Width for Ollie Pope, who cuts just past the gully fielder for four.

Frustration for Brad Wheal.

Sussex have made a steady start against Somerset after winning the toss and electing to have a bat. But the visitors have also seen some encouragement in the wicket.

Josh Davey went close with an lbw shout against Tom Haines before the Sussex opener got a leading edge over fourth slip for four.

Not wholly convincing from the Sussex man but they are unbroken going into the sixth over.

Ollie Robinson is missing for the hosts with a foot injury while Somerset name one change from the side which drew with Worcestershire, Craig Overton making way for Migael Pretorius.

Successive boundaries for the Northants opener as Tom Bailey bowls a little full and is twice driven firmly by Ricardo through the off side.

He's already on 16 off just 22 balls.

It's a pleasant, sunny day here in South London and there's pace and carry in evidence on this Oval wicket. Lovely.

Ollie Pope is forward to Kyle Abbott, playing into the offside for no run.

He'll get off the mark this time, flicking a ball off his pads for a couple.

Jacob Duffy continues to stray aa little as he offers Adam Lyth a half-volley on his leg stump which the lefty clips to the deep square boundary with aplomb.

Lyth has 13 from 11 deliveries and has timed everything nicely so far.

Steady progress for Northants so far as George Balderson leaves just enough width outside off for Ricardo Vasconcelos to leave the ball.

Four slips in place at this early stage.

Vasconcelos has six runs and Procter is also on six.

Awkward for Sibleypublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 11 April

11:12 BST 11 April

Surrey 4-1 v Hants

Ollie Pope is in at three for Surrey and he sees off Brad Wheal's first over.

That's an awkward delivery from Kyle Abbott at the other end, getting the ball to nip in off the seam and strike Dom Sibley "amidships" so to speak.

Sibley gets away with a single to long leg.

Underway here at Trent Bridge where Nottinghamshire make two changes from the side which beat Durham.

They are quite significant with Josh Tongue and Jack Haynes out and Kyle Verreynne and Brett Hutton stepping in.

No changes for Essex from the side which drew with Surrey. They have won the toss, too, and elected to field

Ricardo Vasconcelos will open the Northants innings with his captain, Luke Procter.

Tom Bailey will bowl first up for the hosts.

Two balls from Pears overseas paceman Jacob Duffy, two identical chops past fhe slips from Adam Lyth to the rope at deep backward point.

Duffy's third delivery is a wide.

Not an ideal start...

Image source, Getty Images

Surrey opener and captain Rory Burns is on strike, facing Kyle Abbott.

Opening partner Dom Sibley is at the other end.

Just the four slips!

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Durham have given a debut to new signing Brendan Doggett. The 30-year-old seamer normally plays for South Australia and is having his first spell in English cricket. He's here for April and May.

David Bedingham returns after he missed the opening game at Notts because he was playing cricket in South Africa. Daniel Hogg also returns after injury.

The three to miss out are George Drissell, Paul Coughlin and Graham Clark.

It's a nice day in Chester-le-Street and Durham have decided to bat.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Anyone who watched Worcestershire last season will testify that they fight on four fronts: Batting, bowling, fielding and spirit. The tightness in the Pears' squad form the flagstones of their approach and it served them splendidly in their outstanding survival in the top flight in 2024.

Anyone who was in Taunton saw it again as they fought back from Tom Banton's triple-ton battering to rescue a remarkable draw from a sow's-ear situation thanks to another silk purse of a knock from totem and skipper Brett D'Oliveira (pictured).

With the batting buoyant, the Pears are set to give some international edge to their attack with New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy poised for his debut.

Yorkshire were reminded of the harsh reality of life back in Division One as their first-day collapse set the tone for their three-day defeat by Hampshire.

That said, returning head coach Anthony McGrath was encouraged by the way they rallied, led by Adam Lyth's second-innings century, and made Hants sweat in their pursuit of 148 for victory.

McGrath also knows their home form needs to pick up. The White Rose have only won eight times on their own patch since 2016 and McGrath will want that run to improve immediately if the record-title winners aren't to flirt with relegation again in a hurry.

Image source, Getty Images

The match is brought to you by the number 12.

In the 36 meetings between these two sides both have a dozen wins with, rather nicely, 12 draws - including last season's run-saturated stalemate almost exactly 12 months ago (aptly) that yielded more than 1,500 runs and five centuries.

Durham would love to make it unlucky 13 defeats for the Bears over the next four days with head coach Ryan Campbell wanting his side to "bounce back fast" from their opening-round defeat by Nottinghamshire.

That loss - triggered by an inspired five-fer from fit-again England quick Josh Tongue - came despite twin hundreds in the game from Colin Ackermann.

The return of classy South Africa batter David Bedingham will help and there's excitement over the likely debut of Durham's other overseas signing - Australian seamer Brendan Doggett who's in for the first couple of months of the season. Twenty-year-old quick Daniel Hogg - of 7-66-on-debut fame last summer - is also in contention to play his first game.

Former Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes gets an early chance to face his old muckers too after moving north over the winter.

The Bears began 2025 at Edgbaston as they did in 2024 - with a draw. Rob Yates almost 'did an Ackermann' with a ton and half-century as Warwickshire coped well with scoreboard pressure against Division One new boys Sussex on a placid pitch.

New boss Ian Westwood will hope the likes of Ethan Bamber, Taz Ali and Vishwa Fernando can continue to hold the fort with the ball while Olly Hannon-Dolby recovers from injury.

For the record, Lancashire have only won six games at home since 2021 but they have a fine record here against Northants, losing just once in the last 20 matches between the two teams at Old Trafford.

That defeat was way back in 1999 when Northants had batter Matthew Hayden and off spinner Graeme Swann in their XI.

There are three changes for the Lancashire side going into this match, with Tom Aspinwall, Will Williams and Ollie Sutton making way.

Left arm spinner Tom Hartley returns to the Red Rose county with Wet Indies pace bowler Anderson Phillip and there's a Lancashire debut for pace man John Turner.

One change for Northants.

Notts leg spinning all rounder and loan player Calvin Harrison comes in for pace bowler Dom Leech.

Image source, Rex Features

Sussex took the safe option in ensuring that their return to the top flight did not start off on a losing note, batting Warwickshire into the ground at Edgbaston last week and setting them a notional target of 388 in 44 overs to win their opener.

It was no surprise to see the match drawn with their hosts two down at the close but more positive tactics will be required at Hove as Sussex host Somerset, themselves coming off the back of a draw.

Tom Banton took the headlines with the fifth highest ever County Championship score (371) but a win eluded Somerset with Worcestershire frustrating the Cidermen by losing only four wickets on the final day and crucially holding on to their last wicket to finish 485-9.

Kasey Aldridge proved a handful with the ball taking 7-100 in the match and Jack Leach reached 500 first class wickets but while they took the bulk of the points in a draw (16) Somerset will want a statement victory here against last year's Division Two champions.