The county have not hosted a match against the biggest draw in the game since 1997 and they will also miss out in 2009.

Derbyshire are so angry at what they regard as an unfair snub that they have made a formal complaint to Lord's after the club was denied a money-spinning fixture with the world champions.

Tom Sears, the county's chief executive, has written a letter to England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke expressing their disappointment.

Derbyshire's sense of injustice is understandable given that every other county will have been given at least two games against the Australians since 1997.

''We see very little justification for us not receiving a fixture against the Australians next year,'' Sears said.

''The Australians are a massive draw and four days against them would easily be worth a six-figure sum.

''I saw the Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton quoted as saying a match against the Aussies was as close as a non-Test venue would get to staging a Test and he is right.

''We really do think this is atrocious, both financially and for our members who deserve to see such a high profile fixture.

''By the end of the 2009 tour every single county bar none will have hosted the Aussies twice apart from us. Worcestershire and Northants have a match next year and they also had fixtures in 2001 and 2005.

''We were told that we received first choice on touring fixtures last year and have been given one of our higher choices this summer but you can't look at it on that basis.''

Alan Fordham, the ECB's head of first-class cricket operations, said: ''It is unfortunate that not all counties can be given a fixture but all matches are allocated on a fair and equitable basis.''

Derbyshire produced more persuasive evidence that they could enjoy a successful season when they had by far the best of a drawn championship match against Warwickshire.