Brad Wheal is finding some encouraging bounce at the Utilita Bowl, but no breakthrough for Hampshire yet.

Adam Lyth is scoring exclusively in fours and has 12 not out, and Finlay Bean turns Wheal away through mid-wicket for three runs to open his account.

Josh Davey gets his season up and running in good order with a maiden.

Craig Overton looked a little nervous in his opener and he's a little straight in the second. It costs him four runs.

Sussex are under way on their return to Division One.

Tom Haines cracks successive Vishwa Fernando deliveries away to the boundary.

Haines has been in decent form in pre-season and looks in fine fettle this morning as he gets another one away to the rope to finish the over.

Alex Lees is properly squared up by Fergus O'Neill's second ball.

But there's no justice for the Aussie paceman as it squirts away for four to the short legside boundary.

The Durham skip ends the over with a much more convincing stroke as he clips it away for a second boundary. He's up to 11 off seven balls.

Good start by Tom Bailey at Lord's, where Lancashire won the toss and put Middlesex in.

The paceman's first over is a maiden to Sam Robson, who hit four Championship hundreds last summer.

Nathan Fernandes in his opening partner and faces up to Will Williams, who takes the new ball from the opposite end.

Durham openers Alex Lees and Ben McKinney stride to the middle to put their pre-season prep to the test.

Dillon Pennington is given the honour of the first over.

Lees has the added responsibilities of captaincy this season, but takes three off the first ball for an early settler.

That's it for an otherwise tidy opening over.

New signing Fergus O'Neill is straight into the attack.

Worcs openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby are out in the middle. Let’s go.

Roderick faces the first ball from Craig Overton and the first ball is a bit of a loosener as it goes through for four byes.

The Pears opener picks up a couple from the second ball and adds a single. Seven from a nervy over.

Josh Davey to steam in at the other end.

Kemar Roach has the ball in hand for Surrey after they lost the toss and Essex elected to bat.

Roach's first delivery is on the pads of Paul Walter but he can only guide it to mid-wicket.

It is an unfamiliar opening partnership for the home side with Walter joined by young Charlie Allison.

Dean Elgar is on parental leave having become a father to twins and the experienced Nick Browne has been omitted from the side.

They are two stalwarts of the county scene.

Kyle Abbott takes the new cherry for Hampshire and Adam Lyth flicks his second delivery through mid-wicket for the game's first boundary.

The fourth is an absolute beauty which leaves the left-hander off the pitch, but just misses the outside edge.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Edgbaston

The streets of Birmingham are still strewn with uncollected black bags as a result of the ongoing binmen's strike.

But at least the weather is far from rubbish at Edgbaston.

The morning sun has burnt off a bit of the cloud cover - and, although still a bit sharp, it looks a lovely day ahead.

Warwickshire are without injured pair Olly Hannon-Dalby and Chris Rushworth, but, having won the toss, they have still put their faith in a four-man pace attack of new signings Ethan Bamber and Vishwa Fernando, Michael Booth and Ed Barnard - and the support of leg-spinner Taz Aii.

Former head coach Mark Robinson makes a quick return as part of Sussex's backroom team following is sacking by the Bears less than two months ago.

Many big names from the England set up are missing from the opening round of Championship games but plenty are getting in some early-season action along with those hoping to get a call later in the summer.

In Division One, Jordan Cox will be hoping to catch the eye with Essex once again having been in squads to face Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Cox will be facing Surrey today who include Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence.

Matthew Potts is in the Durham side at Nottinghamshire while Jack Leach will be looking for wickets for Somerset against Worcestershire.

Ollie Robinson lines up for Sussex at Warwickshire on their return to Division One.

In Division Two Zak Crawley will looking for some early season form for Kent at Northamptonshire while there's a Glamorgan debut for Shoaib Bashir against Leicestershire, who have Rehan Ahmed in their side.

Image source, BBC Sport

You can follow every ball of every County Championship match with the BBC this summer.

Along with our live text coverage our BBC Local Radio and 5 Live Sports Extra commentary teams will be out in force to ensure you do not miss a thing.

You can listen via the BBC Sport website and app but also on most smart speakers - just ask BBC Sounds to play the game you want but also state the day as well.

For example, ask BBC Sounds to play Glamorgan against Leicestershire day one.

Image source, Rex Features

The fixture gods have served up a marquee match to get the season under way as the winners of six of the past seven county titles meet at Chelmsford.

Essex and Surrey are two teams who know how to get the job done and will expect to be in the mix for honours once again.

The home side suffered the blow of losing Indian fast bowler Shardul Thakur to the IPL barely two weeks before the start of the season but will still expect to be able to regularly take 20 wickets with Sam Cook, Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer spearheading their attack.

They are also missing Dean Elgar for at least this game as he has been given some extended time away after becoming father to twins.

Surrey did what Surrey do in the winter and strengthened further with fast bowler Matthew Fisher joining from Yorkshire and New Zealand all-rounder Nathan Smith hopping across from Worcestershire, though the latter is not in their XI today.

Recent history has seen these two sides get off to quick starts in their respective championship winning campaigns so here is a chance for one to put down an early marker.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport

Worcestershire will start the new season under a dark cloud today following the very sad loss of club reporter John Curtis at the age of 68 after losing his battle with cancer.

The Worcester-based journalist spent more than 20 years covering football for the Press Association, reporting on all the Midlands clubs, as well as England's games, home and away.

His dogged, fearless approach to asking awkward players and managers all the right questions earned him legendary status among his colleagues. And his always cheery countenance and love of a good story, a good singsong, and in particular a good quote, made him an always popular and at times hilarious workmate.

