Kevan James
BBC Radio Solent commentator

The pitch looks a little bit green but I don't think that we mind too much because this Kookaburra ball probably needs a bit of help from the bowlers.

Anthony Gibson
BBC Radio Somerset

There may be a little bit in this pitch for the seam bowlers early on but I suspect batting will get easier as the day wears on until possibly we get some reverse swing after the ball is sort of 50 overs plus old.

Paul Walter collects the first boundary of the game at York, dispatching the Kookaburra delivered by Jack White to the rope.

White is sharing the new ball with Ben Coad as Yorkshire bid for what would be their first Championship victory at this Clifton Park venue.

There's only a single precedent for Championship cricket here - six years ago, when Warwickshire triumphed by three wickets.

Jake Libby picks up the first run of the innings with a clip off his legs from James Fuller, who is opening the bowling from the hotel end at Southampton.

Low-key start to proceedings in the first couple of overs at the Bowl.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore is beaten by one which Mo Abbas cuts back in from off to leg.

He responds by taking a pace down the pitch and squirting the ball through backward point for the game's first boundary before keeping the strike with a single from the final delivery.

Alex Davies won the toss and has chosen to bat first at Hove, joining Rob Yates at the crease, with Ollie Robinson taking the opening over for the home side.

Yates picks up a couple from the third ball of the day to get the Bears off and running...

We start off with Raine in south London - that's Ben, the Durham seamer, rather than any unexpected downpour.

Raine opens up with the ball and Rory Burns is off the mark, clipping him to the square leg boundary before punching another four down the ground to end the over.

Far too early, of course, to say whether Durham's decision to bowl was a wise one or not.

Stand-in Pears skipper Jake Libby won the toss and strides out with Henry Nicholls to bat first on a greenish track at a slightly overcast Southampton.

The shiny Kookaburra is in the hands of Kyle Abbott...

No Josh Davey at the top of the Somerset order today - he's not even in the XI this week.

Instead, Sean Dickson is Tom Kohler-Cadmore's partner as Somerset look for a substantial first-innings total against the Div One leaders.

The ever-reliable Mohammad Abbas will take the new ball.

Image source, Getty Images

Surrey’s resounding win at Worcestershire last week edged them closer to the summit – and the champions are now eyeing a potential return to top spot if they can overcome Durham at the Kia Oval.

Just two points separate Surrey – who are the only side in the top division yet to taste defeat this season – from front-runners Nottinghamshire at the start of play.

As well as being without England pair Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith, the home side will be missing overseas duo Nathan Smith and Mitchell Santner, along with wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes who is on paternity leave.

Despite that, they will feel confident against a Durham outfit who are squarely mid-table after their drawn game against Sussex last week.

New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham comes into the Durham side for his first red-ball appearance in three years, but there will be no Callum Parkinson – the spinner has joined bottom side Worcestershire on a short-term loan.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a special occasion for Somerset as they take on the Division One leaders, while at the same time hosting the first Festival of Red-Ball Cricket at Taunton.

There will be numerous events across the four days, including a live Q&A with club stalwarts Vic Marks and Peter Trego at lunch today.

Focusing on the cricket, though, and fourth-placed Somerset are only 21 points behind Nottinghamshire, so a victory over them in this game would put them right in the title picture with five matches remaining in July and September.

Notts opener Ben Slater scored two fifties in last week's draw with Yorkshire, including 96 in the first innings, taking his total to eight this season, but he has yet to reach three figures and will want to put that right this week.

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Simply ask BBC Sounds to play the fixture of your choice, for example say 'ask BBC Sounds to play Sussex v Warwickshire day one'.

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After taking the ball in the County Championship for the first time in more than 1,500 days in their last game, Sussex must do without Jofra Archer, who has been called up to the England Test squad to face India, as Warwickshire come to town.

Henry Crocombe comes in for Archer, having taken 6-71 across two innings in his only previous red-ball appearance this season.

To mark County Cricket Day it's free entry at Hove all day, so expect a bumper crowd on a glorious day by the sea, with the vast majority hoping to see the third-placed hosts close the 18-point gap to Division One leaders Notts.

Warwickshire are only five points and two places behind, so are we potentially looking at our first '48-pointer' of the campaign?

Warwickshire had to toil for long spells in their battling draw against Somerset last time out but two half-centuries apiece from Sam Hain and Tom Latham have that duo in good stead as they head down the M40.

James Coles and Danial Ibrahim made unbeaten centuries for Sussex in their high-scoring draw at Chester-le-Street so everything's set up nicely for a cracker.

