Image source, Getty Images

Harry Gurney to continue, and Birmingham captain Varun Chopra nurdles him to fine leg for four. This outfield looks lightning quick. Chopra and Tom Lewis then scamper a single. Lewis to face the last - clean bowled! Through the gate and his stumps are all over the place.

Kent's Darren Stevens is one of just four players to pass 2,500 T20 runs in the domestic competition. He is well supported in the middle order by Sam Billings, who enjoyed a prolific run of form in last year's competition. Sussex captain Luke Wright has three T20 centuries to his name, while the Sharks' batting line-up has been boosted by the arrival of Mahela Jayawardene.

Kent: Bell-Drummond, Denly, Northeast (capt), Cowdrey, Stevens, Blake, Billings, Coles, Tredwell, Claydon, Griffiths.

Sussex: Nash, Wright (capt), Jayawardene, Machan, Cachopa, Yardy, Brown, Beer, Robinson, Liddle, Magoffin.

Kent have won the toss and opt to bat first - live commentary via the Live Coverage tab.

Superb over from Jake Ball. New batsman Tom Lewis is unable to score of the final three balls of the second over.

Image source, Getty Images/BBC

Ex-Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene will be looking to break through the barrier of 100 sixes in T20 cricket as he lines up for Sussex. He's currently on 93.

He's been speaking to BBC Sport about his excitement ahead of a summer with the Sharks and playing against former team-mate Kumar Sangakkara, who is appearing for Surrey this season.

Left-armer Harry Gurney will start things off, bowling to Will Porterfield. The Irishman picks up a single to mid-wicket, and Varun Chopra is off the mark too with a neat push to square leg.

Almost time for the start at Trent Bridge, as defending champions Birmingham Bears open up against Nottinghamshire Outlaws. Openers Varun Chopra and Will Porterfield enter the field accompanied by a few flashes of pyrotechnics.

That's going to be our featured match in this live text commentary, but don't worry - we'll be keeping you in touch with the other seven games taking place tonight.

BBC London's Kevin Hand at Bristol: "Middlesex 125-2 overachieving on this pitch, I reckon. Doesn't look like the ball is coming on nicely at all. Fifty for @thecompdog."

Image source, Yorkshire CCC

Will it be a case of hair today, gone tomorrow for retired Test umpire Dickie Bird? The Yorkshire president gives the thumbs-up to the T20 Blast ahead of their opening game against Derbyshire Falcons at Headingley.

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Despite being dropped on the boundary by Olly Stone in the previous over, Paul Collingwood is caught by the Northants man at mid-off.

The away side are picking up wickets at regular intervals to stunt the home side's push towards 200.

Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara makes his debut for Surrey tonight - he has a handy 1,382 international T20 runs to his name, including eight half-centuries. Jason Roy will also be looking to build on his scintillating form in last year's competition. Former Somerset man Craig Meschede makes his T20 debut for Glamorgan, while South Africa's Colin Ingram slots in to the top order.

Surrey: Roy, Davies, Sangakkara, Solanki, Wilson (capt), Ansari, Kapil, Riaz, Batty, Curran, Dunn.

Glamorgan: Rudolph (capt), Wallace, Ingram, Cooke, Wright, Wagg, Meschede, Lloyd, Salter, Cosker, Hogan.

Surrey have won the toss and will bowl first - live commentary via the Live Coverage tab.

Nick Compton may not be the most flamboyant batsman but he's doing a fine job for Middlesex this evening, reaching his half-century with two off Jack Taylor, before celebrating with a switch-hit for his fifth boundary from the next ball.

Ebony Rainford-Brent
Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

"Driving up today from London, you started to feel it. You start looking at some of the names that will be in this competition - Vernon Philander and Brendan Taylor who we're seeing today, and there's also a lot of home talent coming through. James Taylor has really kicked on as a cricketer. I'm really looking forward to this competition."

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Having just reached his fifty, Phil Mustard throws away his wicket as Josh Cobb picks up his second scalp of the evening with the Durham batsman get caught at long on.

Phil Mustard is the second Durham batsman to reach his half century as he sends Graeme White for two fours to reach his 16th fifty.

The Colonel has shared a 53-run third-wicket partnership with captain Paul Collingwood to keep up the Jets run-rate.

BBC WM's Richard Wilford at Trent Bridge:

"Birmingham Bears give a first team debut to batsman Tom Lewis tonight after he impressed on the pre-season tour of Barbados."

Last year's finalists Lancashire are fielding a strong team at Old Trafford, with Alviro Petersen making his first T20 appearance for the club. Liam Livingstone is an interesting inclusion - the youngster scored 350 off 138 balls for Nantwich in a club match last month, an innings that included 27 sixes. Australia's Clint McKay makes his first T20 appearance for Leicestershire, along with Ireland's Kevin O'Brien and New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott.

Lancashire Lightning: Croft (capt), Bailey, Brown, Clark, Davies, Edwards, Lilley, Livingstone, Parry, Petersen, Prince.

Leicestershire Foxes: Cosgrove (capt), Eckersley, Elliott, McKay, Naik, K O'Brien, N O'Brien, Raine, Sykes, Taylor, Wells.

The Foxes will bat first after winning the toss - live commentary via the Live Coverage tab.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Today's featured commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra is Nottinghamshire Outlaws v Birmingham Bears.

Birmingham Bears won the competition for the first time in 2014, beating Lancashire Lightning in the final at Edgbaston.

They begin the defence of their title at Trent Bridge, against an Outlaws side containing internationals such as James Taylor, Samit Patel, Brendan Taylor and Vernon Philander.

Adam Voges, who will join up with the Australian side after this match, greets Jack Taylor by sending the bowler to the boundary ropes for four.

Nick Compton continues to accumulate his runs, albeit at a slightly faster rate now, with the former England opener on 41 off 32 balls. He's hit just three fours in his innings so far.

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Hales is in the line-up for Nottinghamshire Outlaws' match against champions Birmingham Bears at Trent Bridge but will soon be on his way to India to play in the IPL.

The England batsman, who called on the national side to play without fear at the launch of the T20 Blast, is to link up with Mumbai Indians.

Hales made 365 runs in 13 innings in last season's T20 Blast, with a high score of 67 and a strike rate of 137.