In his latter years, he cut down on his football reporting, although retaining the friendship of many of his best footballing contacts, to concentrate on reporting cricket more fully, as he stepped into the shoes of his old boss and mentor Mike Beddow to cover all the Pears' home games - as well as report on the club for the Worcestershire website.

Image source, Ged Scott - BBC Sport

He had his first experience of the New Road pressbox back in his schooldays in the mid-1970s when he would deliver the typed-up words from the reporter at the ground to the typesetters back at the offices in Hylton Road half a mile away to then magically reappear on the back page of that night's Worcester Evening News.

Having been a lifelong Worcestershire fan - the proud first-ever enrolled member of the Junior Pears Club - being the main man in the New Road pressbox was a dream job for JC. And he became a fantastic host, arranging for the prompt daily delivery of lunches, fixing the coffee machine and personally handing out the famous Worcester cakes at tea.

He was honoured last September, along with Mike Beddow and fellow longstanding colleague Chris Oldnall, by having the press box named after them - having put in a combined 150 years of service. And it is a treasured memory to have been there to see the contented smile on his face that day.

JC simply lit up any room he was in and will be very much missed - especially in the Worcestershire dressing room, where he was known and trusted by every player. But, over in the pressbox, at least we will still have all the many, many stories.

Image source, Rex Features

There will be an unfamiliar look at Trent Bridge as the old ground welcomes another new season.

Redevelopment work is under way to replace the grand pavilion with something a little more 21st century, so members will have to make do with the Hound Road Stand for the 2025 campaign.

On the pitch, the home faithful will be looking for an improvement in championship fortunes after a mild flirtation with relegation last season. An eighth-placed finish was eventually secured in the final match.

There's bad news before the start of play with the latest injury setback for England fast bowler Olly Stone who will be out until August following knee surgery, so there is a debut for Aussie paceman Fergus O'Neill.

Those hoping to get an early season glimpse of England captain Ben Stokes will be disappointed as he remains sidelined, as does his England team-mate Brydon Carse, leaving Matt Potts to lead Durham's pace attack.

The visitors had a super return to Division One last season and will be looking to consolidate on their fifth place.

Last season's leading run scorer David Bedingham misses the first game, but a few eyes will be trained on exciting young batter Ben McKinney fresh following his impressive century for England Lions against Australia A last winter. He opens alongside new skipper Alex Lees.

Ollie Robinson is also a more than handy number five following his prolific 2024.

Image source, Rex Features

Hopefully there will be no need for the new Yorkshire captain to deal harshly with the dressing room door in what the White Rose hope will be a shining season on their return to Division One.

The appointment of England's Jonny Bairstow is a positive move by new head coach Anthony McGrath, but Joe Root and Harry Brook are not in their team at the Utilita Bowl.

And they will again have to rely on Ben Coad's consistency with the ball as New Zealand signing Ben Sears doesn't arrive until next week.

Hampshire finished second in 2024 but they have suffered two significant losses from the squad, with James Vince opting for a white-ball only contract and Mohammad Abbas moving to Notts.

All-rounder Brett Hampton is a little-known late recruit and Vince's replacement as skipper, Ben Brown, will hope the Kiwi can hit the ground running with bat and ball.

Image source, Rex Features

It has taken nine years but Sussex are back in Division One after winning the second tier in 2024.

For a county who won the title three times in five years in the noughties it has been a long climb back.

Having arrived from Warwickshire, head coach Paul Farbrace has taken them from second-from-bottom in Division Two back to the top level in two seasons.

Homegrown talent will be to the fore for Sussex once again so how they deal with the step-up will be interesting, but they will have the experience of overseas bowlers Jayden Seales and Jaydev Unadkat to call on during the summer.

Warwickshire's top-flight status was not confirmed until the final round of games last season and Bears fans may be feeling a little short-changed since winning the title in 2021.

Injuries to key seamers Chris Rushworth and Olly Hannon-Dalby and a delayed arrival for New Zealand captain Tom Latham, who has broken a finger, mean it could be an unsettled start at Edgbaston.

Image source, Getty Images

Away from Lord's today a few teams start the season with some points to prove.

Derbyshire took the wooden spoon last season and under 'new' skipper Wayne Madsen meet the side who finished just above them, Gloucestershire.

The Bristol club may have failed in the four-day game but did win the T20 Blast in 2024 and have been boosted this week with the news vice-captain and wicketkeeper James Bracey has signed a new three-year contract.

Glamorgan and Leicestershire meet in Cardiff where the home side will give home debuts to England spinner Shoaib Bashir and Sri Lankan paceman Asitha Fernando.

Meanwhile Northamptonshire, who finished fourth last season despite only winning twice, come up against relegated Kent who have included England opener Zak Crawley in their team but will be without veteran batter Joe Denly because of a broken arm.

Image source, Rex Features

They didn't quite manage it last summer but Middlesex are hoping this could be the season when they regain a place in Division One.

There have been some interesting personnel changes at Lord's. How will spin bowling all-rounder Zafar Gohar adapt following his move from Gloucestershire and will former Surrey batter Ben Geddes turn his potential into a consistent stream of runs.

Lancashire are many people's idea of favourites for the Division Two title with a batting line-up bolstered by the signing of Australian opener Marcus Harris.

There is no Jimmy Anderson because of a calf injury, no Anderson Phillip because of a visa issue and no Rocky Flintoff, who has not made the squad, so he'll have time to carry on planning his 17th birthday celebrations on Monday.