Umpires and players are beginning to stroll out after lunch.

The afternoon session is imminent...

Alex Winter
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Bright, breezy and very pleasant as ever at Sophia Gardens. Northamptonshire fancied a bat, having spent 180 overs in the field across Sunday and Monday and recognising a pitch with not a lot in it here, but lost the toss, so they're trying to plug away and have a couple of successes so far.

Luke Wood was recalled from his loan by Nottinghamshire so Blessing Muzarabani, the Zimbabwean international now on a Kolpak deal at Northants, is making his debut. You can't miss him in a crowd - very tall, lithe figure.

The initial plan was to hold him back for the 50-over competition but thrust into the Championship here at the start of his new life. Good luck.

Just a reminder, that once this second round is done and dusted in the County Championship, it takes a month-long break.

The One-Day Cup starts next Wednesday, with four-day cricket returning on Tuesday, 14 May.

Just as we were getting into the swing of things!

Image source, Rex Features

Dave Bracegirdle
BBC Radio Nottingham commentator

Somerset backed up their decision to bowl first in their Specsavers County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

They picked up three wickets inside the first 11 overs, before striking twice more to leave the home county on 125 for five at lunch.

Ben Duckett, with 402 first class runs under his belt already, failed to add to his haul when he was pinned lbw for a second-ball duck by Jack Brooks.

Ben Slater and Chris Nash responded with a stand of 51 but then the visitors struck twice.

Josh Davey replaced Brooks in the attack and had immediate success, clipping the outside edge of Slater’s bat for 24.

Wicketkeeper Steve Davies dived a long way to his right to complete the dismissal of Joe Clarke, nicking Lewis Gregory for two.

Steven Mullaney hit the fist six of the match, before becoming Gregory’s second victim, for 26

The same bowler then claimed his third, as Chris Nash picked put Lack Leach in the deep for 58.

Isabelle Westbury
Former Middlesex captain on BBC Test Match Special

Every professional cricketer will insist that they want to face the best in the world to prove their mettle, but the sight of James Anderson at the top of his mark at Lord’s might give pause for thought.

This was the prospect awaiting Middlesex’s openers this morning - and while Sam Robson succumbed to Anderson for three, Gubbins pushed through for a tidy knock of 43, finishing unbeaten at lunch with a partnership of 70 with Stevie Eskinazi.

There were chances, including two drops, but the home side will consider it a good morning’s work.

Mike Taylor
BBC WM

In batting conditions that appeared, if you could put the need to scrape ice from car windscreens this morning out of your mind for a moment, more like late May than mid-April, Kent's openers prospered for most of the first session against bowling which was always steady and persistent if not overly threatening.

Zak Crawley played his positive strokes with confidence, and looked assured almost throughout, reaching 50 from the last ball he faced before the interval.

His union with the more conservative Sean Dickson was worth 82 runs before Dickson guided a low catch to gully, giving Ryan Sidebottom the first wicket.

Dave Fletcher
BBC Radio Derby Sport

Image source, Getty Images

It was honours even after the morning session at the County Ground.

Derbyshire elected to have a toss, lost it and were put into bat, which is what they wanted.

Gloucestershire picked up the first wicket with the score on 16, Billy Godleman bowled by Ryan Higgins for 7 and Wayne Madsen was trapped leg before wicket by Matt Taylor for 15.

But Luis Reece (27 not out) and Tom Lace (20 not out) guided them to 72 for 2 at the interval.

Division One:

Ageas Bowl: Hampshire v Yorkshire 112-2

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 125-5 v Somerset

The Oval: Surrey 86-3 v Essex

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Kent 96-1

Division Two:

Chester-le-Street: Durham 56-2 v Sussex

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 94-2 v Northamptonshire

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Derbyshire 72-2

Grace Road: Leicestershire v Worcestershire 104-2

Lord's: Middlesex 84-1 v Lancashire

Stick around and we'll show you how all the scores stand after that first session very soon....

England captain Joe Root safely negotiates eight balls and picks up a couple of runs before Yorkshire move to 112-2 at the interval.

Adam Lyth's 67 the highlight of the morning session. Gary Ballance unbeaten on 34.

Kent looked to be firmly in charge of that game but the hosts will be buoyed by the wicket of Sean Dickson just before the close.

Zak Crawley reaches his 50 off 82 balls with his 10th four, a deft flick behind square leg off Henry Brookes.

That's his first 50 of the Championship season.

And just across the Thames at The Oval - it's also time for lunch.

Essex have come back into it after a fairly sloppy first hour with the ball.

Rory Burns (31) and Mark Stoneman (45) looked to be cruising, but three wickets for the visitors have hauled them back into it.

Josh Bohannon bowls straight and Easkinazi firmly defends.

The last one has a bit more width and he lets it go.

A good recovery for the hosts after the early loss of Sam Robson.

Trial by spin - as Jeetan Patel brings himself on to bowl.

Not much in this surface for him right now, but a tidy maiden over.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Newcastle

Image source, Reuters

Cameron Bancroft was soon in the action in Chester-le-Street as he replaced opener Cameron Steel in the ninth over.

Steel was bowled for three by Ollie Robinson, the leading English wicket-taker in the two divisions last season.

And it's been slow going from a Durham point of view with Sussex putting them under pressure with some tight bowling.

Bancroft has 13 so far and got a decent reception when he came down the steps on his first day as Durham skipper. But he's also busy around his crease and is playing a lot of his shots from around leg stump. Gareth Harte has 12, while Alex Lees was bowled by Pakistan international Mir Hamza for 12.