Landmark centuries from Keaton Jennings and Chris Green revived Lancashire on the first day of the County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.
Jennings passed 12,000 first-class runs on his way to 106, while Green celebrated his maiden red-ball hundred as Lancashire recovered from 132-6 to 367 all out.
The pair shared a seventh-wicket stand of 106 in 28 overs, with Jennings scoring his 33rd first-class century before falling to Zak Chappell, who took 4-73.
Green was crucially dropped on nine but played a controlled attacking innings to score 121 which contained 20 fours and a six to turn the day in Lancashire’s favour.
With James Anderson leading Lancashire and Wayne Madsen skippering the hosts, it was the first time in a Derbyshire game since 1974 that both captains were over 40.
There was certainly a vintage feel to the cricket after Anderson chose to bat on a grassy pitch with the visitors made to work for every run against testing seam bowling.
Derbyshire’s discipline was rewarded in the fourth over of a hot and humid morning when Luke Wells was drawn into driving at Ben Aitchison and was caught low down at first slip.
Such was the accuracy of the bowling that it was not until the 11th over that Josh Bohannon cut Blair Tickner for the first boundary and although he sent the next ball through mid-wicket for four, he then fell to Aitchison.
Bohannon got a good ball that straightened to take the edge but poor shot selection accounted for the wickets of Ashton Turner and Matty Hurst as Lancashire slipped to 44-4.
It was just as well for the visitors that Jennings was displaying good judgement, batting out of his crease to counter any movement, and at lunch was well set on 41.
Michael Jones had also established a platform but in the third over of the afternoon, he glanced Tickner only for Brooke Guest to take a superb diving catch.
When George Balderson edged Anuj Dal to second slip, Lancashire were in trouble at 132-6 and may not have recovered had Mitch Wagstaff not dropped Green on nine at mid-wicket.
Derbyshire were left to regret that as Green pulled Tickner for six to reach his maiden first-class fifty for Lancashire from 80 balls.
Jennings completed his century in the next over and at tea, the outlook for Lancashire was far rosier at 238-6.
The stand was broken four balls into the evening session when Chappell brought one back to bowl Jennings – but Lancashire’s resistance was far from over.
Green drove handsomely through the offside and with Jack Blatherwick lending more than capable support to pass his previous best score of 35, Lancashire’s 300 came up before the second new ball accounted for Blatherwick.
Green was dropped again on 98, a return catch to Dal, but thoroughly deserved a hundred that transformed his team’s fortunes.
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