Summary

  • Nine fixtures in final round of 2024 County Championship season

  • Lancashire reduce Worcestershire to 119-7 in must-win game for Red Rose

  • One of Warwickshire, Lancashire or Notts will be relegated

  • 15 wickets fall between Somerset & Hampshire

  • No play at Durham, Glamorgan, Sussex, Yorkshire or Leicestershire on day one

  • Yorkshire & Middlesex going for promotion from Div Two

  • Surrey crowned county champions last week

Live Reporting

Chris Harby, Ben Pheazey & Alex Winter

  1. 50 runs

    50 for Tom Westley

    Essex 113-1 v Surrey

    Tom Westley celebrates scoring 50Rex Features

    Kemar Roach returns to the attack as Surrey look to break a dangerous stand.

    Tom Westley unfurls a lovely cover drive for four as he's offered a bit of width.

    The next ball is worked through square leg for back-to-back boundaries to take Westley to 50.

    It's his fourth of the season and comes up off 76 balls after a watchful start. Lovely innings.

  2. Early lunch at Cardiff

    Glamorgan v Gloucestershire

    The interval started at 12:00 BST.

    Inspection at 12:30.

  3. Inspection at Headingley at 13:10 BST

    Yorkshire v Northants

    No play here this morning.

    Lunch will be taken at the original scheduled time of 12:30 with an inspection afterwards.

  4. No play today at Durham

    Durham v Kent

    Rain at DurhamAlex Hoad

    The forecast was pretty horrific in this part of the north-east, where the only winner has been the elements.

    It hasn't stopped raining at Chester-le-Street all morning.

    Tomorrow looks better though.

  5. 100 runs

    100 up for Essex

    Essex 104-1 v Surrey

    Tom Westley and Dean ElgarRex Features

    Another lovely shot from Tom Westley takes Essex to three figures.

    He is back in his crease and whips Yousef Majid into the legside for four.

    A thick outside edge then finds the boundary to bring up the 100 partnership for the second wicket.

    Westley and Dean Elgar have brought it up off 145 balls. They look well set.

  6. Sun shining on Worcester

    Worcestershire v Lancashire - no play before lunch

    Ged Scott
    BBC Sport at Worcester

    Worcester in the September sunshineGed Scott - BBC Sport

    Such a frustration here at New Road.

    No play before lunch after all the overnight rain. Yet the sun is shining. A lot.

    Step outside the pressbox - and you suddenly realise it's cracking the flags out there.

    But it will take a lot more sun rays to dry out this pitch to get any cricket played today.

    The Lancashire lads have been out there playing football, as befits a team who will be the keener of the two to get going, as they simply must play this week to stand any chance of getting the win they need (at the very least) to stay up.

    But you can still see the places where the surface water has been.

  7. 50 runs

    50 for Dean Elgar

    Essex 95-1 v Surrey

    We've been talking about him a lot this morning - apologies Tom Westley fans - but a thick inside edge gives Dean Elgar a single and brings up his sixth championship fifty of the season.

    Just the 74th of his red-ball career.

    It's come off 78 balls, with seven fours, and has put Essex in a decent position after their early wobble.

  8. Big moment for Majid

    Essex 94-1 v Surrey

    A big moment for Surrey left-arm spinner Yousef Majid as he comes in for his first over in senior cricket.

    Just the imposing figure of South African veteran Dean Elgar to bowl to.

    A tidy start for the 21-year-old costs just the single as Elgar turns the third ball down to long off.

  9. 'Chances of play remote'

    Sussex v Middlesex - start delayed, rain

    Adrian Harms
    BBC Sussex

    Early lunch being taken at Hove, and with heavy showers forecast for the rest of today the chances of any play are looking remote.

    Rain at Hove

  10. Early lunch at Taunton

    Somerset 52-3 v Hants

    Reportedly, the official interval will begin at 12:15 BST.

    By then we will have been off the field for around 40 minutes - so expect a revised calculation for overs remaining.

  11. Essex 93-1 v Surrey

    Tom Westley is not in 100% control of that one, but picks up four more as he works James Taylor behind square on the offside. And it's a no-ball.

    Much more convincing as he swats the next ball through midwicket for four more.

    Taylor then strays down leg and deflects off Westley's pad down to the fine leg boundary.

    An expensive over costs 15.

  12. Essex 78-1 v Surrey

    Dan Lawrence continues to twirl away and gives the ball a bit of flight to Dean Elgar.

    The South African moves forward to nudge a single into the offside.

    Tom Westley's eyes light up as Lawrence tosses one up.

    The Essex captain hammers it past Kemar Roach at cover for his fifth boundary.

  13. Essex 73-1 v Surrey

    James Taylor into his sixth over of the morning for Surrey who have struggled to cause problems after removing Robin Das in the second over.

    Just the single to Dean Elgar (46). Tidy enough.

  14. Essex 72-1 v Surrey

    Sun at ChelmsfordRex Features

    While rain is disrupting the cricket scene up and down the country, the sun is still persevering at Chelmsford.

    It might not stay that way but let's enjoy it while we can.

    Tom Westley and Dean Elgar certainly are.

    Another lovely wristy shot from Westley (23) as he whips Dan Lawrence square through the legside for his fourth boundary.

    The over costs seven and the stand is up to 68.

  15. Essex 65-1 v Surrey

    Tom Westley gets up on his toes and whips Surrey seamer James Taylor through the leg-side. It races off a slick outfield to the rope.

    The Essex skipper is up to 19.

    A great response from Taylor who gets one to lift off a length and beats the outside edge of Westley's bat.

  16. Elgar reaches 1,000 runs for the season

    Essex 61-1 v Surrey

    Dean Elgar backs away and cuts Dan Lawrence for four to move to 41.

    There's a healthy ripple of applause as the shot takes him into four figures for the season - in his 14th match and 21st innings of the season.

    It's the landmark that every championship batter covets and mere mortals could only dream about.

    He is averaging just a tick over 50 in his first season with Essex.

    They might want him back.

    Dean Elgar battingRex Features
  17. rain stops play

    Rain stops play at Taunton

    Somerset 52-3 v Hants

    James Fuller was about to come into the attack in place of Mohammed Abbas but rain has started to fall.

    It looks like a passing shower though.

    Hampshire were bossing the game for most of the first hour.

    But Somerset have regained a bit of momentum with free-flowing strokeplay from Tom Kohler-Cadmore and calm accumulation from teenager Archie Vaughan.

  18. 'Great while it lasts'

    Somerset 52-3 v Hants

    Anthony Gibson
    BBC Radio Somerset

    It'll be great while it lasts from Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

    But for how long it might last, I'm not so sure.

    Somerset need a hundred from him, not a quick 30.

  19. 50 runs

    50 up for Essex

    Essex 50-1 v Surrey

    It's the 16th over of the match and Surrey opt for a bit of the slow stuff.

    Namely the off-breaks of Dan Lawrence. All twirling arms and hopping legs in his run-up.

    You'd think that must take up a lot of energy over the course of a spell.

    The former Essex man is nice and straight, but Tom Westley clips the fifth ball through the leg-side for two comfortable runs.

    That brings up the fifty, off 95 balls, and the partnership moves to 46.

  20. Somerset 52-3 v Hants

    Down to two slips now for Kyle Abbott as Tom Kohler-Cadmore drives into the off side, this time for no run.

    He tries to force one through point off the back foot but again doesn't clear the field.

    TKC follows a leg side ball but doesn't make contact - and that's a great diving take by keeper Ben Brown.

    The last ball of the over is driven through long off all along the ground for four runs. That's the innings 50 in 14 overs.