ASHWELL Prince hit the third double century of his career but Lancashire’s bid for another LV= County Championship victory over Derbyshire was held up at Southport today.

Prince, who turns 38 on Thursday, hit 230 off 349 balls to help the Division Two leaders to 551 all out during the early stages of the afternoon, a lead of 181.

South African left-hander Prince started day three on 156 with the hosts on 348-4 in reply to 370, and he reached his double off 239 balls inside the final half hour of the morning.

But he then watched Lancashire’s bowlers struggle to make inroads until two wickets in the day’s last two overs for Arron Lilley and Simon Kerrigan left Derbyshire 123-3.

Having shared a third-wicket stand of 238 with compatriot Alviro Petersen during day two, Prince shared in half-century partnerships for the fifth, sixth and seventh wickets with Alex Davies, Jordan Clark and Lilley either side of lunch.

Davies and Clark were the two wickets to fall in the morning, caught at second slip off Tom Taylor and trapped lbw by David Wainwright respectively, leaving the score at 442-6.

Lancashire only claimed 30 batting bonus points in last season’s Division One relegation campaign but have already claimed 24 in six matches this season – the most in the second tier.

The hosts lost four wickets after lunch, including off-spinner Lilley for 63, which was the 24-year-old’s maiden first-class fifty in his third match. Lilley had shared 81 with Prince for the seventh wicket.

Prince pulled Chorley-born leg-spinner Matt Critchley to mid-wicket before the same bowler bowled Tom Bailey.

Lilley edged off-spinner Scott Elstone to slip before Critchley picked up his third when Kerrigan edged the teenager behind to wrap up the innings.

Bailey struck in the seventh over of Derbyshire’s second innings when he had captain Billy Godleman caught at second slip.

Lancashire then applied pressure to second-wicket pair Ben Slater and Chesney Hughes.

But they stood firm until the penultimate over when Lilley had Slater caught at silly mid-on. Kerrigan then got Hughes the same way.