Lancs collapse sets up Derbyshire victory chance

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Emirates Old Trafford (day three)

Lancashire 351 & 147-6: Harris 58*, Coughlin 35*; Chappell 3-43

Derbyshire 374: Came 83, Guest 83, Andersson 54; Coughlin 4-79

Lancashire (6 pts) lead Derbyshire (6 pts) by 124 runs with four second-innings wickets remaining

Match scorecard

Derbyshire dominated a dramatic third day of this County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford and have every chance of recording their first Championship victory on this ground since 1996.

After replying to Lancashire's first-innings 351 with a patient 374, thereby earning a 23-run lead, the visitors took five prime wickets before that deficit was wiped out. Two were taken in seven balls by 36-year-old Muhammad Abbas and three more in eight deliveries, all with the score on 23, by Zak Chappell.

Lancashire then effected a significant recovery from 23-5, thanks in part to Marcus Harris, who made 58 not out and they will go into the final day with a lead of 124 and four wickets in hand.

After taking 4-79 on his Lancashire debut, Paul Coughlin was also unbeaten on 35 at the close.

Three heavy showers ensured that only 17.2 overs could be bowled in the morning session but in that time, Lancashire took the new ball and James Anderson bowled Martin Andersson for 54 with a superb delivery that was angled into the batter but straightened and knocked out the off stump.

That ended Andersson's 110-run fourth-wicket stand with Guest, which was the innings' third successive partnership above 56, and four overs into the afternoon session, Mitch Stanley took his third wicket when he trapped Guest lbw for 83.

Tom Bailey replaced Anderson and with the 12th ball of his spell, he took a sharp return catch off a checked drive to dismiss Anuj Dal for 21, a 23-ball frivolity that had included five fours.

That left Derbyshire on 319-6 and half a dozen overs later, Coughlin took his first wicket for his new county when he had Chappell leg before wicket for 11. Having had two chances dropped on the second day, Coughlin had clearly decided to cut out the middle man.

In his next over, the former Durham bowler took his second wicket when Ben Aitchison's swish merely nicked a catch to Hurst and 20 minutes later, Coughlin had completed his memorable spell of 4.3-1-15-4, removing Luis Reece (36) and last man Abbas for eight.

However, the merits of Lancashire's seamers were quickly forgotten when the 47-over evening session began. Luke Wells had his off stump knocked back by the sixth ball of Abbas's first over and 10 minutes later Josh Bohannon was caught by second slip Caleb Jewell off Abbas for four.

Harris and Harry Singh resisted for half an hour but any calmness or solidity was deceptive.

Having made 10, Singh drove a return catch to Chappell, who completed the dismissal at his fourth attempt. Michael Jones clipped his second ball off his toes to midwicket where Shoaib Bashir took a good low catch and Chappell then took his third wicket in 10 minutes when Matty Hurst's loose drive diverted the ball via bat and boot onto the stumps.

Tom Hartley joined Harris and the pair mounted a partial recovery, putting on 55 in 65 minutes before Hartley was bowled by Anuj Dal for 24.

Coughlin and Harris then put on an unbroken 69 and there is every chance Derbyshire will face a testing target of around 170 on the final day.

Report by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay.