Jonathan Doidge

BBC Radio Leeds

A tidy first couple of overs for Matthew Waite who was superb against Leeds Bradford MCCU last week when he took five wickets in both innings. After quite a few injury problems over the last few years I think Yorkshire are just relieved to see him playing in the first match of the Championship season. He'll be bowling with the wind behind, which hopefully he can make use of.

With the 2019 County Championship campaign now under way, why not try our quiz?

Image source, Rex Features

Opening the batting - easy.

It's unlikely that thought is running through the mind of James Vince, but three boundaries in an over off Jamie Porter have got him up and running in his new role, the first two caressed through extra cover with minimal effort and the third forced away square off the back foot.

An uncharacteristically loose start by Porter, who like Vince, has England ambitions for this summer.

Quite remarkably, Nottinghamshire's Ben Duckett had already scored 298 first-class runs this season before today's match got under way.

He scored a double century and then 82 against Cambridge MCCU and has picked up where he left off by dominating the run scoring for Notts thus far, with three boundaries already.

Ben Slater seems happy enough leaning on his bat at the other end, and why not?

Covers on at Tauntonpublished at 11:26 British Summer Time 5 April 2019

11:26 BST 5 April 2019

Somerset v Kent - start delayed

Kit Harris
BBC Sport commentator

Taunton's new floodlights are an impressive sight, but they are looking disdainfully down upon an unpromising scene. Though the outfield is well-drained and the pitch ready for play, a considerable amount rain is approaching from the south and the full covers are coming on.

Image source, BBC Sport

Nick Gledhill
BBC Essex

Play just underway here after a 20-minute delay for bad light. The forecast is for lighter skies this afternoon but it won't get much warmer. This is a great chance for Essex to make early inroads but equally for James Vince to show his capabilities as an opener in testing conditions. At least the Liverpool players on the floor below us now have something to watch before they head to St Mary's.

There has also been an early wicket at Hove, where Leicestershire's Chris Wright produced an absolute beauty to have Phil Salt caught behind for a duck. Sussex are 5-1 in the fourth over.

Billy Godleman and Tom Lace are trying to rebuild for Derbyshire after the shock of losing Luis Reece and Wayne Madsen in the opening over against Durham. They are 8-2 in the fourth.

No success yet for Middlesex, who have Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones sharing the new ball, with Northants 7-0 after four overs at Wantage Road.

Ben Duckett has hit the first boundary of Nottinghamshire's county cricket season but it's not a quick outfield at Trent Bridge today - it trickled its way there despite being hit well.

In these opening few overs there've been plenty of lbw appeals from Duanne Olivier and Ben Coad for Yorkshire and a few play-and-misses from Duckett and Ben Slater.

Not easy batting conditions, all a bit slow.

A frustrating start for Hampshire and Essex as the light has closed in at the Ageas Bowl and umpires Neil Mallender and Martin Saggers - both former England seamers - have decided that play must be delayed until 11.20. Remember, there was no toss - the home side will bat.

Yorkshire's former South Africa fast bowler Duanne Olivier gets the new ball on his debut and it's a rusty first over for him. Ben Coad - who started things off - began things with a maiden for the White Rose.

Steady start.

So we're going to have to wait for action between Somerset and Kent, but the players are out in the middle at the other five grounds.....and just like Flash Gordon, the 2019 county cricket season is alive!

How about this for a Division Two bowling attack? Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones - the former with 125 Test wickets and the latter with a Test bowling average under 20.

The Middlesex duo played a combined six matches in the County Championship last season but will be up against Northants today.

Great to see them both back.

Yorkshire have chosen to bowl first after an uncontested toss at Trent Bridge, but they won't have former England seamer Tim Bresnan taking that new ball.

New signing Duanne Olivier makes his debut and you'd expect the South African to be given that responsibility.

As expected, England captain Joe Root is in the Yorkshire team.

Notts' bowling attack - when they get round to it - is pretty impressive, spearheaded by England stalwart Stuart Broad and Jake Ball.

But starting the day off for them are two Bens: Slater and Duckett (not that law firm always advertising on the telly).

Duckett in particular will be hoping for a strong start to the season after slipping out of England contention over the past couple of years - he'll hope his move from Northants reignites his career.

Notts XI : Slater, Duckett, Nash, Clarke, Mullaney c, Patel, Moores w, Coughlin, Broad, Fletcher, Ball. Yorkshire XI: Lyth, Brook, Ballance, Root, Kohler-Cadmore, Leaning, Tattersall w, Waite, Patterson c, Coad, Olivier.

England's pace options were given a considerable boost last month when Sussex fast bowler Jofra Archer became eligible for selection under new residency rules.

And Yorkshire new boy Duanne Olivier intends to follow Archer's lead after turning his back on playing international cricket for his native South Africa, to forge a new career path at Headingley.

There were some critical mutterings about Kolpak signing Olivier's declared desire to qualify for England, but speaking last week, the 26-year-old was undaunted.

"Not just there (in South Africa), I think there will be a few English people who are a bit upset, but if the time comes I'll handle it then. When I said it I was expecting a bit of criticism, but it's OK," he said.

Only 15 players have appeared in Test cricket for two different teams, most recently Boyd Rankin for England and Ireland, will Olivier become the 16th? You only have to wait three years to find out.

BBC Sport will, as usual, be bringing you every spit and cough* of this summer's county cricket action, courtesy of our BBC local radio commentary teams.

All you have to do is select the match of your choice from the commentary links at the top of this page and tune in. We'll keep you apprised of everything else going on around the various grounds with regular text updates.

*that's just an expression, as far as we know, none of the BBC commentators are currently suffering from bronchial conditions.

Image source, BBC Sport

Not many coins needed today.

Division One

Hampshire v Essex

No toss, Essex elected to bowl

Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire

No toss, Yorkshire elected to bowl

Somerset v Kent

Match delayed - inspection at 11:30 BST

Division Two

Derbyshire v Durham

Derbyshire won the toss and decided to bat

Northamptonshire v Middlesex

No toss, Middlesex elected to bowl

Sussex v Leicestershire

No toss, Leicestershire elected to bowl

Things have changed a bit at the Ageas Bowl over the winter. Jimmy Adams and Sean Ervine have retired, and Hampshire have transformed their squad by bringing in Keith Barker, James Fuller, Aneurin Donald and South Africa opener Aiden Markram.

Despite that, skipper James Vince has opted for a cautious tone, somewhat at odds with the positive way he approaches his batting.

“Normally at this time of year, we might stand here and say we want to win all three trophies and that. But we’re going to try and rein it in this year and just look one game at a time," he told BBC Radio Solent.

“By taking it bit by bit, hopefully we stay in the moment a bit more and make sure we’re focusing all our energy on to what we’re doing at that particular moment.”

Image source, Rex

Day one of a new Championship campaign. What are the overhead prospects? There may be some showers about in the west - and there is a delayed start at Taunton - but not too bad overall. Here's a video forecast by BBC Weather's Ben Rich to confirm that.

At least we don't have to contend with this.