Kevan James
BBC Radio Solent

Not sure it was a straightforward decision to bowl first for Hants captain James Vince. Normally a shoe in decision at this time of year at Headingley.

But decent weather in the past week may make batting a little easier in the first session. Fidel Edwards passed a late fitness test and his first over suggests not as much help for the bowlers. Kyle Abbott conceded the first boundary in the next over.

Haseeb Hameed has his first County Championship run of 2017.

I wonder how many more he's going to get over his career?

I'm going to guess 34,135. Come back to me in 20 years. 

Ollie Gover:  Always the happiest day of the year - start of the county cricket season. The sun is almost shining up in Manchester! 

Andy Hood:  Nick Browne - classy opener for Essex and always capable of posting a big score!  

Fenners:  Great to see Michael Carberry playing today. Go well buddy! Good to see you back for Hampshire!

Okay, we've made it! It's glorious outside, county cricket is back, life is good.

The 2017 season starts...NOW

Image source, Getty Images

Former England Test captain Alastair Cook will not take the field at Chelmsford with his Essex colleagues this morning having been ruled out with a minor injury.

Cook, 32, has been made available for the newly-promoted Division One side for the beginning of the season but picked up a hip injury. 

Despite the setback, the opener is looking forward to the challenging campaign ahead. 

"For the first three months of the season it will be great to be around," he told BBC Sport. "It is going to be tough - we're probably the bookies' favourite to go back down."

Read the full story here. 

Northants batsman Ben Duckett has admitted criticism on social media over his displays for England affected him. 

The 22-year-old, who plays for his county against Glamorgan this morning, had a difficult start to his Test career, averaging 15.71 in seven innings against Bangladesh and India.

"I actually started to believe some of the stuff I was reading," the left-hander, told BBC Look East.

"It was extremely tough but a lot of the England boys were very helpful to me. I spoke to Root a lot."

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

Leicestershire begin their County Championship campaign at Grace Road against Nottinghamshire this morning with a 16-point penalty after repeated disciplinary offences. 

An offence by bowler Charlie Shreck in a pre-season match against Loughborough MCCU last month was the club's fifth in 12 months and triggered an automatic punishment.

As well as the points deduction, captain Mark Cosgrove has been banned for one match and the Foxes received a £5,000 fine. 

"We've got to get better and be more disciplined - 16 points is a big deal to us," Cosgrove told BBC Radio Leicester.  

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

Adam Whitty
BBC Radio Kent

It is an absolutely stunning day here in Canterbury, perfect for a spot of cricket.

Kent, with a side brimming with young English talent, will fancy themselves as one of the promotion favourites from Division Two this season, face a Gloucestershire team whose limited overs quality is undeniable, but face significant test in the four-day game.

The hosts play two debutants for the season opener. Joe Weatherley will open the batting with Daniel Bell-Drummond on his home debut, while pace bowler James Harris also plays his first game for the county after joining on loan from Middlesex two days ago.

Gloucestershire, meanwhile, are without their captain Gareth Roderick, so Phil 'The Colonel' Mustard deputises as skipper. 33-year-old Chris Liddle also makes his four-day debut.

We are all set here at the County Ground, for what should be an intriguing encounter.

Goodness me, the last 50 minutes has gone quickly!

We're now just 10 away, well actually eight minutes, from the start of the 2017 county cricket season. 

I'm not quite sure how it's April already, I'm still putting my Christmas decorations away. 

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a snapshot of the team news

• Both of Surrey's new signings, Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick play.
• Michael Carberry plays for Hampshire
• Seamers Ben Coad and Josh Shaw in Yorkshire side

Excited the County Championship is back? Of course you are!

Throughout the season, the live text commentaries are as much about you guys getting involved as our ramblings.

To get things going, I want to know which one player you think will shine this season? That's not going to take up 140 characters on Twitter though - so feel free to let me know why.

It would also be nice to hear your thoughts on any subject matter - cricket related of course - as the day unfolds.

Use #bbccricket on Twitter.

Image source, Getty Images

With England's first Test match of the summer not until July, we can expect plenty of familiar faces playing for their counties in the opening half of the season.

Pulling on the whites today...

• Haseeb Hameed & James Anderson (Lancashire)
• Stuart Broad & Alex Hales (Notts)
• James Vince & Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
• Ben Duckett (Northants)

The full list of England player availability can be found here.

Good news for Lancashire and England supporters - opener Haseeb Hameed is fit after suffering a knock to his hand earlier in the week.

The 20-year-old will be opening for the Red Rose county shortly. England team-mate James Anderson is also in the side.

To help promote the start of the new season - BBC Test Match Special pair Dan Norcross and Ebony Rainford Brent will be attempting to travel to the six different grounds today.

They'll do a short commentary stint at each - I can't wait to see this one unfold!

All running smoothly, the schedule should be as follows...

Yorkshire v Hampshire - 11am

Leicestershire v Notts - 12.50pm

Northants v Glamorgan - 1.45pm

Essex v Lancashire - 3.20pm

Kent v Gloucestershire - 4.40pm

Surrey v Warwickshire - 6.10pm

Feel free to make them a coffee if you see them, they'll need it!

Division One:

Essex v Lancashire - Lancashire win the toss and bat

Surrey v Warwickshire - No toss, Warwickshire choose to bowl

Yorkshire v Hampshire - No toss, Hampshire elect to bowl

Division Two:

Kent v Gloucestershire - No toss, Gloucestershire choose to bowl

Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire - No toss, Notts choose to bowl

Northants v Glamorgan - Glamorgan win the toss and bat

Yep, it really is sunglasses weather on 7 April Jimmy!

Image source, Rex Features

BBC Sport will once again have radio commentary on every ball of every game of county cricket in 2017.

Our local radio teams are in place at the six grounds - and there will be coverage from Essex v Lancashire on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

Just a couple of minutes to go until we find out who's playing, who's batting, who's making the tea.

I'd imagine a few batsmen would want to get out in the middle looking at conditions.

Image source, Getty Images

There are plenty of changes for this season, so I've put them into a handy list of bullet points. I'm good to you aren't I?!

• Eight teams in Division One; 10 sides in Division Two
• All counties will play 14 matches instead of 16
• Division Two teams face four of the others only once during the season
• A full round of day-night matches from 26-29 June using a pink ball
• Coin toss rules remain - visiting captain can choose to bowl first
• Season ends on 28 September, five days later than 2016