Amla plays knock of value for Derbyshire and Southport

Some of the best cricketers of their time have played at Trafalgar Road. Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd and Wasim Akram are merely three of them. Now Hashim Amla has joined an august company. Yet when South Africa's Test captain comes to reflect on his career, it is unlikely that either an appearance on this ground or a three-hour innings of 69 will feature among his most treasured recollections.

Folk round here will remember it, though. They still talk about famous matches and performances at outground venues; they know that such memories will keep them warm when various types of winter arrive.

Amla's innings may also have more material consequence for Derbyshire's fortunes in this game. By the time a good length ball from Kyle Jarvis nipped back a shade and beat his attempted drive, the willowy right-hander had guided his team watchfully from 155 for 2 to 301 for 7. He had done this not with a fusillade of boundaries but with an understated watchfulness, as if determined to demonstrate that his two-match deal to play for Derbyshire was a wise piece of business.

Of course, while Amla has nothing at all to prove to the cricket world at large, the good citizens of places like Sandiacre or Ilkeston may still need convincing that such a short-term arrangement is wise. He had, after all, made only 21 runs in two visits against Northamptonshire. Well Amla certainly earned his corn on Sunday and his efforts helped take Billy Godleman's side to a rather prosperous 335 for 9 at close of play.

Given that they had been 238 for 2 just before tea, this might not seem like unbounded riches but this Southport pitch is renowned as one that takes spin. Indeed, the ball was soon turning slowly for Lancashire offspinner Arron Lilley, who bowled 11 overs from the Grosvenor Road End before lunch. Both sides have selected a couple of slower bowlers and nothing has yet happened to suggest that was foolishness.

But what was less commendable was the overall standard of Lancashire's seam attack in the morning session. When Godleman marked his first match as Derbyshire skipper by winning the toss and opting to bat, he was probably thinking of the game's fourth afternoon rather than the opportunity to gallop along at nearly four an over in the first morning.

Yet that was exactly what he and Ben Slater achieved as they took advantage of Jarvis and Tom Bailey's wayward length and direction to score 129 without loss on a chastening morning for both Steven Croft's seamers and a crowd which grew rapidly as brightness replaced early rain.

Both openers batted very well in what were still testing conditions. Slater, who had scored 296 championship runs before this match, added 69 more before he edged Bailey to Paul Horton at slip when trying to remove his bat from the ball. Three overs later Godleman's polished innings of 79 ended when he steered Jarvis straight to Karl Brown in the gully.

By now the bars and hospitality areas were filling up nicely and most of the spectators responded warmly to Lancashire's improved fortunes. Although Amla and Chesney Hughes put on 83 for the third wicket to take their side to a more than promising position, batting was never as simple a matter as it had been made to seem when Godleman and Slater had been making hay.

And once Hughes had nicked Bailey to Alex Davies when he had made 37, the initiative in the day shifted to Lancashire's bowlers. In the fifth over after tea, Simon Kerrigan had Scott Elstone and Shiv Thakor leg before with successive deliveries. Neither batsman could have any complaints. Elstone was beaten on the back foot and Thakor was caught in headlights by a delivery of full length.

Further riches followed with the new ball and by now the corporate guests were in fine, if rather incoherent, voice. Harvey Hosein spooned Jarvis to Jordan Clark at cover point and David Wainwright was beaten by Bailey's pace. Then Amla made perhaps his second error in 126 balls and Jarvis knocked back his off stump. A day that had begun with Bailey and Jarvis being driven and cut for a lucky bag of boundaries ended with both bowlers collected three wickets.

Clark accounted for Tom Taylor in the last over of the day and most of the spectators drifted loudly home. For their part, the worthy officials of Southport and Birkdale Cricket Club took a deep breath or two. They have been preparing for this match since December in these parts and they are determined to bust a gut to get things as right as they can. It isn't always easy but batsmen like Amla make the labour worthwhile.