Leicestershire survive the extra half hour at Hove and go into lunch with a handy 79-run lead, and their final pair still together.

After dismissing Harry Dearden early, Sussex later took three wickets for 18 runs in the space of seven overs, including Lewis Hill for a well-played 67.

Ollie Robinson and Mir Hamza have three wickets each, but Chris Wright and Will Davis have kept them at bay to reach lunch with 18 not out each.

Kevan James
BBC Radio Solent commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Ravi Bopara does it again. In what was the last ball before the break, he had Sam Northeast trapped lbw for 169, thereby spoiling what had been the perfect session for Hampshire.

Yesterday he trapped James Vince lbw at the same point in the day in what had been a thoroughly decent session for the home side

Whilst all the talk yesterday was of Rilee Rossouw's fine striking and how good Aiden Markram looked on debut, this morning Northeast emerged from the shadows looking every inch the class player we know he is. Last season was disjointed for him owing to an injury which struck early in the campaign. Pre-season runs plus this innings promise much for the summer ahead.

Division One

Hampshire 428-5 v Essex

Nottinghamshire 408 v Yorkshire 8-0

Somerset v Kent - play began at 13:10 BST

Division Two

Derbyshire 197 v Durham 106-6

Northamptonshire 445 v Middlesex

Sussex 173 v Leicestershire 252-9

Kevin Hand
BBC Radio London commentator

Northamptonshire's final wicket put Middlesex to the sword at Wantage Road as lunch was delayed before the hosts were eventually dismissed for 445.

A partnership of 71 between Luke Procter (81 not out) and Ben Sanderson was five runs short of the county's highest for the 10th wicket* versus the visitors and was well played on a surface that looks to have improved for the batsmen on Day Two.

The sun has been out for the most part and the wicket is playing true with some solid drives down the ground which we saw little of yesterday on a slow surface.

Nevertheless the pressure is on the Middlesex top order now in reply to an excellent score for the opening innings of the season.

*The record was set by George Tribe and Michael Dilley at Lord's 60 years ago.

In case you were wondering, we have an extended morning session at Hove and Northampton where the two batting sides are both nine wickets down.

There is frustration for Middlesex at Wantage Road, where Luke Procter has progressed to 76 not out in Northamptonshire's 432-9, adding 58 so far with last man Ben Sanderson.

Sussex, meanwhile, are being held up by Leicestershire's final wicket pair of Chris Wright and Will Davis. The visitors are 246-9, a lead of 73 runs.

We have cricket at Taunton where Somerset opener Azhar Ali makes a positive start, dabbing a ball from Harry Podmore down past the slips for four and then flicking the next one to the square leg boundary.

Marcus Trescothick is at the other end. 'Twas ever thus.

With Nottinghamshire resuming on 324-5 and Joe Clarke well-set on 109 not out, Yorkshire needed early inroads and made them through Duanne Olivier's (5-96) superb spell of fast bowling in the first hour. The South African took Clarke's middle stump out of the ground before inducing a miscued drive from Tom Moores and trapping Stuart Broad lbw with a well-directed yorker.

Once Olivier was taken out of the attack, however, Paul Coughlin (46) and Jake Ball (15) added a last wicket partnership of 33 to reassert Nottinghamshire's control. Steve Patterson (4-78) eventually wrapped up the innings, but having been put into bat by the visitors, Nottinghamshire will be delighted to have reached 408.

In reply, Adam Lyth kept Stuart Broad at bay and Harry Brook punched two boundaries off Jake Ball to see Yorkshire to 8-0 at the interval. A big session ahead.

Dave Fletcher
BBC Radio Derby Sport commentator

Ravi Rampaul picked up two wickets as Derbyshire got their noses in front on day two at the County Ground

He dismissed nightwatchman Matt Salisbury for 12 and opener Alex Lees for 32 as Durham slipped to 83-5.

Tony Palladino then trapped Stuart Poynter for eight as the visitors reached lunch trailing by 91 runs.

