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Day 1: Stand-in seamers share booty

DJ Rutnagur

Derbyshire (87-2) trail Middlesex (210) by 123 runs

So vast are Derbyshire's resources in the seam bowling department that Dominic Cork, suffering from calcification of the wrist, and Phillip DeFreitas, nursing a second hamstring injury, were not missed. They were stood in good stead by Andrew Harris and Paul Aldred, who took five and four wickets respectively, at moderate cost.

While this pair shared the booty, Kevin Dean, who spearheaded the attack and bowled a splendid opening spell, made a vital contribution by prising out the redoubtable Justin Langer with a deadly swinging yorker just when the Australian and Andrew Strauss were beginning to make a nonsense of Michael Slater's decision to bowl first. What grass there was on the pitch was brown, but the cover of cloud did aid swing.

After Harris had Mike Roseberry caught with an out swinger, Langer and Strauss had to fight for every run. Dean intervened when they had added 55 and at lunch, Middlesex, at 93 for two, were on a sound footing.

Another 36 were added when Aldred, with a ball slanted across Strauss, had the left-hander caught at slip for 61.

His dismissal triggered a collapse so steep that six more wickets fell in 13 overs and four balls for the addition of just 32 runs. Middlesex were given respectability by a valiant last-wicket stand of 49 between Jamie Hewitt and Tim Bloomfield.

In Derbyshire's reply, Slater, mixing flamboyance with caution, made 53 before playing across the line.

Day 2: Weston in command

DJ Rutnagur

Derbys (311-6) lead Middx (210) by 101 runs

A Second century in consecutive matches by Robin Weston, compact, neat and versatile in his range of shots, and his alliances with Steve Titchard and Ian Blackwell raised promise of a substantial lead for Derbyshire.

Middlesex's attack lacked the edge to make headway on a sublime pitch and they made their task more arduous by dropping two crucial chances. The dogged Titchard, who batted 192 minutes and faced 132 minutes to make 45, was put down at gulley off the first ball of the day.

Blackwell, whose 59 was his best score, should have been caught from a sliced drive at Angus Fraser when he was 45 in a score of 243. The snick went to Justin Langer, at first slip, but he might have been impeded by a move towards the ball from David Nash, who then made a vain attempt to hold the ricochet.

The wicket of nightwatchman Steve Griffiths was Middlesex's sole success during a morning which was interrupted by rain to the extent of 17 overs.

After lunch, Titchard, playing all round a ball from Simon Cook, and Matthew Cassard went in close succession, but Blackwell lost no time unfurling his shots. He got bogged down after his reprieve, but kept Weston company for another 53 runs.

Day 3: Nash hard to budge

DJ Rutnagur

Middlesex (210 & 221-9) lead Derbyshire 368 by 63 runs

David Nash, with the aid of two other men in the Middlesex lower order, Simon Cook and Tim Bloomfield, erected the barrier which delayed Derbyshire's progress until the final day of what should be their first win at Lord's since 1961. The pugnacious Nash, who batted 202 minutes and faced 186 balls, remained unbeaten with 71.

Batting again with a deficit of 156, Middlesex, despite a staunch 47 spread over almost three hours from Mike Roseberry, lost seven wickets before they paid off the overdraft. With the pitch still true and amiable, it was a situation for which inept batting was the only explanation, although it would be churlish to deny Derbyshire credit.

Indeed, the catch at gully by Simon Lacey from a rasping square-cut by Justin Langer, who had batted ominously well for his 22, was one of the pivotal points of the innings.

Day 4: Rollins wraps up the formalities

It took just 75 minutes yesterday for Michael Slater to win the battle of the diminutive Australian Test stars. Under his leadership, Derbyshire completed a routine nine-wicket victory over Justin Langer's Middlesex, their first win at Lord's since 1961.

Play started with Middlesex 65 runs ahead, and their No 11 on strike. He never managed to get off it. For all David Nash's cussedness on Friday, which forced the game into its final day, he could do nothing to save Tim Bloomfield from being castled by the fourth ball of the morning.

The fourth innings began with a throwback to the winter's Ashes series: Slater facing Angus Fraser. Derbyshire needed 66, just two more than Australia had to chase at Perth, and Langer playfully stationed two men out for the hook. They never came into play, though, as Slater was soon strangled down the leg side by Simon Cook's useful medium pace.

Middlesex couldn't take another wicket after that. Adrian Rollins focused on extra-cover and point during his 40 not out, and Stephen Titchard collected 16 ungainly runs. Robin Westonnever got a chance to add to his first innings 124, the knock that set up Derbyshire's 20-point windfall.