Durham have rattled along to 28-0 from six overs, with Alex Lees getting a thick edge to one from Shane Snater which flew away past the slips all the way to the rope.

Snater thinks he's got his man two balls later with a big celebrappeal, as the ball seems to nick off something on its way through to keeper Michael Pepper.

Was it the bat? Was it the pad? It looks like the latter, and it was outside the line, so Lees stands his ground and the finger is nowhere to be seen.

Which format are we playing?

Tom Kohler-Cadmore takes a step down the pitch and lifts the final delivery of Jack White's latest over clear of mid-on for his second boundary.

He must be in confident mood.

Ian Holland finds a bit of movement and is convinced Ben Charlesworth is leg-before. 'Not so', says the umpire. It may have been missing leg stump. Maiden over, though.

Bears have their tails up.

Ollie Hannon-Dalby induces a swish outside off-stump from Rory Burns which sees the ball come back off an inside edge and somehow evade his stumps and then beats the blade later in the over as Burns tried to defend on his back foot.

Burns gets it right to end the over, punching through the covers for a couple, though he was inches away from a boundary, robbed by a fine sliding stop.

Runs are emphatically not flowing at New Road, where the first three overs have all been maidens.

Dillon Pennington is bowling from the New Road End and his former team mate Jake Libby is forward to defend.

Finally we have an over pitched ball on leg stump and the Pears are away via a Libby clip to leg for three.

It's just about the only loose delivery we have seen so far.

Middlesex have opted not to give the new ball to Olly Stone at Lord's where Derbyshire are 9-0 in the fourth over.

A couple of early boundaries for Kent's Jaydn Denly at Canterbury and the home side are 13-0 against Lancashire.

No Ben Sanderson in the Northants team against Glamorgan, who are 5-0 in the fourth at Wantage Road, with Asa Tribe and Zain ul-Hassan together at the crease.

Ollie Robinson strays to leg and Ali Orr clips the ball fine for an easy four runs.

The fifth ball is on a better line but too full and driven down the ground for four.

Encouraging start for Sussex.

Jamie Porter sends down four dot balls, then finds the edge of Emilio Gay's bat, though the ball drops a yard or so shy of second slip, only for Gay to punch his final delivery back down the ground to the long-on fence for his second boundary.

Ollie Hannon-Dalby opens up from the other end, giving up just a single to Dom Sibley.

Sparse crowd in at the sun-drenched Oval, sadly, presumably due to the tube strike in London.

Hopefully those who have arrived by other means are treated to a glorious day of red-ball cricket at a ground which saw one of the most glorious white-ball knockout matches in recent memory last Wednesday, when Northants stunned the Feathers, inspired by evergreen Ravi Bopara.

Too short from Chris Wright as Ben Charlesworth square cuts for four. The experienced paceman tries to adjust his length but goes too far the other way as Charlesworth strokes through the covers for another.

Jaydev Unadkat is sharing new ball duties with Ollie Robinson and his fifth ball is VERY close to Fletcha Middleton's off stump as the opener leaves it alone.

We'll say a good leave.

The sixth ball has a lot more width and is gently stroked through cover point for four.

Jack White has had a good first season for Yorkshire and he starts with a maiden to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at Taunton.

Archie Vaughan gets the scoreboard moving with a boundary from George Hill's opening delivery, tucked off his hip through square leg.

Seven runs come off Jamie Porter's first over, this is the return of red ball cricket though, don't be fooled.

Alex Lees picks up three with a lovely cover drive from Emilio Gay finding the rope too.

Shane Snater takes the second over and beats gets through Lees' defence first-up, but also misses the timbers.

His third ball thumps the pads as Lees tries to work into the leg side and prompts a big, concerted appeal, but it might have been heading down leg anyway. Lees survives, with an elevated heart-rate.

Rehaan Edavalath is making his first appearance for the Pears this season and he is opening the batting with Jake Libby.

Mohammad Abbas has four slips in place and begins with a probing maiden over that has the young opener playing and missing outside his off peg.

Big shout for lbw from Ethan Bamber as he thuds the first delivery of the match into the top of Rory Burns' pads.

Nothing doing, however, maybe a touch high and possibly down leg too.

Good to get the adrenaline going nice and early though...

A single apiece for Burns and Dom Sibley in the opening over.

Captain Ian Holland has the cherry for Leicestershire.

He finds the edge of Joe Phillips' bat but the ball lands short of the slips and a misfield allows the right-hander a single.

Image source, Rex

Here we go.

Ollie Robinson has three slip in place and he will bowl to Hampshire opener Ali Orr.

Fletcha Middleton is at the non-striker's end.

Alex Lees takes strike for the opening ball, from Jamie Porter, with Emilio Gay at the other end.

Huge game, this. Must win for Durham? Must not lose for Essex?