It's taken 60 balls, but Toby Albert decides to open his shoulders.

He dances down the wicket to Dan Lawrence and belts a shot back over the bowler's head.

There's hesitation over whether it went for a maximum, but it's in the scorebook as a four.

A first boundary takes Albert into double figures.

Fletcha Middleton then punches a full ball from Sean Abbott through the offside for another four and that's the 50 opening partnership off 23.1 overs.

You can't bowl at Shan Masood's pads.

He tucks Jack White away for a single to bring up his 50 from 117 balls and having pinched the strike, repeats the stroke off Justin Broad at the start of the next over, this time finding the boundary.

David Bedingham and Ollie Robinson both made hundreds for Durham last week - two of them in the South African's case - and they need both in form again here.

Bedingham has started well and Robinson confirms that he is still seeing it well as he drives Craig Overton for four before pulling a short one away for another.

Dan Lawrence gives it some more flight, but Fletcha Middleton uses his feet to good effect, getting to the pitch of the ball and going inside-out to guide it through the covers for four.

He moves to 30 off 73 balls.

Sean Abbott, hoping to emulate his Hants namesake Kyle, then draws a rare play and miss from Toby Albert, bowling wide of the crease and angling one in towards off-stump.

Albert has been more watchful - a single brings up his sixth run from his 58th ball.

The deficit is down to 85.

Essex are within 50 runs of a batting bonus point but Arafat Bhuiyan has nearly caught another big fish with his bait of nagging outside off. This time former teammate Jordan Cox who plays and misses at one which sneaks past the edge of the wafted bat.

How did that miss?

Aneurin Donald tries to drive Marchant de Lange and a thick inside edge just misses the stumps and runs away for four to earn a second batting point for Derbyshire.

Back under way at Old Trafford. 34 overs remain on the slate but, as so often, there are some dark clouds floating about in the vicinity so we'll just agree to enjoy every moment while we can, shall we?

Tom Bailey, back in the side, is trying to find a way to eke out Alex Davies who has 35*.

Dan Lawrence comes in with his upright, looping action but Fletch Middleton cover drives for four to deny him a maiden in his latest over. Middleton is now 26 not out and Toby Albert has five.

Warwickshire made cautious progress after the delayed start, and losing only one wicket in the opening session of the game will be satisfactory, almost regardless of the scoring rate. Their choice to bat first perhaps owed more to their judgement of the pitch rather than the overhead conditions, which have remained gloomy.

Lancashire’s captain Keaton Jennings mentioned at the toss that plans to prepare a new pitch for this game had been altered by the midweek rain, so they are instead on a surface used for a limited-overs game last weekend, with an unusually mottled appearance.

Lancashire have recalled Jack Morley from loan, and Warwickshire included Jake Lintott for a rare red-ball game, which perhaps indicates what both teams expect the pitch to offer.

The home team bowled accurately, but their only breakthrough came as a surprise. Rob Yates had seemed largely unhurried for the first 11 overs, and the a confident cover drive off Tom Bailey suggested he might be about to change gear. But in Bailey’s next over he offered no stroke to a ball that homed in on the top of his off stump.

Alex Davies made a fidgety start, but was harsh on anything short, and stood firm until tea. Will Rhodes kept him company through an intriguing battle with Nathan Lyon, who grinned mischievously at any hint of a false stroke.

They are back in the middle at the Utilita Bowl.

Sean Abbott has the ball for the opening over of the session and there are just a couple of runs from it as Fletcha Middleton moves to 20 not out.

Tom Westley moves into the 20s with a couple off Arafat Bhuiyan as they resume their battle from before the tea interval.

Grant Stewart is on at the other end, giving Matt Parkinson a break after his 10 overs before tea.

A reminder that Wes Agar bowled only seven overs in the morning session before hurting his shoulder in the field and heading off the field for treatment.

Jordan Cox has his heart in his mouth for a moment as he carves one narrowly past the dive of sub fielder and old chum Tawanda Muyeye at extra-cover. He gets four runs for his trouble, to move to 11.

A good session for Sussex adding 120 for the loss of James Coles, who was well caught diving to his right by Jack Davies behind the stumps, after a partnership of 72 with Cheteshwar Pujara.

The last time Sussex played here in the Championship, Pujara scored a double century and he looks in ominously good form today, reaching tea with a chanceless 60 not out, and John Simpson returning to his old stamping ground is providing solid support.

Middlesex have bowled well on what looks a good pitch, and this game is evenly poised at the break

Warwickshire will feel the happier after the first session, though Rob Yates might not be too happy to have shouldered arms and seen his off stump smashed out of the ground by Tom Bailey.

Skipper Alex Davies has 35* against his former side with former skipper Will Rhodes unbeaten on 13 from 64 balls.

Lancashire will want to make some inroads in the 34 overs remaining in the day.

You won't see many more bizarre dismissals than that one.

Ben Mike lets rip a huge appeal for lbw as he pins Zain ul-Hussan in front.

As the umpire is still shaking his head, the ball loops up into the air, spins back and clips leg stump, just enough to dislodge the bail.

The visitors piled up 158 runs in the afternoon session, but five wickets fell - Marnus Labuschagne (8), Eddie Byrom (86) and Kiran Carlson (80) - as Leicestershire finally fought back.

Captain Sam Northeast goes into tea unbeaten on 23.