Master of the headband and now, it seems, the Leonard Nimoy* raised eyebrow as well.

Hmm, that left ear looks suspiciously pointy.

*didn't Leonard wear a headband in the fourth Star Trek movie? We're pretty sure he did.

Here we go, then. It's Stuart Broad opening the bowling for Nottinghamshire at the Pavilion End, with his former England colleague Adam Lyth on strike.

Broad's first couple of deliveries are misdirected down the leg-side, but he ends the over strongly, rediscovering his line to complete a maiden.

Jake Ball will share the new ball, but his radar is a little off as well. Ball's first delivery is tickled down the leg side by Harry Brook for four, before Brook pounces on an over-pitched delivery to drive through the covers for another boundary.

And that will be lunch.

Kit Harris
BBC Sport commentator

Image source, BBC Sport

At last, we will have cricket at Taunton. Kent have claimed their prerogative to bowl, and both teams have gone with all-seam attacks.

No Jack Leach for Somerset, no Adam Riley for Kent. There’s no Kent debut for Fred Klaasen either, but the Matts, Renshaw and Milnes, will don the blue cap and Jack Brooks makes his first appearance for the hosts.

There should be 80 overs today.

for Liam Dawsonpublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 6 April 2019

12:50 BST 6 April 2019

Hampshire 408-4 v Essex

Liam Dawson is not a flashy player, but he is doing an invaluable job for Hampshire and a single off Ravi Bopara, sliced away through point, takes him to 50 off exactly 100 balls.

Bopara finds the edge of Sam Northeast's bat with the final delivery of his over, but the ball skews away for the batsman's 21st four and he moves on to 158 not out.

Hampshire in control - but what can their bowlers do when it's their turn in the field?

That's a lovely pull behind square from Paul Coughlin, who is now only five runs from his half-century.

A leg-bye brings up the 400 for Nottinghamshire, before Jake Ball finds the boundary with a beautifully timed on-drive off the bowling of Matthew Waite, who is leaking quite a few runs for the White Rose.

The last wicket partnership now stands at a very useful 29.

for Sam Northeastpublished at 12:43 British Summer Time 6 April 2019

12:43 BST 6 April 2019

Hampshire 401-4 v Essex

Image source, Rex Features

Sam Northeast puts spinner Simon Harmer away through mid-wicket for four to reach 150 off 231 balls. He follows that with a single to take the score to 400 and carry Hampshire to their fifth batting point. A wicketless morning so far for the 2017 champions.

Looks like BBC Radio Northampton's Alex Winter has put the commentator's curse on his team (see 12:28 entry), with two wickets in an over by Middlesex's Steven Finn reducing them to 391-9 at Wantage Road.

Leicestershire have lost Lewis Hill at Hove, who was bowled by spinner Danny Briggs for 67. Tom Taylor, though, has 33 and they are 45 ahead on 218-7.

Derbyshire are continuing to work their way through the Durham order, with Stuart Poynter the latest batsman to go, lbw to Tony Palladino for eight. The visitors are 103-6, still 94 behind.

Nottinghamshire stepping things up as they look to reach the satisfying figure of 400. Jake Ball is off the mark superbly, whipping the ball into the leg-side for four runs.

Paul Coughlin then goes over the top for four more, before Ball finds the boundary again.

Steven Patterson regains a measure of control for Yorkshire, with only three from the latest over.

Jake Ball has moved to 8, with Paul Coughlin on 38.

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Northamptonshire were delighted with their effort yesterday in repelling an excellent Middlesex attack all day and building a solid score - a real rarity for them.

Something Northants also don't do very well is back up a good day the following morning - but here they've enjoyed another excellent session.

A third fifty partnership of the innings, this one between Luke Procter and debutant Luke Wood (pictured below) has raised a fourth batting bonus point. It took five matches for Northants to earn four batting points last season.

Image source, Getty Images