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It’s hard to imagine an Essex bowling attack shorn of both Sam Cook and Jamie Porter – but that’s exactly the situation the visitors must adapt to as they head to Clifton Park for what looks a crucial relegation scrap against Yorkshire.

Cook is part of the England squad for the upcoming Edgbaston Test against India, with Porter still nursing a calf strain – which is why Essex have brought in Indian left-armer Khaleel Ahmed on a deal for the remainder of the season.

It was Porter, of course, who thwarted Yorkshire in a gripping finish when the teams met at Chelmsford in May – surviving almost 40 minutes alongside Simon Harmer to earn a draw with nine wickets down.

But for that, the Tykes would go into today’s clash in front of their opponents in the table – however victory in only the second ever Championship fixture at York would lift them out of the second relegation position at Essex’s expense.

Yorkshire also field an overseas debutant, with Pakistan batter Abdullah Shafique due to play after missing last week’s drawn match against Nottinghamshire because of visa issues.

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Worcestershire captain Brett D’Oliveira vowed his side would “come back stronger” after a chastening nine wicket defeat to Surrey at New Road last time out.

The Pears' fifth defeat of the campaign leaves them marooned at the foot of the table ahead of today's trip to Hampshire, who lie seventh, albeit closer in points to leaders Notts than to the basement boys themselves.

D'Oliveira is not quite ready to return from injury for the visitors, who have taken Durham slow left-armer Callum Parkinson on loan for this match.

It doesn't get much easier for the Pears as Hampshire's classy Indian left-hander Tilak Varma, 22, made a century on debut in the draw against Essex last week, while evergreen all-rounder Liam Dawson also reached three figures to take his average past 40 in red-ball cricket this summer. Teenage all-rounder Dom Kelly will make his Hants first class debut.

A win for the hosts could well take them back into the top four depending on results elsewhere and, given the form book, it will take some effort from the visitors to prevent that happening.

Image source, Rex Features

They once had snow in June during a County Championship game between Derbyshire and Lancashire at Buxton in 1975.

Fifty years on, the two sides meet again 25 miles east in Chesterfield and we would be astonished to see a similar interruption, given the weather of late.

The Red Rose are still seeking a first win of the season after being defied by Kent in their previous game, but skipper James Anderson said afterwards: "The way we applied ourselves this week felt different to the rest of the season."

At the age of 42, there aren't many firsts for Anderson left to enjoy, but bowling at Queens Park this week will be a new experience for him.

Division One

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Worcestershire

Worcestershire won toss and will bat

Taunton: Somerset v Nottinghamshire

Somerset won toss and will bat

The Oval: Surrey v Durham

Durham won toss and put Surrey in

Hove: Sussex v Warwickshire

Warwickshire won toss and will bat

York: Yorkshire v Essex

Essex won toss and will bat

Division Two

Chesterfield: Derbyshire v Lancashire

Lancashire won toss and will bat

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Gloucestershire

Glamorgan won toss and put Gloucestershire in

Canterbury: Kent v Northamptonshire

Kent won toss and will bat

Leicester: Leicestershire v Middlesex

Leicestershire won toss and put Middlesex in

Image source, Rex Features

By and large, batters had the better of things against the Kookaburra ball last weekend, although Jofra Archer did enough for Sussex to earn an immediate recall to the England Test squad.

Surrey and Northamptonshire were the only teams to register victories - with the former again serving notice that they mean to make it four titles in a row by demolishing Worcestershire in three days.

They are now just two points behind Division One leaders Notts, who were part of a high-scoring draw against Yorkshire - which prompted Tykes coach Anthony McGrath to question the advisability of the Kookaburra experiment at this time of the season.

In Division Two, Leicestershire are still well out in front of the rest after piling up 576-7 declared in their drawn game against Glamorgan.

Image source, Getty Images

Before we continue with today's Championship coverage, we just want to take a moment to remember former England batter Wayne Larkins, whose death was announced yesterday at the age of 71.

He played with distinction for Northamptonshire and Durham, scoring more than 27,000 first-class runs and hitting 59 centuries in a near 30-year career.

He was pretty good at the 50-over stuff too, scoring another 26 hundreds, and was a member of the England squad which reached the 1979 World Cup final.

Our condolences to his family.

You can read a fuller story by clicking here.

The gist of today's BBC Weather summary appears to be: Cloudier with the possibility of the odd spot of rain in western areas. Hot and sunny in the south and east.

Make sure you pack the sunscreen if you are going to a game.