Tom Lawes races in from the Graham Gooch End and is dispatched by Dean Elgar.

The South African punches off the backfoot through the covers for his sixth boundary to move to 34.

Image source, Rex Features

Shot! Tom Kohler-Cadmore is down the pitch, driving Mohammed Abbas over mid on for four runs.

Four more driven through the off side.

He has 12 runs - all coming via boundaries.

Another four lofted to long off. This game has changed a bit!

Abbas pushes the ball out wider and TKC leaves it alone.

One more run with a flashing back foot cut through point.

13 off the over.

Mark Church
BBC Radio London commentator

Image source, Rex Features

What do you say about Dean Elgar that hasn't already been said by everybody?

Just a fantastic, fantastic cricketer.

And I always enjoy watching Tom Westley bat - a very attractive cricketer.

Can Hampshire prize Archie Vaughan out and get two batters in on nought?

Vaughan defends Kyle Abbott down the ground and leaves a wider ball outside off.

The fourth ball is eased into cover point on the front foot for one.

Vaughan is on 19.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore gets his first runs, driving his second delivery through extra cover on the front foot for four.

A bit of a half volley there.

TKC keeps the strike with a single to deep backward point.

Image source, Rex Features

Still little to report from our seven delayed games.

Lunch is being taken at 12:00 BST at most... but whether we'll see any play or not remains to be seen.

Don't get your hopes up. The forecast is a shocker for this afternoon.

Tom Lawes drops short and wide and Dean Elgar gives it what it deserves, cutting it powerfully past point for four.

After losing their first wicket on four, Essex are recovering well. It looks a nice pitch.

Beware the commentator's curse!

Image source, Rex Features

Almost 30,000 of you have already voted for your County Championship XI of the season.

But there's still time!

Voting closes at 13:00 BST.

Click here to pick your side and we'll reveal the team on Friday.

Scratch that - Tom Lawes is not taking a breather, he was just changing ends.

Dean Elgar picks up his fourth boundary to his second ball and then collects an easy single to move to 20.

Elgar is looking in lovely touch, clipping a length ball from James Taylor through midwicket and runs hard for three.

Archie Vaughan blocks Kyle Abbott down the ground and then gets a leading edge trying to glance a ball to leg.

The ball flies wide of the slips and through deep backward point for a fortuitous four.

But his next shot is a far more convincing stroke, driven imperiously through cover for four more.

Mark Church
BBC Radio London commentator

Image source, Rex Features

James Taylor is a bowler I rate very highly.

He has had injury problems and it's very good to see him play.

I think he will enjoy this surface and these conditions. He hits a good line and length.

And I'm delighted that three lads are making their Surrey debuts.

James Taylor into the attack as Tom Lawes takes a breather after a good opening spell.

A tidy over costs just a single to Dean Elgar from an inside edge.

Hmm. Showers appear to be approaching from the nearby Quantocks.

Tom Abell plays around his front pad, defending Mohammed Abbas into mid on.

Abell tries to glance the fourth ball to leg and gets a leading edge safely into the off side for three.

Single to Archie Vaughan, squeezed into the on side.

Abell is beaten outside off stump but survives the over.

Image source, Rex Features

Tom Westley comes down the wicket and taps away at the surface as Tom Lawes finds the edge for the second time today.

The ball came back into the right-hander and takes an inside edge which squirts through down to the fine leg boundary. He won't mind that.

Shot! Dean Elgar leans into the first ball of Kemar Roach's fifth over and works it through point, beating Yousef Majid to the rope.

The South African then breathes a sigh of relief as he nicks behind, but it drops short of wicketkeeper Josh Blake who has to wear it to prevent a boundary.

Archie Vaughan defends Kyle Abbott down the ground.

The fifth ball is a touch wider, beating the forward defensive as the ball straightens off the pitch.

Maiden over.

Tom Abell is carefully forward to Mohammed Abbas, blocking into the off side.

The fourth ball cuts in off the seam sharply from outside off to strike the pads. Not out but goodness me, that ball is moving!

Another one cuts back sharply and beats the forward defensive shot.

Vaughan is saved by getting outside off and possibly an inside edge.

Kevan James
BBC Radio Solent commentator

With all the rain around recently, surely you don't want to bat first against Abbas and Abbott.

This is probably going to be the worst time to face seam in the game.

But Somerset clearly didn't want to bat last at all costs.

Image source, Getty Images

Tom Westley picks up his first boundary as Tom Lawes strays a little too straight.

The Essex skipper clips it past Ryan Patel at square leg all the way to the rope.

A tidy over from Kemar Roach is spoiled as Dean Elgar strokes a lovely cover drive for four.

Mohammed Abbas, keeper Ben Brown and the four slip fielders are up in unison, appealing for caught behind but Tom Abell (on five) is ruled not out.

Definitely played at it, forward trying to defend - but there's no noticeable deflection.

This ball is seaming and no doubt there will be another chance soon.

Archie Vaughan gets a couple of runs off Kyle Abbott and leaves a wider ball outside off stump.

The last bull is fuller and pushed into the off side on the front foot for a single.

Dean Elgar hangs his bat out to a Kemar Roach ball which seems to stick in the surface a tad.

He chips it in the air, but it's just about safe past extra cover for the day's first boundary.

Five from the over.