Lancashire opener Luke Wells hits a classy century as bowlers, including James Anderson, await their turn

Luke Wells struck an assured 141 as Lancashire took a slight upper hand on day one of their County Championship clash with Derbyshire at Old Trafford, while England legend James Anderson was made to bide his time before bowling on his first appearance of the season.

With pressure mounting on the Red Rose county—bottom of Division Two and with director of cricket Mark Chilton hinting at big changes—Wells’ composed innings brought much-needed calm. He faced 236 deliveries and struck 19 fours in his ninth century for Lancashire, anchoring the innings alongside Matty Hurst, who made a patient 51.

Lancashire ended the day on 250-5 after choosing to bat on what appeared a true Old Trafford surface. Despite early trouble at 11-2, Wells rebuilt the innings with stand-in skipper Marcus Harris, who scored a promising 45 before falling to Blair Tickner.

Tickner (2-59) and the lively Ben Aitchison (3-51) shared all five wickets, restricting the home side to a modest run-rate of 2.6, which may yet deny Lancashire the full complement of batting bonus points. Derbyshire, who began the day in second place, will feel satisfied with their ability to contain despite fielding errors, including the four overthrows that helped push Wells into the nineties.

The day began unsteadily for Lancashire. Former captain Keaton Jennings, who stepped down from four-day duties earlier this week, was caught at second slip off Tickner for just two. Josh Bohannon followed shortly after for three, feathering a delivery down the leg side to be caught behind off Aitchison.

By lunch, Lancashire had recovered to 67-2, and the tempo improved dramatically after the break. Wells moved from 40 to 50 in just seven balls, hammering Aitchison for successive boundaries. His stand with Harris added 103 runs for the third wicket before Harris edged to Wayne Madsen in the slips immediately after one such flurry.

Still, Lancashire remained steady rather than explosive. Wells reached his 27th first-class hundred—his first of the season—with a crisp cover drive, having been helped into the 90s by a misfield. Hurst’s contribution was also gritty, though his half-century was immediately followed by his dismissal, bowled through the gate by the tireless Aitchison.

Wells finally fell in the evening session, misjudging a rising delivery that Caleb Jewell snatched in the gully—a soft end to a tough, tenacious innings.

Meanwhile, the Old Trafford crowd had to wait for a sight of 41-year-old Anderson, who was playing his first match of the summer. With Derbyshire yet to bat, the England great will have to wait until day two for his chance to make an impact.

For Lancashire, a strong second-day bowling performance will be key if they are to back up Wells’ effort and spark a campaign revival. For Derbyshire, restricting their opponents to just one batting point has already tipped momentum marginally in their favour