Sam Dalling
BBC Radio Newcastle

Natually Alex Lees will be frustrated.

It looked like quite a gentle one from Matt Henry, maybe that's a little bit about the aura around him.

It was fuller and it was almost like he did not expect that kind of loosener.

It is the worst possible start for the skipper having won the toss and decided to bat.

Somerset have missed Matt Henry the first half of the season.

A testing first over at The Oval from Dan Worrall, who finds some early swing. The final delivery just misses the edge of Dean Elgar's bat as the South African tries to drive.

Image source, Rex Features

Sussex have made a good start to their return to the top flight and will be hopeful of a third win in seven despite their bowling stocks continuing to be depleted for the trip to Southampton.

Ollie Robinson, Jayden Seales, Sean Hunt and Danny Lamb are all on the sidelines with Nathan McAndrew and Engalnd Lion Henry Crocombe drafted in to cover.

The experienced 31-year-old McAndrew took five against Somerset in Sussex's first win back in the top flight in round two and will bring some nous to a bowling attack now led by Fynn Hudson-Prentice.

Hampshire have a settled side and could well field the same XI that beat Warwickshire last time out by 89 runs. Certainly that win allowed them to exorcise an abject performance against Notts in round five.

Like their visitors Hampshire are looking for their third win of the campaign following wins over Yorkshire and Warwickshire bookending three draws and a loss.

Yes - there are six seamers in Surrey's team.

Count them. Curran, Overton, Clark, Smith Lawes, Worrall.

Could be a testing morning for Essex, who have been put in by Rory Burns.

Dan Worrall will bowl the first over.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

It's a big day for the Killeen family. 20-year-old Mitchell is making his County Championship debut for Durham in CLS.

I am old enough to remember him being a baby in his cot and I am also old enough to have witnessed his father Neil's illustrious career with Durham.

Neil is now a bowling coach with the England set-up, but he is here to see his son in action today. Neil had to gain special permission, as a teenager, to miss a few weeks of school so he could go on a pre-season tour to Zimbabwe.

And that's where Mitchell made his first-cClass debut this year, playing against Zimbabwe's A Team in Harare.

He has featured in the One-Day Cup. His debut came on a scorching afternoon in Grantham three years ago.

BBC Sounds

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 Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire, day one.

Image source, Rex Features

Colin Ackermann's match-winning half-century under pressure not only handed early-leaders Nottinghamshire their first defeat of the season but also underscored Durham's own credentials of being involved in title talk this summer.

Behemoth batting and all-round potency with the ball has bagged two excellent wins and two draws in their last four and banished their sticky start to Row Z of the memory banks.

They'll need that momentum over the next four days as Somerset are also on a roll. Having David Bedingham available again will help but England have withdrawn Brydon Carse for white-ball prep for the West Indies series.

After champions Surrey kick-started their title defence against them, Somerset have responded impressively in beating Essex and Sussex - when captain Lewis Gregory took their run chase by the lapels of its shirt with a calculated half-century, as a makeshift opener, to ensure there was no embarrassment having enforced the follow-on.

With, Sussex, Somerset are the only team in Division One with maximum bowling points to date, with spinner Jack Leach leading their charts with 23 wickets. As ever, winning away from Taunton will be the key and the next four days will be a tough scan of those credentials.

Exciting 17-year-old wicketkeeper/batter Thomas Rew, younger brother of equally impressive James Rew, was named in the squad after signing a short-term contract this week to play all formats, but has not made the XI.

Image source, Rex Features

If players were worth what they weigh in a precious metal, not many could afford Matthew Waite.

The Pears all-rounder is the epitome of unfussy, reliable excellence and his durability with both bat and ball delivered his side's much-needed first win of the season - and first batting points - against Essex at a sporty New Road.

A highest score of the match was followed by career best innings figures of 6-19 and match haul of 9-53 as Worcestershire - close to getting over the line in the defeat in their first meeting in Chelmsford - made up for it in emphatic style.

They will likely need every bit of that feel-good factor when their old rivals rock up by the Severn.

Although Warwickshire were ultimately out-gunned by Hampshire's attack in their last match to slip to their first defeat of the season, their own seamers - including their own outstanding version of Waite, in Worcester old-boy Ed Barnard - will relish the chance to get back on the horse on a surface that's seen only one total muster more than 162 in eight innings so far.

The Bears threat with the ball is further boosted by the long-awaited return of England's Chris Woakes after recovering from his latest injury setback.

He's set for his first cricket since January, and first red-ball game since the second Test in New Zealand in December, as he gears up for an international return with England Lions against India next week.

The Bears also have Chris Rushworth available for the first time this season too. Might be a busy morning.

