Date-stamped : 19 Sep95 - 10:23 CC: Derbyshire v Lancashire, Derby, 14-18 September 1995 ====> Day 1, 14 Sep 95 DeFreitas hones talent with Cork - Clive Ellis First day of four: Lancashire (134-8) trail Derbyshire (267) by 133 runs FOR ALL Derbyshire`s frailties, very little appears wrong when Phillip DeFreitas and Dominic Cork are putting their considerable talent to optimum use. The only consolation for Lancashire, who are equally prone to failure when their Test players are available, was that they will finish fourth in the championship, whatever the outcome here. DeFreitas defied conditions which reduced batsmen of far greater pedigree to tentative prodding and wild swishing with an en- terprising 94 not out against his former colleagues, all scored between lunch and tea. Cork`s enthusiasm, when Derbyshire came to defend their unexpect- edly respectable total, was irrepressible, and he swung the ball consistently as cloud cover increased with five for 20 to leave Lancashire`s much-vaunted batting line-up in tatters. Kim Barnett, captaining Derbyshire for the last time, had not faced an automatic decision in choosing to bat, but he, the newly-capped Adrian Rollins and Chris Adams played with such freedom that when the second wicket fell at 83 they were steaming along at six an over. Barnett, in making 42, became only the second Derbyshire player to pass 20,000 runs, and Adams flourished briefly on the day he was told he would not be released from the remaining three years of his contract. It was a pitch on which bowlers were guaranteed reward if they observed the rules of line and length, and Peter Martin and Glen Chapple duly pegged Derbyshire back to 124 for six after lunch. DeFreitas, who made his runs off only 99 balls, with an array of attacking strokes, and the more watchful Colin Wells (45) added 73 for the seventh wicket, then DeFreitas was joined by Karl Krikken in an equally important eighth-wicket alliance of 64. Batting looked horribly complicated again as John Crawley and Ja- son Gallian were both dismissed playing no shot against Cork. Lancashire looked certain to follow on until Ian Austin came in at 51 for seven and completed his fifty off 33 balls. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 2, 15 Sep 95 Barnett and Cork hound Lancashire - Clive Ellis Second day of four: Derbys (267 & 161-2) lead Lancs (155) by 273 runs KIM BARNETT has been bemused this week by rumours that he is not only giving up the Derbyshire captaincy, but about to desert the county he has served with distinction for the past 16 years. An unbeaten 80, in conditions still tailor-made for quality seam bowling, betrayed no sign of wavering loyalty or ability - Bar- nett has two years left on his contract - and though the long- threatened rain finally set in at 2.45pm Derbyshire ended the day in charge. Derbyshire`s bowling, or more specifically Dominic Cork`s, has been on a different plane from Lancashire`s so far. In fact, Lancashire`s general demeanour has been that of a side who have already put up the shutters for the season. It is fair to presume that they would have given Derbyshire more of a challenge if Wasim Akram had been here rather than on Test duty for Pakistan. In his absence Lancashire offered all the variations in line and length which Barnett could have asked for and he cut with typical glee in stands of 73 for both the first and second wickets with Adrian Rollins and Chris Adams. The pitch played a little more easily than on the first day, but it is not a surface for passive resistance and at the start Ian Austin adopted the same forthright tactics he had employed on Thursday. He took 18 off an over from Phillip DeFreitas, but was left on 80, scored off 51 balls, when Cork trapped Glen Chapple and Peter Martin leg before to finish with seven for 61, taking his seasonal tally to 90. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 3, 16 Sep 95 Lancs submit to end-of-term lethargy Third day of four: Lancashire (155 & 19-0) require 418 runs to beat Derbyshire (267 & 325) THE SIGHT of Mike Atherton standing uninterestedly in the out- field, hands (innocently) inbedded in his pockets, said every- thing about Lancashire`s submission to end-of-term lethargy, writes Clive Ellis. Shortly after lunch yesterday they set out in futile pursuit of a victory target of 438 and, though openers Jason Gallian and Steve Titchard kept out Dominic Cork and Phillip DeFreitas for seven overs before bad light and rain intervened, Lancashire deserve nothing more than a heavy defeat. Kim Barnett, playing his last game as captain for Derbyshire, had high hopes of bowing out with a century, but he had added only eight to his overnight 80 when he chased a wide delivery from Peter Martin and was caught behind. Glen Chapple was treated with disdain by Cork and DeFreitas as they pummelled 54 for the seventh wicket in seven overs, and Karl Krikken and Allan Warner added a last-wicket stand of 45. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@*ogi.edu) ====> Day 4, 18 Sep 95 Derbyshire benefit from Warner`s best - Clive Ellis Derby (267 & 325) bt Lancs (155 & 155) by 282 runs LANCASHIRE clearly believe that charity begins away from home. They even doled out a liberal helping of personal benevolence yesterday to ease Derbyshire to their first championship victory since the end of July. If it lends impetus to Allan Warner`s benefit, Lancashire`s pathetic batting display will have served some altruistic pur- pose. Warner`s six for 21 in 7.5 overs represented a career best and offered a welcome reminder that the benefit system should be designed to assist unsung 38-year-olds more than England regu- lars. Lancashire`s casual approach on the first three days gave no hint that they would come out yesterday resolved to make the 438 runs needed for victory, and their mistrust of the pitch was fuelled by Dominic Cork`s first ball, which lifted sharply to hit Steve Titchard on the top hand. He duly retired and the rest of the Lancashire batting adopted a gung-ho approach which had no chance of frustrating Derbyshire more than fleetingly. John Crawley went down the pitch to hit his second ball from Cork through extra cover and he continued in the same hectic vein, completing his fifty, out of a total of 61, off 35 balls, before being caught behind off Warner. Mike Atherton offered the lone impression of sound technique but he was hit on the wrist by Phillip DeFreitas, without suffering significant damage, and he became another victim for Warner. Glen Chapple, last in, hit successive balls from Paul Aldred for 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, to underline the unreality of the proceedings, and Lancashire were able to make a swift return to Manchester. Derbyshire, for all their superiority here and rise to 14th in the table, will not be fooled. They have both an overseas player to find - the chances of Ian Bishop returning look remote - and a captain to succeed Kim Barnett. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@*ogi.edu)