Lancashire v Derbyshire day 4

Lancashire 351 and 160 (Harris 66, Abbas 3-32, Aitchison 3-38, Chappell 3-43)

Derbyshire 374 and 108 (Came 30, Anderson 4-18)

Lancashire won by 29 runs

Seasons do not hinge on the winning or losing of an early season match, but the manner of Derbyshire's defeat at Old Trafford today was very disappointing.

They should have won this match. 138 to win in two and a half sessions should have been within their compass, even allowing for batting conditions that had deteriorated from the early part of the game. 

What was needed was for someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck, or to show the requisite technique, as Marcus Harris did twice for Lancashire.

It didn't happen and in the face of some good Lancashire bowling - and some overly enthusiastic appealing at times - the batting folded. 

Harry Came resisted for a while, but his three colleagues in the top order perished to strokes that they will want to forget. It wasn't easy and there was, throughout the day, plenty of lateral movement, but you surely have to fancy your chances chasing such a small total. 

Of course, this is Derbyshire and we have all seen similar capitulations on a regular basis in the past. There was a time when any total approaching 200 in the final innings would have been considerably beyond our compass. Perhaps that is the frustration today, that I thought - or hoped - that this side was made of sterner stuff.

It all undid a very good effort in the morning session, when Ben Aitchison appeared to have the ball on a piece of elastic, zipping it around to fine effect. Lancashire added only thirteen to their overnight total and as the ball moved both ways it was clear that the run chase would be far from easy.

A cover drive from Jewell suggested that he might at last come to terms with the Lancashire attack, but a tame clip to mid-wicket was the start of the rot. Montgomery didn't need to play the expansive drive that got him out, especially in such conditions, while Guest will be disappointed with a similar, careless stroke. 

Came and Andersson saw it through to lunch and a flurry of boundaries and extras afterwards suggested that the worst had passed. Yet after 90 minutes of resistance, Harry pushed at one that again could have been left and was caught at slip. When Andersson followed soon afterwards, despite having looked more comfortable than anyone, the writing was on the wall. 

I started to write this blog at that point and my wife asked why, as they were still playing. 'Because I have seen this film before', was my reply, though I take no pleasure at all in saying so. 

Dal didn't last long and there wasn't enough batting left. Reece played a nice straight drive for four, but perished, playing across the line, to the next, leaving that wall writing both emboldened and capitalised.

While Aitchison hit three quick boundaries, taking the score over the hundred mark, he too didn't last long and there was no expectation that a combination of Bashir and Abbas would stay with Chappell long enough for Derbyshire to cross the finish line. The end, a run out after Chappell ran and Abbas didn't, summed up the afternoon.There will be a chastened return to Derby later today. All the hard work had been done over three days, but then they blew it, in 35 overs.

Lancashire's star players won them this game. Without Harris (125 and 66) it wouldn't have been close, while Jimmy Anderson always seemed likely to be the difference between the sides and his peerless 4-18 ensured that there was to be no fairy tale ending. The absent Madsen might have made a difference, but Lancashire were just too good for Derbyshire today, after we slugged it out manfully for 95% of the game.

The season didn't end today and there will be opportunities against lesser sides for Derbyshire to bounce back. 

But this was an opportunity missed. 

It will hurt everyone involved, just as much as it hurts supporters right now.