The two Bs are out there for Glamorgan - Billy Root and Ben Kellaway.

Zak Chappell and Luis Reece are sharing the new ball for Derbyshire, who will be looking to make early inroads after skipper David Lloyd chose to bowl first against his former club.

Image source, Rex Features

Better news from Bristol where Gloucestershire have won the toss and put Leicestershire in, with play set to begin at 11:30.

Chris Dent is back for the home side following two second XI centuries last month, while the Foxes have Ben Green in their side following the latest loan agreement with Somerset.

Kent will need Ben Compton to be at his obdurate best today but he's taking his life in his hands there. He offers no shot to a delivery from Tom Taylor which cuts back from outside off stump but the umpire turns down a loud appeal.

A highly emotional start to the day at The Oval with a minute's silence for Graham Thorpe.

This week's match has been dedicated to his memory.

Luke Wells gets Lancashire underway, deflecting Dan Worrall to long leg for four.

Olly Stone takes the new ball for Nottinghamshire and gets things rolling on a blustery morning with clouds scudding overhead at some pace.

Alex Lees and Ben McKinney take three off the first over. Brett Hutton takes the second over.

Rain stops playpublished at 11:04 British Summer Time 22 August

11:04 BST 22 August

Middx v Northants 0-0

Right on the cusp of the start, rain has arrived at Marchant Taylor's School in Northwood.

When play does get underway, Northants have Indian international Yuzvendra Chahal in their XI. He joined for the end of the One Day Cup campaign and is now available for the remaining five Championship matches.

The 34-year-old is a white-ball specialist having played over 150 times for India in one-day matches but only has 35 first-class appearances in his career.

23-year-old Dom Leech also makes his debut having joined on loan from Yorkshire ahead of a three-year deal.

Out since May, Joe Leach will bowl the first over for Worcestershire at New Road. Tawanda Muyeye and Ben Compton are immediately under way with singles, before Muyeye tucks Leach away to square leg for four.

We mentioned that Rocky Flintoff is making his Championship debut for Lancashire today.

Should you wish to catch up with that latest episode of dad Andrew's Field Of Dreams On Tour show, you can find it on iPlayer here.

Image source, Rex Features

No bowler took more wickets in Division One last season than Nottinghamshire's Brett Hutton with 62, so it is great news for them that he is able to play his first Championship game since April.

An Achilles injury suffered in their draw with Somerset kept him out for three months, but he warmed up for his red-ball return with four One-Day Cup appearances - taking 6-38 against Yorkshire at Sookholme.

Durham and Notts both have 102 points from nine games so far - although the north easterners have one game more - but both could do with a couple of victories to fend off any relegation concerns next month.

With Matthew Potts away with England, Durham have pepped up their pace attack with the signing of New Zealand left-armer Neil Wagner, who played three Championship games for Somerset last summer.

Image source, Rex Features

Following last year's promotion, Worcestershire are determined to ensure their stay in Division One lasts longer than one season.

And they have been given a major boost with captains present and past, Brett D'Oliveira and Joe Leach, passed fit for the vital home game against bottom-of-the-table Kent.

They can also call on seamer James Hartshorn, signed from club cricket in Sussex to replace fellow New Zealander Nathan Smith, who returned home with a hamstring injury.

Kent, though, also have a new face in their squad after drafting in paceman Akeem Jordan, who has played two one-day internationals for West Indies, and once appeared in the same Barbados club side as England's Jofra Archer.

Image source, Rex Features

In 1995, Andrew Flintoff made his Championship debut as a 17-year-old for Lancashire against Hampshire at the United Services Ground in Portsmouth, scoring seven and nought in his two innings.

It will be a far grander 'field of dreams' for son Rocky, who will play his first Championship game at The Oval, aged just 16 years and 137 days following seven games in the One-Day Cup and a recent Youth Test century for England Under-19s.

But it will be a tough test for him against the Division One leaders, despite Ollie Pope, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson being away on England duty at Old Trafford.

Such is Surrey's strength in depth that they can call on Sam Curran and Will Jacks - also England players - for the first time this season in red-ball cricket and they have re-signed Indian batter Sai Sudharsan on a two-game deal.

Image source, Getty Images

After failing to win any of their first seven games, Yorkshire burst into promotion contention in June and July with back-to-back innings victories over Gloucestershire and Derbyshire.

They take on the Division Two leaders at North Marine Road with Jonny Bairstow back for his first Championship appearance since May 2023.

It is 10 years since he made a superb 161 against Sussex against Arundel and Ottis Gibson's side will be hoping for another big contribution from the England batter.

Sussex have a notable returnee of their own, with India pace bowler Jayden Unadkat available for the rest of the season after taking 11 wickets in three games in 2023.

Dreary, very very dreary down south.

It has the feeling of a very frustrating mizzly day on the forecast, with both sides realistically needing a win to keep the Surrey title juggernaut under pressure.

Just after 10:00 BST the groundstaff extended the covers from just the pitch and run-ups to the whole square - which isn't the sign we wanted for a start in the near future.

Division One

Chester LS: Durham v Nottinghamshire

Notts won the toss and put Durham in

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Essex

Start delayed - rain

Oval: Surrey v Lancashire

Surrey won the toss and put Lancashire in

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Somerset

Start delayed - rain

Worcester: Worcestershire v Kent

Worcestershire won the toss and put Kent in

Division Two

Derby: Derbyshire v Glamorgan

Derbyshire won the toss and put Glamorgan in

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Leicestershire

Start delayed - rain

Northwood: Middlesex v Northamptonshire

Middlesex won the toss and put Northants in

Scarborough: Yorkshire v Sussex

Yorkshire won the toss and put Sussex in

No team has won the County Championship three times in a row since Surrey lifted the trophy in seven successive years from 1952 to 1958.

But their 145-run win over Essex in their most recent game in early July suggests Rory Burns' side are going to take some stopping.

If there is a ray of hope for their title rivals, it is that following this week's game against Lancashire, only one of their remaining four will be played at the Oval.

At the bottom, things will look very bleak indeed for Kent if they fail to beat next-to-bottom Worcestershire at New Road, as they are 30 points adrift of Warwickshire in eighth place.

Image source, BBC Sport

Sussex are in a strong position at the top of the Second Division following wins in their last two Championship matches.

Being able to call on England paceman Ollie Robinson has undoubtedly helped their cause and his 27 wickets is only exceeded by Northamptonshire's Ben Sanderson (29) and Ben Coad of Yorkshire (28).

Middlesex and Yorkshire are their main challengers but Leicestershire will still be hopeful of improving on last summer's fourth place if they can find the secret to winning, following seven draws in nine games.

The bottom two, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire, are also in search of the same winning formula, both of them have failed to register a single victory so far.

Image source, BBC Sport

*points tally also includes one tied match

Today's summary from the BBC Weather website: "Today will be breezy across England and Wales with patchy rain sinking south-eastwards through the day. Sunny spells further north."

Fingers crossed we don't get too many interruptions.

For more local information, please click here and use the Search box.

Image source, Rex Features

It's been a while - 49 days to be exact - but the County Championship is back for the final charge towards the end of the season.

Five rounds of games will be played in the next 39 days to decide the 2024 champions and which teams will go up and down.

There have been a smattering of signings by various teams this week as they look to add a little extra oomph to their squads.

Welcome to our coverage of nine games. Play is scheduled to start at 11:00.

In addition to ball-by-ball coverage here on BBC Sport, via most smart speakers there’s now a new way you can enjoy ALL our cricket coverage.

For most smart-speaker devices all you need to do is ask BBC Sounds to play the full title of the event you want.

So, for example, just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Surrey v Lancashire".