Ashwell Prince pulls Tim Bresnan's first ball into the crowd for six. A real short-arm jab into the stands. Those early suggestions about it being a belting batting track in Manchester appear to be ringing true.

Kent have won the toss and will field first down at sunny Sussex-by-the-sea.

The visitors have Sam Billings back in their ranks, while James Tredwell also returns to the side.

Sussex have Luke Wright to give them some firepower up top, as well as Australia's T20 captain George Bailey in the middle-order.

Sussex: Wright, Nash, Machan, Cachopa, Bailey, Finch, Beer, Yardy, Robinson, Liddle, Mills.

Kent: Bell-Drummond, Ball, Northeast, Billings, Blake, Stevens, Coles, Cowdrey, Tredwell, Claydon, Thomas.

Seventeen runs from Birmingham's first two overs and Brendon McCullum has made just two of them.

Image source, Getty Images

Varun Chopra was the batsman who feasted on some leg-side bowling to hit Nathan Rimmington for consecutive boundaries. Some good running between the two kept the score ticking over as well.

Somerset pair Tom Cooper and Luke Ronchi are picking up the pace at Taunton. They score 20 runs off one Jack Taylor over, including three sixes, to take their fifth-wicket partnership to 56 in less than six overs.

Image source, Adam Williams

BBC Sport's Adam Williams at the Ageas Bowl: "A number of guest rooms with balconies behind the bowler's arm on non-match days double as commentary positions - so if the game's not that exciting, you can take a quick power nap between powerplays."

Sussex on Twitter: The @BrightonHoveJob County Ground looking good ahead of tonight's @NatWestT20Blast game.

Image source, @SussexCCC

Image source, Getty Images

Two boundaries from Paul Horton get Lancashire off to a flying start, and a six from Ashwell Prince off Glenn Maxwell's last ball is the exclamation point to a superb first over for Lancashire.

Image source, Getty Images

Here comes Brendon McCullum, striding to the wicket along with Bears captain Varun Chopra. Will we get the fireworks we're all expecting from the New Zealander? We'll soon find out.

What an evening for Leicestershire's Rob Sayer. The 20-year-old finishes with 2-16 from four overs on his T20 Blast debut.

Having started so brightly, Durham can't buy a run. They've taken just 29 runs from the last five overs, with three wickets falling in that period.

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesex have won the toss in the London derby and will bat first in front of a packed Oval crowd.

Surrey are without youngster Matt Dunn, who has a side strain, but they have an intimidating top-order of Jason Roy, Tom Curran and Kumar Sangakkara.

Visitors Middlesex will be looking to bounce back from last night's chastening seven-wicket loss to Sussex, with Nick Compton replaced by Neil Dexter.

Middlesex: Malan, Stirling, Dexter, Simpson, Morgan, Gubbins, Balbirnie, Rayner, Sandhu, Podmore, Patel.

Surrey: Roy, T Curran, Sangakkara, Wilson, Foakes, Mahmood, Ansari, Burns, Burke, Batty, S. Curran.

Benny Howell is doing the damage for Gloucestershire at the moment - he's come back into the attack to dismiss Johann Myburgh for 38. Howell has 2-17 off his three overs so far.

Much depends on Australian Tom Cooper and New Zealand international Luke Ronchi if Somerset are to get a decent total here.

Yorkshire have won the toss and will bowl first on what looks like an excellent batting strip at Old Trafford.

As we mentioned earlier, there's no James Faulkner for Lancashire after he was charged with drink-driving.

Jonny Bairstow, fresh from a Championship double-century against Durham, is included by Yorkshire, as well as Aussie duo Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell.

Lancashire: Prince, Horton, Brown, Davies, Croft, Livingstone, Clark, Lilley, Bailey, Parry, Jarvis.

Yorkshire: Gale, Finch, Hodd, Bairstow, Maxwell, Leaning, Bresnan, Pyrah, Middlebrook, Patterson, Fisher.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

In the corresponding group fixture last summer, Aaron Finch blasted a destructive 88 as Yorkshire won at Old Trafford by five wickets.

Earlier, Finch and Adam Lyth had combined to dismiss Lancashire all-rounder Tom Smith with an amazing catch.

The picture above shows them repeating the feat in a game against Leicestershire later in the tournament. Practice makes perfect.

Worcestershire Rapids have won the toss and will bat first against Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge.

Chris Read replaces Nottinghamshire captain James Taylor, who suffered a hamstring injury in the County Championship victory over Worcestershire earlier this week.

The Rapids are forced into making one change, as Richard Oliver comes into the side in place of Moeen Ali, who is unavailable on England duty.

Nottinghamshire: Lumb, Hales, Wessels, Patel, Christian, Smith, Mullaney, Read, Wood, Ball, Gurney.

Worcestershire: Oliver, Mitchell, Kohler-Cadmore, Munro, D'Oliveira, Whiteley, Cox, Leach, Barnard, Ajmal, Shantry.

Mark Stoneman reaches his half-century off 36 balls but Durham are stumbling a little bit - they've lost Paul Collingwood and Gordon Muchall cheaply.

BBC Somerset's Anthony Gibson: "Somerset really need an innings from their underperforming Australian in this match. Tom Cooper is capable of hitting some really big shots and if he can get a quick 30 or 40 then it could make all the difference."

Derbyshire have won the toss at Edgbaston and have opted to bowl first under a muggy Birmingham sky.

The visitors are unchanged for the fourth game in a row, with Chesney Hughes looking to continue his fine form for Derbyshire.

Birmingham, meanwhile, have some unknown New Zealander called Brendon McCullum opening up their innings. It'll be interesting to see how he goes on under some cloudy skies...

Birmingham: Chopra, McCullum, Porterfield, Ambrose, Evans, Clarke, Javid, Patel, Gordon, Hannon-Dalby, Poysden.

Derbyshire: Durston, Rutherford, C Hughes, Madsen, Elston, Thakor, A Hughes, Knight, Poynton, White, Rimmington.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

When the teams last met in the T20 Blast, it was Lancashire who came out on top with a thrilling final-ball win at Headingley.

England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler hit an unbeaten 71 off 35 balls to see the Red Rose county to victory.

Lancashire, last year's runners-up, have won only two of their five matches since beating Yorkshire.

There's some concern for Leicestershire as seamer Ollie Freckingham is helped off the field with an apparent knee injury - 12th man Lewis Hill has come on in his place.

Mark Stoneman is still leading Durham's charge at the midway point, with 40 from 28 balls.

Paul Collingwood is his partner out in the middle, after Foxes keeper Niall O'Brien stumped Calum MacLeod off the bowling of Jigar Naik.

While the teams continue to slug it out at in the West Country and north east, we're going to have a little look forward to tonight's Roses match. Besides, Lancashire and Yorkshire have a habit of producing wonderful matches and special moments in the T20 Blast...