Cricket: Red Rose ready for first flowering

NatWest Trophy final: Derbyshire's chances look slim in the face of Lancashire's overwhelming superiority

LANCASHIRE'S HOPES of ending their season with three trophies begin at Lord's this morning, where they play Derbyshire in the final of the NatWest Trophy. As six-times winners of this competition the prospects of adding another look good for the Red Rose county. Indeed, in three previous meetings over 60 overs, they have never lost to Derbyshire, a trend unlikely to be bucked now unless a crucial toss is lost.

Captained by Wasim Akram, in perhaps his final season for the club, Lancashire have nigh on the perfect one-day team. Apart from batting that has depth as well as breadth, the bowling is a mixture of threat and parsimony.

Only complacency threatens their all-round superiority, though it is not likely to strike in front of a full house at Lord's, a place whose familiarity in recent years will intimidate them far less than their opponents.

Michael Atherton, providing his back is not giving him gyp, is an ideal opener for this type of cricket. Unless Andrew Flintoff is used to pinch hit, he and John Crawley will look to build a platform over the first 40 overs. After that, the likes of Neil Fairbrother, picked once again for England's one-day side this winter, and Graham Lloyd, confident after his unbeaten double century against Derbyshire on Thursday, will inject some urgency.

Lacking only a left-arm spinner, Lancashire's bowling is variety itself. With Wasim, Peter Martin and Glenn Chapple all able to swing the ball, and Ian Austin able to seam it, Derbyshire's batsmen will want conditions to be as benign as possible, something September finals appear rarely able to provide. If it is flat, the off-spinner Gary Yates will be the man to peg back the scoring rate.

On the evidence of the past year, Derbyshire have barely enough bark, let alone bite, to live up to the status of underdogs. Indeed, if two divisions were a reality, rather than the fanciful notion of misguided marketing men, this is just the sort of potential mismatch it would be seeking to avoid.

Yet if the lengthy format of the NatWest usually favours the stronger side, the fickleness of the early autumn pitches means that Derbyshire, providing any early advantage does not go against them, can compete. After all, they beat Leicestershire in the semi-final away from home, a performance that owed as much to their strength of character as it did to their opponent's generosity.

However, collective belief will be needed and since the internecine rows which rocked the club last season - they lost captain, coach and chairman, as well as Devon Malcolm and Chris Adams - they have emerged uncertainly like men from a tunnel.

The arrival of Michael Slater, the ebullient Australian, has helped ease the rebuilding process, as has the emergence of players like Matthew Cassar and the 19-year-old batsman Ben Spendlove. They, along with proven match- winners such as Dominic Cork and Phil DeFreitas, will be looking to stop the Lancastrian juggernaut and give their own patient spectators something to crow about.

As winners of the first NatWest Trophy - NatWest took over the sponsorship from Gillette in 1981 - none will be keener to see Derbyshire prevail again than Kim Barnett. The sole survivor of that winning team still playing, Barnett has been a dedicated servant and his unique strokeplay on the walk could well provide the decisive innings.

And yet for all Barnett's nous, the key is probably Slater, despite a hasty return from Australia where he has been attending a training camp for the Commonwealth Games. If he can ensure Derbyshire a good start the potential of an erratic middle-order may be realised, and his early duels with Wasim and Co should make fascinating viewing.

The new ball offerings from Cork and DeFreitas, as well as the left-arm Kevin Dean, will also be vital. If they can disrupt Lancashire's game plan by taking early wickets their mediocre back-up bowling may have a chance of remaining unexposed.

Despite Lancashire being overwhelming favourites, one-day cricket is notoriously fickle in its treatment of the top dogs and the contest may yet be a close one. The flipside of that, is that it could also be won or lost in the first hour of play. For an early clue, simply watch the initial reactions of the team who wins the toss.

NATWEST TROPHY FINAL (Lord's): Lancashire (from): M A Atherton, J P Crawley, A Flintoff, N H Fairbrother, G D Lloyd, Wasim Akram (capt), W K Hegg (wkt), I D Austin, G Chapple, P J Martin, G Yates, M Watkinson, M J Chilton, R J Green.

Derbyshire (from): K J Barnett, M J Slater, R M S Weston, M E Cassar, B L Spendlove, D G Cork (capt), I D Blackwell, K M Krikken (wkt), P A J DeFreitas, V P Clarke, G M Roberts, S J Lacey, K J Dean.

Umpires: K E Palmer & G Sharp. Third umpire: B Leadbeater.