County Championship: Lancashire beat Derbyshire to end winless run

The grey clouds over Queen’s Park suggested the conditions were good for the bowlers, especially Jimmy Anderson, and although the bat was beaten, Derbyshire survived the first hour in relative comfort.

Madsen eased Anderson to the cover boundary on his way to his second fifty of the match, which came off 86 balls, and when the former England fast bowler failed to take a wicket in his opening four-over spell, Derbyshire had achieved their first objective of the morning.

With Anderson out of the attack, Madsen and Guest kept the scoreboard ticking over without taking any risks and the stand was worth 127 in 18 overs when Lancashire finally broke through.

The decision to bring on Chris Green at the Lake End was rewarded when Guest tried to shovel the off-spinner through mid-wicket, missed, and was lbw.

That would have come as a relief to Lancashire, who might have been starting to get a little anxious, but they were soon celebrating again.

Martin Andersson had top scored in the first innings but this time he got a good ball from Balderson that straightened to take his off-stump for just three.

The morning got even better for the visitors when Anuj Dal (13), who has figured in several Derbyshire rearguard actions, tried to whip Green off his legs and was bowled.

When Balderson again found just enough seam movement to bowl Zak Chappell for a duck, Madsen was in danger of being stranded and he saw another wicket fall in the last over of the session.

Ben Aitchison (two) edged Balderson low to second slip, where Green took a good catch, which meant Derbyshire had lost 5-33 in 11 overs.

Madsen went into lunch unbeaten on 78, his eighth 50 in 15 innings this season, and it was now a question of whether he could convert that into three figures.

He was denied by Bailey with the new ball, who accounted for Blair Tickner (two) and Jack Morley for nought, with Anderson taking the catch at third slip, which sparked Lancashire’s long-awaited celebrations.