Anthony Gibson
BBC Radio Somerset

Image source, Rex Features

Kasey Aldridge was in for 42 balls for his seven runs. He tried really hard.

That was a good ball, though, from Mohammad Abbas. He had to play at it. It did just enough to take the outside edge and a good low catch at second slip by Freddie McCann.

A poor start from Somerset.

Glamorgan have an early wicket at Sophia Gardens, with Todd Murphy caught behind off Timm van der Gugten for a duck - Gloucestershire are 283-3 in the 99th over.

Just four runs added by Middlesex from the first four overs at Grace Road, where they are 340-5 against Leicestershire - Ben Geddes is 40 not out.

Kent skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond is now into the 70s at Canterbury, with his side 334-4 against Northamptonshire.

Adam Finch has been given the green light by the Pears to have some fun.

After spectating for the opening over from Kyle Abbott, he takes strike for the second against James Fuller, and picks up the second ball, off a reasonable length, and deposits it over the rope at deep mid wicket for six.

He follows it up with a four and a leg-side single as 12 come off the over.

Could be a long day for Hampshire.

Kasey Aldridge knew absolutely nothing about that one.

He tried to play Brett Hutton to leg, got a leading edge and the ball looped over the slips for a single.

Much more like it next ball as Tom Banton punches it away square for four to move to 61 not out.

In this day and age, it seems remarkable that an entire day's play went by with fewer than 250 runs scored.

But a single apiece to Matt Critchley and Jordan Cox, in the opening over of day two, nudges Essex along to that landmark and earns them their first bonus point of the game.

Durham begin proceedings with an over from off-spinner George Drissell, who concedes a couple of runs to Dan Lawrence and then strikes the batter on the pad later in the over.

Drissell reckons it's worth an appeal, the umpire thinks otherwise and it's over to seamer Matthew Potts as the visitors chase wickets.

Jimmy Anderson takes the fresh Kookaburra ball as Derbyshire begin their reply to Lancashire's 367 all out at Chesterfield.

Mitchel Waghorn and Caleb Jewell will have one thing in mind, avoiding the kind of collapse which saw Lancs 44-4 early on day one.

Division One leaders Notts will be hoping to keep Somerset's total down below 350 if at all possible.

To have a chance of that, they need a couple of early wickets.

Mo Abbas will be the first to try for a breakthrough - Tom Banton is on strike on 57 not out, with two slips stationed.

Kai Smith (19*) and Ethan Bamber (0*) resume the Bears innings at baking hot Hove.

Ollie Robinson will bowl the first over of the day.

Which way will the pendulum swing in the opening hour?

Jake Libby returns to the middle, 24 hours after beginning his innings, on 137*, with Adam Finch on one at the other end.

Not a cloud in the sky at the Utilita Bowl. A good day, and track, for batting...

Libby was best supporting actor on day one, is today his day in the limelight?

Kyle Abbott takes the 16-over old ball for the opening over of the day.

Ian Westbrook
Former BBC journalist at The Oval

Definitely a day for sitting in the shade at a scorching Oval!

Could be noisy as several parties of schoolchildren are here today.

Image source, Ian Westbrook

Image source, Rex Features

Dom Sibley’s already displayed his ability to bat all day – now it’s a case of just how long Surrey decide to continue piling up runs against a threadbare, demoralised Durham bowling attack.

Already missing Brydon Carse, Mark Wood and Codi Yusuf, the visitors also had opening seamers Ben Raine and Matthew Potts off the field at times yesterday as Surrey capitalised on the generous batting conditions and a softer Kookaburra ball.

Sibley resumes this morning with 169 to his name already and the career-high 244 he posted while in Warwickshire colours, against Kent almost six years ago, is very much on the radar.

Alongside the opener, Dan Lawrence has rattled up a brisk 58 – while destructive forces including Will Jacks and Jordan Clark lurk in wait should Surrey opt to bat the visitors out of the game.

First target for the champions will be to secure a full complement of batting bonus points, which should pose no problem as they have 14 overs in which to score another 43.

Image source, Rex Features

Despite a scorecard showing that only three Essex wickets have fallen, Yorkshire have every reason to feel they put in a commendable performance with the ball on the return of four-day cricket to Clifton Park.

That was highlighted by the fact that the extras column remained empty until after the tea interval, with the likes of George Hill, Matthew Revis and off-spinner Dom Bess all working hard to stifle the scoring rate.

Dean Elgar took five and a half hours over his 94, while Essex skipper Tom Westley was a little faster, posting his second successive Championship hundred to steer the visitors to 248-3 at stumps.

With all that said, the White Rose will need to pick up wickets this morning if they are to keep the visitors’ first-innings total down to a manageable level and maintain hopes of a victory that would propel them out of the bottom two.

Essex, who went into the game with a 14-point advantage over their opponents, would be the happier of the sides if this contest ended up in a draw – as it did when they met at Chelmsford in May.

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Rob Yates shone with the bat on a see-saw opening day at sun-soaked Hove, but his Bears side have yet to take full control against Sussex.

Alex Davies (37) and Yates (93) built a solid platform, and Sam Hain (87) and Ed Barnard (66) added 151 for the fifth wicket late in the day.

But despite a day of toil in the dirt, Sussex have hung in there thanks to flurries of wickets, taking 3-15 early in the afternoon and then 3-31 last night to keep themselves in the contest against a side they are battling for a place in the top-four of Division One this week.

“We were in strong positions and I think they will feel happy to have picked up a few wickets," Yates said. "I think the first hour will be really important."

That feels like an understatement. You don't want to miss it.

Image source, Rex Features

If you weren't with us yesterday you didn't miss much on a low-key opening day at Southampton.

Pears opener Henry Nicholls fell in the fourth over for a 12-ball duck and Kashif Ali departed for a breezy 44 to leave the visitors 60-2 in the 13th over.

Oh, and former Hampshire youngster Adam Hose then made a stunning 266 from 253 balls with 31 fours and seven sixes - the fourth highest individual score at the Utilita Bowl - and shared a third-wicket stand of 395 with Jake Libby which was only broken by Dom Kelly's maiden Championship wicket late in the day.

Stand-in skipper Libby is unbeaten on 137 from 268 balls and with a maximum five batting points already secured, two more than they had achieved in the eight previous matches this season combined.

Hose said: "We have had a tough couple of months from a group and batting perspective so to have a big partnership with Jake and score some runs was a satisfying feeling. I knew early on it was a really good batting surface so I just wanted to be clinical."

The Pears don't want to stop there, however, and Hose added: "It is about trying to put as much pressure on with the bat - we know it could potentially be a tough couple of days with the ball. If we hold our disciplines and the pitch deteriorates a fraction then you never know..."