notched up a notable double ton.
They have signed England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir from Somerset and Pakistani seamer Mohammad Abbas, who won the Division One title with Nottinghamshire last season and turned down offers in the top-flight for this season to move across the East Midlands.
Opposition player to watch
On first-game evidence, you’d have to say Martin Andersson, the Reading-born 29-year-old all-rounder.
Andersson bats at five and bowls medium-paced seamers. He added three wickets across the two innings against Worcestershire to his first-innings 228 - his career best score in first-class cricket.
Andersson came through the age-group systems of both Berkshire and Middlesex.
He actually made his first-class debut for Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities in early 2017 and his limited overs bows for Middlesex in 2018 (T20) and 2021 (List A) respectively.
Following previous loan time at Derbyshire, he signed for them permanently ahead of 2025 and has scored all four of his first-class centuries for them since signing. All have come in the Championship.
He is only two appearances away from 50 in his first-class career.
Previous meeting
Last season’s clash between these two counties, in mid-May, at Emirates Old Trafford finished in a draw, with Luke Wells scoring a superb first-innings 141.
Then, at Chesterfield at the end of June and start of July, Lancashire won by 261 runs as George Balderson took four wickets in each innings added to centuries for Keaton Jennings, Chris Green and Ashton Turner.
In the first innings, having elected to bat, opener Jennings made 106 before Australian Green topped him with a lower middle order 121 as part of a day-one 367 all out.
Balderson then excelled with the ball as the Red Rose bowled the hosts out for 261 during the first half of an action-packed day two, which saw Lancs close on 114-1 second time around.
The visitors raced to 406-6 declared inside 74 overs, setting a target of 513 midway through day three.
Thankfully, Derbyshire never threatened it, bowled out for 251 thanks in no small part to Balderson again, whose four-for was supplemented by three wickets for Tom Bailey.
It was Lancashire’s first of three wins in 2025, at the ninth attempt, in Sir James Anderson’s second game as captain.
What they said
“We’re really excited to get our first game underway at Emirates Old Trafford,” said Steven Croft, as he looked ahead to the visit of Derbyshire.
There was obvious frustration at the way the Northamptonshire game ended, but spirits are certainly high amongst players and coaches having got the season off to a sturdy start.
“The performance is nearly there,” he continued. “Little areas we can improve on, but we walked away with our heads held high. We were in the box-seat for most of the game. It’s something to build on.”
The Red Rose return to a ground where Championship results have been hard to come by in recent seasons. The county have only won once there since the end of 2022, for example.
Pitches have been flat and tough to force things on, but Croft believes a better balance was struck there late last season.
“From the last two games we had there last year, there was one result (a Glamorgan win) and one on the way to being a result if it wasn’t for the weather (Middlesex draw),” he said. “Hopefully we can get the pitch right. We’ve asked for similar.
“If we put in a performance like that at Northamptonshire and it doesn’t happen - be it the pitch or the weather - that’s stuff we can live with.
“We have to keep our standards high.”
Fast bowlers Sir James Anderson and Tom Bailey led the bowling attack expertly at Wantage Road, sharing 14 wickets.
But debutant Ajeet Singh Dale impressed at stages with the ball and also the bat too. He hit an unbeaten 44 in the second innings to help recover it from 108-8 to 194 all out, pushing the target above 300.
With the ball, he took one wicket in each innings.
“He creates something when there’s nothing there,” added Croft. “That’s exactly why we wanted to get hold of him - that skillset.
He’s got good pace and good skills, and he showed what he was about with the bat as well. He’s not an all-rounder by any means, but him and Bails dug in and got us up to a really competitive target.
“He’s full of character, and you saw that by the way he ran in on day four.”
How’s Stat!
This game will be Josh Bohannon’s 100th first-class game. He has played 93 for Lancs and six for England Lions since debuting in 2018.
In his 99 games so far, the 28-year-old has scored 6,158 runs with 14 centuries and a best of 231.
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