Ian Westwood is back in the Warwickshire team as they look to put defeats in their opening two games behind them. The opener isn't normally renowned for fast scoring, but his first four scoring strokes this morning have resulted in fours - two of them in succession in Tom Curran's third over. Way to go, Westy!

Dave Fletcher
BBC Radio Derby Sport

Derbyshire have gone with the same side that lost to Northamptonshire for their trip to Canterbury.

And their bowlers will be looking to prosper on a greenish wicket after deciding not to contest the toss.

The question is, can they do enough to put them in a position to win in the Championship for the first time since July 2015?

Today is a memorable day for two young cricketers.

Adam Barton makes his Sussex debut today against Nottinghamshire - a side he has already faced this season for Cambridge MCCU.

Meanwhile, San Francisco-born Cameron Steel plays his first game for Durham against Gloucestershire after receiving his "baggy blue" cap from head coach Jon Lewis before play.   

Image source, Rex Features

If you're looking for teams with 100% records, then that particular statistical ship has already sailed as far as Division One is concerned.

It's a different story in Division Two, however, with Notts, Northants and Kent surging away from dockside like a speedboat steered by Philippe Chiappe*. 

Notts are many people's favourites for promotion, and having finished second last summer, the early-season form of Kent is no surprise.

But what about Northants? Last week's penultimate-ball win over Derbyshire was their fifth in a row in the Championship - three last season, two this - and it looks like Alex Wakely's men are hungry to prove they are not just a bunch of T20 tearaways.

Will those three continue to leave the rest trailing in their wake? Or are there some tricky currents ahead before they round the buoy for home?** 

*For anyone not in the nautical know, he's the 2016 world powerboating champion 

**I promise that's the end of the maritime nonsense

Richard Rae
BBC Radio Leicester Sport

Here's the pitch for Leicestershire v Glamorgan - it looks good, but conditions may favour bowlers...

Clive Eakin
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

Given Warwickshire's batting woes in their first two Championship matches, Surrey captain Gareth Batty will not have had to thought long or hard before deciding to put the home side in at Edgbaston.

The Bears will hope the inclusion of Ian Westwood and Ateeq Javid will strengthen a batting line-up which has failed spectacularly so far this season.

With a bowling attack which includes the Curran brothers, Mark Footitt and Jade Dernbach, Surrey will fancy their chances of a productive morning under grey clouds with the floodlights on.  

Adam Whitty
BBC Radio Kent

A block of flats is being built here to the side of the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury with a large yellow crane standing tall in the skyline.

On the field, Kent too seem to be building something rather substantial.

Their two wins against Gloucestershire and Sussex have come with hefty margins - 334 runs and 226 runs respectively - and they will hope to continue that rich vein of form against a struggling Derbyshire side today, who haven't won since 2015.

Image source, BBC Sport

They have some strong foundations, with the evergreen Darren Stevens leading an experience bowling attack and a modern edge in the form of Daniel Bell-Drummond and captain Sam Northeast.

When these flats are scheduled to be finished later in the summer, Kent will be hoping they will be firm favourites for Division One promotion.

As usual, we have ball-by-ball coverage of the nine matches starting today on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and BBC local radio.

All you need to do is go to the top of this page, where you'll find a selection of commentaries.

On 5 live sports extra today, it's Middlesex v Essex.

Moeen Ali is back from England duty to play for Worcestershire as they take on Northamptonshire in a four-day Championship match starting today.

Director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: "We love having Mo in our side - he's a wonderful character. His attitude is brilliant when he comes back to play for us."

Image source, Getty Images

You can here full ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Hereford & Worcester's 738AM frequency and online.

Hampshire have made an impressive start to the 2017 campaign with victory at Yorkshire and a creditable draw at home to champions Middlesex.

But there is no Rilee Rossouw (finger) or Fidel Edwards (hamstring) in their side as Yorkshire come to the Ageas Bowl looking for revenge.

Image source, Rex Features

However, there is some good news with Reece Topley and Tom Alsop included in the hosts' team this morning, although young spinner Mason Crane is once again the victim of April conditions. 

Topley returns to the fold after recovering from multiple injuries sustained over the past year while England Lions batsman Alsop gets a first start after failing to feature in a championship fixture this season.

It's amazing - well, it is to me - that a team containing Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell has not managed a single batting bonus point in their first two Championship games of the season.

But that is the situation for Warwickshire, whose sport director Ashley Giles has admitted they are already in a relegation "scrap" after back-to-back innings defeats.

One of the problems, as Giles sees it, is an ageing team - of those who played against Yorkshire last week, only Alex Mellor, Sam Hain and Oliver Hannon-Dalby are aged under 30. 

"I saw one transition through from 2008 to 2012 and now we're heading into another one," he admitted.  

So, round three of this summer's Championship - and here's how the fixture list looks for the next four days of hopefully uninterrupted action.

No surprises at the toss, with all nine away sides electing to have a bowl with overcast conditions across the country. Could be a testing morning for home batsmen.

Division One

Hampshire v Yorkshire - No toss, Yorkshire choose to bowl first

Lancashire v Somerset - No toss, Somerset choose to bowl first

Middlesex v Essex - No toss, Essex choose to bowl first

Warwickshire v Surrey - No toss, Surrey choose to bowl first

Division Two

Gloucestershire v Durham - No toss, Durham choose to bowl first

Kent v Derbyshire - No toss, Derbyshire choose to bowl first

Leicestershire v Glamorgan - No toss, Glamorgan choose to bowl first

Nottinghamshire v Sussex - No toss, Sussex choose to bowl first

Worcestershire v Northamptonshire - No toss, Northants choose to bowl first

Middlesex and Essex have not played against each other in the County Championship since 2011.

In that summer, Middlesex won a low-scoring game at Lord's by eight wickets before the return game at Chelmsford was drawn.

Now the two sides meet again after Essex won Division Two last season, but how will they fare against the 2016 champions, having achieved one win and one draw so far?

Opener Alastair Cook, fresh from his 110 in last week's win over Somerset, is likely to be a key figure at Lord's, a ground where he has made four of his 30 Test centuries - but will one Cook be enough to spoil the Middlesex broth? 

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Getty Images

Restrictions on the availability of England players at the start of the new season has been the subject of 'polite' debate in certain quarters.

While accepting the need for new England Test skipper Joe Root to be given time off, Yorkshire coach Andrew Gale criticised the decision to prevent wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow from playing in last week's game against Warwickshire., external

Meanwhile, former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne labelled Stuart Broad's absence from Nottinghamshire's game against Durham as "a joke"., external

Root, Bairstow, Broad and Lancashire's James Anderson are all set for action this week, though, and all-rounder Moeen Ali makes his first appearances of the summer for Worcestershire.

The Pears beat Glamorgan last week, but director of cricket Steve Rhodes is happy to change a winning team to accommodate Moeen, telling BBC Hereford & Worcester Sport: "Whoever misses out, it's special circumstances and I think they understand that." 

Image source, Rex Features

You know those heavy-lidded, bug-eyed chameleons you sometimes see on TV nature programmes - I always wonder whether their view of the world is shaped like the photo of Lord's above.

Welcome to our coverage of the third round of this summer's County Championship.

For any lovers of fractions reading this, a seventh of the Championship campaign is already over for seven of the Division One teams, even though there are still nine days left in April, and a ninth of it is done and dusted for six of the sides in Division Two.

I will have more interesting statistics for you in the course of the day. That's a promise.