Alex Davies smashed 256 last week and Rob Yates got 191 in that run-fest at Edgbaston against Durham.

Here, they start on 0 against the Dukes ball.

And Yates is beaten first ball by Mohammad Abbas.

Right then....we're going to have a prompt start at five of the nine grounds. Time for action.

Somerset will be heartened by the start they have made in the Championship as they play in front of the Taunton faithful for the first time this season.

They meet Notts on the back of a battling draw away to champions Surrey, which followed another stalemate at Canterbury.

Nottinghamshire are the only side in Division One to have lost a game in the weather-bashed first two rounds, with a season-opening defeat to leaders Essex.

They were also hanging on at home to Worcestershire before rain intervened to spare them, and Peter Moores will be keen to get their season going.

New Zealand opener Will Young makes his first appearance of the season in the Notts batting line-up, replacing Ben Duckett who is rested, while Dane Paterson and Brett Hutton return after missing the Worcestershire draw.

Somerset, meanwhile, are still without England spinner Jack Leach and Tom Abell, but Scotland international Josh Davey returns to the starting XI.

We have ball by ball commentary for you, as always, courtesy of our 5 Live Sports Extra and BBC local radio teams.

Choose a game by going to the 'watch and listen' tab at the top of this page at the top of this page and we will keep you in touch with what is happening elsewhere with regular text updates.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

For most teams, the return of the Dukes ball is very welcome.

Hampshire shipped nearly 500 runs in one innings at the Utilita Bowl last week - usually unheard of with Kyle Abbott and Mohammed Abbas in the attack.

That was nothing compared to the run-fest at Edgbaston where Warwickshire romped along to 698-3 dec just after lunch on day two. It still didn't get them a win either as Durham batted out the rest of the game to draw.

Experienced county operator Ollie Hannon-Dalby took two wickets in the game, so he'll be happy with the return of an old friend in the palm of his hand.

Hampshire are unchanged while Pakistan bowler Hasan Ali replaces Chris Rushworth for his first Warwickshire game of the season.

Image source, Rex Features

Middlesex followers might just be feeling a little apprehensive ahead of the start of play at Lord's.

Their attack was on the receiving end of a score of 620-3 declared by Glamorgan in their opening game and it was a similar story last week as Northants piled up 552-6 declared in their first innings.

Not the ideal time then to face a Yorkshire side currently blessed with the presence of England's Harry Brook and Joe Root.

Brook already has scores of 100 not out and 68 behind him, while Root settled into the season with 51 in the second innings at Bristol. Both would love a 'biggie' at the home of cricket.

Image source, Andrew Radd

A delayed start at Wantage Road between Northamptonshire and Glamorgan following rain last night and further heavy drizzle earlier this morning.

The umpires are planning an inspection at 1100 BST but the forecast is decidedly iffy until this afternoon.

Before play starts Northamptonshire will honour former captain Raman Subba Row who died earlier this week aged 92.

Image source, Rex Features

Sussex are boosted by the return of England seam bowler Ollie Robinson for their home game against Gloucestershire.

The ECB cleared Robinson to play in five of Sussex's opening seven Championship games and having appeared in the 2024 opener against Northants, he sat out last week's draw at Leicester.

England won't be playing any Test matches until July, but he will want to keep picking up wickets to remind the selectors of his ability, having only played one wicketless game in India over the winter.

Division One

Chelmsford: Essex v Lancashire

Toss delayed - rain

Southampton: Hampshire v Warwickshire

Warwickshire won the toss and will bat

Canterbury: Kent v Surrey

Toss delayed - rain

Taunton: Somerset v Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire won the toss and will bat

Kidderminster: Worcestershire v Durham

Toss delayed - rain

Division Two

Derby: Derbyshire v Leicestershire

Derbyshire won the toss and put Leicestershire in

Lord's: Middlesex v Yorkshire

Middlesex won the toss and put Yorkshire in

Northampton: Northamptonshire v Glamorgan

Toss delayed - rain

Hove: Sussex v Gloucestershire

Sussex won the toss and put Gloucestershire in

Image source, Rex Features

Both sides will wear black armbands and observe a minute's silence in memory of Kent and England spinner Derek Underwood, who died a few days ago at the age of 78,

A Book of Condolence will be available in the club shop at the Spitfire Ground for supporters to sign.

If Surrey need any inspiration ahead of the game itself, they only have to cast their minds back to the corresponding fixture last season.

On that occasion, Dom Sibley, Ben Foakes and Jamie Smith hit centuries as they made 501-5 in the fourth innings to become only the second side in Championship history to score over 500 to win a game.

Surrey will be without Ollie Pope and Gus Atkinson, who are rested for this game by the ECB, but Zak Crawley is in the Kent squad.

According to BBC Weather's X page - formerly Twitter - today's forecast summary goes as follows:

• Cloudy start with patchy light rain and showers.
• Milder start compared to yesterday.
• Sunny spells develop.
• Sunniest in NI and Wales this afternoon.

Just a shame then that Glamorgan aren't at home today.

Image source, Rex Features

To underline what we were just saying, there have been 39 centuries scored already in the 2024 County Championship.

They include, of course, the Lord's-best 335 not out by Glamorgan's Sam Northeast against Middlesex two weeks ago.

Five batters have reached three figures twice already - Joe Clarke, Kashif Ali, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Adam Lyth and Tom Haines.

The Kookaburra cherry will return in August and September, but this week, though, the seamers will once again get their mitts on a Dukes ball - is batting about to get just a little more difficult?

Image source, Getty Images

Since becoming England Test captain, Ben Stokes has made it clear that he has no interest in draws.

Wonder what he makes of a County Championship which has seen 15 draws in the 16 games which have seen play over the first two weeks of the season.

Did the Kookaburra ball tip the balance too far in the favour of batters? Managing director of England cricket Rob Key doesn't think so.

Welcome to our coverage of the opening day of round three. We've got nine games for you. Play starts at 1100.

A few days ago, one of us was basking in a sunny 25 degrees C in Sicily.

What was the weather like for the County Championship?

Ah.

Image source, Rex Features