LANCASHIRE are on the back foot against Derbyshire after losing three late second-innings wickets during today’s second day of their opening LV= County Championship match of the season at the County Ground.

The visitors were bowled out for 293 in their first innings early on day two having been invited to bat before Derbyshire replied with 274, including three wickets for impressive Simon Kerrigan.

That gave the Red Rose a lead of 19 with 11 overs to bat second time around before close, and they ended up on 36-3.

Paul Horton was bowled by Mark Footitt before Tom Taylor had Luis Reece caught behind and nightwatchman Peter Siddle caught at first slip.

At the start of the day, Lancashire slipped from 292-8 overnight with the loss of Kerrigan and Tom Bailey to seamer Taylor. In fact, they lost their last four first-innings wickets for just one run to miss out on a third batting point.

Debut Australian quick Siddle (2-60 from 17 overs) then struck twice with the new ball to leave Derbyshire at 26-3 in the 11th over of the reply, with the Ashes pick bowling a probing opening spell.

Derby recovered thanks to half-centuries for Billy Godleman and Wes Durston, but Kerrigan took 3-21 from 18.5 overs to ensure a lead.

Kerrigan’s impressive haul included his 200th Championship wicket – Durston caught at mid-off for 85 to end a fourth-wicket stand of 148 inside 32 overs with Godleman.

He later had Tony Palladino caught behind sweeping and Footitt caught at deep mid-on.

Lancashire had to remain patient yesterday in good batting conditions, and they were rewarded from the final over before tea onwards as Steven Croft’s off-spin also accounted for two wickets.

Croft had Alex Hughes caught at short-leg to signal an early tea with the score at 229-7 and Harvey Hosein superbly caught and bowled one-handed to record figures of 2-9 from six overs.

Seamer Bailey matched Siddle’s figures off his 15 overs, including the first wicket of the innings when Ben Slater was rapped on the pads with the score on 11 in the eighth over.

He later had Shiv Thakor caught at first slip by Horton for a duck.

South African Kolpak duo Alviro Petersen and Ashwell Prince are the men charged with Lancashire’s recovery job first thing tomorrow morning.