up for Essexpublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 12 April

14:09 BST 12 April

Essex 153-2 v Kent

Dean Elgar and Jordan Cox have both moved into the 60s and they are really well placed to make hay this afternoon.

Both men play punching off drives for four, Elgar off Nathan Gilchrist before Cox off Wes Agar.

Captain Shan Masood continues to lead Yorkshire's batting effort at Gloucestershire. The Pakistan batter is unbeaten on 59 with his side now on 124-5.

Leicestershire opener Rishi Patel has just been dismissed for 87 by Sussex seamer Danny Lamb. The Foxes are 141-4.

Northants are building an excellent platform against Middlesex. Emilio Gay and Luke Procter's stand is now worth 118 to take them to 119-1.

Glamorgan are rebuilding after lunch against Derbyshire on 82-2.

Image source, Getty Images

100 for Alex Daviespublished at 14:06 British Summer Time 12 April

14:06 BST 12 April

Warwickshire 185-0 v Durham

Pitched up from Matt Potts and Alex Davies drives it to the advertising hoardings for the four he needs to reach three figures.

It's come off 102 balls with 16 fours and one six.

It's his third for Warwickshire, but more importantly his first after being named Bears captain.

A half-volley on middle and legs from Ben Raine and that is help yourself stuff for Rob Yates.

Four more and a second boundary of the over.

It is now 27 boundaries in this innings already.

Surrey need something and Gus Atkinson gets one to lift and catch Tom Lammonby by surprise as it goes past the bat.

This is the type of delivery that gets the attention of the England selectors.

Dan Whiting
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It's been a fantastic start by Somerset.

The wicket was green tinged this morning, Jordan Clark extracted a little bit of juice, a little bit of lift out of it.

But Tom Lammonby in particular has been absolutely wonderful. Some of the strokes that he's played has been rather gorgeous.

Ben Slater and Joe Clarke have recovered Notts really well from 10-2.

Clarke twice threads a drive through a tight off side field off Josh Baker's left-arm spin to find the short boundary.

Before Slater clips one off his legs for two to raise fifty in 103 balls.

There have not been many false shots in this innings, but here's one.

Matt Renshaw gets away with it as his inside edge, getting cramped for room, goes away for four.

Nothing wrong with his next shot, though, as Kemar Roach offers width and Renshaw gives it the treatment.

Sonia Twigg
BBC Essex

Essex have definitely been on top so far today.

Wes Agar has been the most threatening of the Kent seam attack.

Image source, Rex Features

50 for James Vincepublished at 13:50 British Summer Time 12 April

13:50 BST 12 April

Hampshire 100-2 v Lancashire

James Vince takes a single off Will Williams in the second over after lunch and that is enough to bring up the team's 100 of which he has scored exactly half of them.

Vince starts the season in the way every Hampshire fan wants, taking 62 balls and with plenty of nice strokes.

Scott Read
BBC Radio Lancashire

'He signed everyone of them' said a dad walking back to his seat during the lunch interval with his young son who had managed to secure the signature of Nathan Lyon.

The Australian spinner's lunch interval started a little later than his team-mates as around 30 supporters, mainly kids, all congregated at the foot of the stairs leading up to the Lancashire dressing room.

It appeared Lyon took his time and signed every bat, shirt and scorecard that was thrust in his direction. This is effectively his first game for Lancashire, last week's rain affected match against Surrey will not count.

Kemar Roach was Surrey's most economical bowler this morning and the West Indies fast bowler opens up this afternoon, giving up just a single to Tom Lammonby.

Slowing up the Somerset scoring may be the way to claw their way back into the game for the champions.

150 partnershippublished at 13:43 British Summer Time 12 April

13:43 BST 12 April

Warwickshire 150-0 v Durham

Image source, Getty Images

Play resumes at Edgbaston in a similar vein to the morning session.

Matthew Potts is legside to Rob Yates on the second ball, who guides it fine for another boundary, although it is given as leg byes.

That is the 150 stand between him and Alex Davies.

So in the morning session, we had Joe Root out for two and Harry Brook falling for 26 and Australia bowlers Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland going wicketless.

County cricket proving to be a tough school!

Anyway, please share your thoughts with us on seeing these big names and anything else that tickles your fancy.

Get in touch by using the #bbccricket hashtag on X (formerly Twitter).

Kevin Hand
BBC Radio London

It was Northamptonshire's morning despite a bright start with the ball for Middlesex.

Ryan Higgins picked up the wicket of Justin Broad with his first ball, the seventh of the day, after the opener missed a full delivery and was rapped on the pads.

Luke Procter edged the very next ball just fine of a wide fourth slip but other than that there haven't been many alarm bells.

Tom Helm and Toby Roland-Jones have both beaten the edge of Emilio Gay's bat with some additional bounce but the hosts' opener has appeared in exceptional form and his fifty has taken him past 2,000 first-class runs.

Middlesex will fear a repeat of last week's run fest at Lord's with an outstanding early season pitch combining with the Kookaburra experiment.

Nick Webb
BBC Radio Wales

Kiwi paceman Blair Tickner was the main man of the first session in Cardiff with a hostile spell of 2-22 in six overs, bowling first change.

He immediately caused problems having Billy Root caught behind for 17 with his fourth ball, then produced a superb delivery to bowl Sam Northeast for 11.

The Glamorgan captain had scored 526 runs since his previous dismissal by Yorkshire’s Dom Bess.

Zain Ul Hassan survived the shortened morning session, and he and Kiran Carlson will hope the Kookaburra ball gives Tickner and co less assistance in the afternoon.

Adrian Harms
BBC Sussex

A morning dominated by Rishi Patel who has reached lunch on 82 off just 81 balls including 12 fours and two sixes.

Patel has been particularly severe on anything short on the leg side, but has used his feet to the spinners hitting James Coles straight down the ground for six.

Sussex will be pleased to have picked up three wickets, but less pleased with bowling a generally inconsistent line and length as Leicestershire have rattled along at 4.6 runs per over.

Glenn Speller
BBC Essex sport

Kent will have feared the worst when losing the toss and being asked to bowl but two early breakthroughs will have given them hope.

But frequent overpitching allowed the Essex batters to free any pressure which had built-up.

Jordan Cox has enjoyed himself against his former colleagues, driving gloriously on occasion and dumping Matt Parkinson over the ropes for one sumptuous six.

Dean Elgar has gone about his business in an unfussy way but driving pleasantly himself when give the opportunity.

After the early wickets the Kent bowling has looked devoid of threat with a slow pitch not helping their cause.

Kevin Hand
BBC Radio London

Lovely innings from Emilio Gay who has been superb this morning for Northamptonshire.

That's an outstanding knock because as we all full well know with the Kookaburra ball at the moment, you try and strike hard and fast.

Image source, Rex Features

Roland Butcher
Former Middlesex and England batter on BBC 5 Live Sport Extra

Surrey will be quite pleased to get in and sit down and have a think about what they are going to do in the next session because this one has been Somerset's.

Tom Lammonby is dealing in boundaries today, he really has put away the loose deliveries.