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

Jonny Bairstow's absence will be keenly felt by Yorkshire who will miss the England man behind the stumps, with bat in hand and as skipper.

Bairstow has joined up with Mumbai Indians for the latter stages of the Indian Premier League with Dom Bess taking over on-field directorial duties in his absence.

Coach Anthony McGrath will be looking for those in the starting XI to reignite a season which has spluttered somewhat with Yorkshire sitting second-bottom in Division One ahead of a game which marks the halfway point in the four-day summer.

“Quite rightly, people are looking at the league and thinking, ‘We might be in a little bit of trouble,” said McGrath. “But a win can change that because the league is pretty tight."

Yorkshire are set to leave grass on the pitch at Headingley to aid pace and carry. They have won one and lost one so far on home turf - but they should be careful what they set up for Notts who have a potent bowling attack who are going great guns.

Pakistan seamer Mo Abbas plays his third game for Notts and has nine wickets in the bag already from his first two against Hampshire and Durham.

He has gelled well with experienced new ball seamer Brett Hutton who will be looking to add to a tally in 2025 of 22 wickets.

Most runs

Marcus Harris (Lancashire) 796

Haseeb Hameed (Notts) 695

Adam Lyth (Yorkshire) 682

Tom Haines (Sussex) 640

Most wickets

Kyle Abbott (Hampshire) 31

George Hill (Yorkshire) 27

Ian Holland (Leicestershire) 27

Matthew Waite (Worcestershire) 23

Image source, Rex Features

This match-up is usually one of the most anticipated in the County Championship schedule - but there have been signs of vulnerability about Essex in the last few weeks.

They have lost two of their last three games and were hanging on for a draw in the other - and have been bowled out for under 200 in three of the last four innings.

No-one is better than Surrey at seizing on any show of frailty and they will see this is an opportunity to at least keep the pressure on leaders Notts - or to replace them at the top of the table.

The return of Sam Curran, Jamie Overton and Dan Worrall to the squad is an impressive show of strength by the champions - who have six seamers and no spinner in their side - and Essex will be glad to have the experienced Paul Walter available again after injury to help combat them.

Image source, Getty Images

Glamorgan are certainly doing their bit to help Australia prepare for the World Test Championship final against South Africa.

Following Marnus Labuschagne's return to their ranks last week, they have spin bowler Matt Kuhnemann in their squad for this game as they look for a third successive victory.

His inclusion will provide some compensation for the absence of in-form Ben Kellaway because of university exams, while the hosts have decided to rest Sri Lankan pace bowler Ajith Fernando.

Last week's defeat by leaders Leicestershire was a setback for Middlesex, who hope to bounce back against opponents they beat by nine wickets at Lord's last month.

Division One

Riverside: Durham v Somerset

Durham won the toss and will bat

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Sussex

Hampshire won the toss and will bat

Oval: Surrey v Essex

Surrey won toss and put Essex in

Worcester: Worcestershire v Warwickshire

Warwickshire won toss and will bat

Headingley: Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire

Yorkshire won the toss and put Notts in

Division Two

Derby: Derbyshire v Kent

Derbyshire won the toss and will bat

Cardiff: Glamorgan v Middlesex

Middlesex won toss and put Glamorgan in

Leicester: Leicestershire v Lancashire

Leicestershire won toss and put Lancashire in

Northampton: Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire

Northants won the toss and will bat

According to the BBC Weather X page: "It's the last day of our prolonged stretch of largely dry and sunny weather."

And the add, ominously: "The weekend weather is out there...waiting in the Atlantic."

Looks like it may be a case of 'gather ye rosebuds while ye may' for this round of Championship games, but today should be ok and we look set fair for some great action.

Image source, Rex Features

Nottinghamshire remain on top of the Division One table despite last week's defeat by Durham, but will be looking over their shoulders at Surrey, the champions for the past three seasons.

They maintained their unbeaten record with an emphatic innings win over Yorkshire and are just three points behind Haseeb Hameed's side, with Warwickshire 11 points further back in third after losing at home to Hampshire.

Leicestershire continue the set the pace in Division Two and will remain so irrespective of their result against Lancashire this weekend as they have a 30-point lead over second-placed Derbyshire.

Glamorgan are up to third, 10 points behind Derbyshire, following back-to-back wins, the second against Northants, who are now at the foot of the table.

Image source, Getty Images

And so the first block of matches in this season's County Championship is almost at an end.

We start the eighth round today - and then it's going to be white-ball all the way until the competition resumes on 22 June.

What's that saying about absence making the heart grow fonder?

Welcome to our coverage of a full complement of nine games. Play starts at 11:00.