Don Topley
BBC Essex

On a decent batting surface, Indian Test batsman Hanuma Vihari looked in prime form, especially against the fine Simon Harmer, the potent Essex spinner.

Both left handed Warwiçkshire opening batsmen were bowled: Rob Yates by impressive Sam Cook, and Skipper, Will Rhodes, giving Peter Siddle his first scalp of his return, edging on to his stumps.

Vihari has look comfortable and composed whilst Sam Hain has show some positive intent often coming down the wicket to the Essex spinner.

This 41-run second-wicket unbroken partnership will be hugely significant in the context of the game.

Essex will look to bowl tight and create pressure, with Warwiçkshire knowing any loss of wickets will open the door for the county champions. An excellent morning’s cricket.

Anthony Gibson
BBC Somerset

Somerset's morning, but it could have been very different had Tom Abell not narrowly survived a run-out decision and then been dropped at slip off Callum Parkinson's left arm slip.

Jack Leach did his job as nightwatchman to perfection, adding 63 with his captain before being bowled off an inside edge.

George Bartlett also benefited from a dropped catch off Parkinson, Harry Swindells the culprit this time, leaving Somerset to enjoy their lunch and Leicestershire to gnash their teeth.

Adrian Harms

An eventful morning at Hove, where Sussex had looked in control at 168-3.

But the dismissal of Tom Clark for 33 to end a partnership of 64 with Tom Haines began a collapse.

Sussex lost five wickets for 44 runs to reach lunch with a slender but potentially significant lead of 62.

Duanne Olivier has bowled quickly, taking four wickets so far to help Yorkshire fight their way back into the match.

Scott Read
BBC Radio Manchester

Just about the perfect session for Lancashire as Danny Lamb and Luke Wood batted through the entire morning session.

After Wood reached his first 50 for the Red Rose, he is now within sight of his second first-class ton.

Lamb is making the most of his opportunity, back in the side, with Saqib Mahmood having been rotated.

300 would have been the minimum target this morning.

400 is now a real possibility on a slow pitch, on which first innings runs could prove vital.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

David Bedingham is 221 not out at lunch on day two against Derbyshire at Chester-le-Street.

He hasn't put a foot wrong since he should have been run out on one yesterday morning.

His total is not only the highest by a Durham batsman against Derbyshire, it's the sixth highest in first-class cricket for the club.

He has also helped put on three consecutive hundred stands since arriving in the middle yesterday, when his side was struggling on 7-2.

Durham just missed out on a fourth batting point by a couple of overs but have also restricted the visitors to one bowling point.

Only two wickets have fallen today, of which Stu Poynter's departure for 2 brought George Scrimshaw his first scalp in first-class cricket.

Nick Webb
BBC Radio Wales

Glamorgan had the better of the first session on day two against Northants as they added a further 83 runs for their last three wickets before claiming two early victims.

Chris Cooke found able company from James Harris and former Durham seamer James Weighell, who brought up the fourth bonus point with his first run for Glamorgan after a disappointing debut.

His dismissal, Wayne Parnell’s third wicket on his debut, came two balls too late for Northants to take a maximum haul of bonus points. It also brought in Michael Hogan at number eleven to thrash six boundaries.

Chris Cooke was last out for 136, driving at a wide one from Nathan Buck to slip where Ricardo Vasconcelos took a blinding catch.

But the Northants opener then fell to a smart slip catch himself. Billy Root cliung on as medium pacer David Lloyd opened the bowling for the first time.

Glamorgan went into lunch on a high when Charlie Thurston tried a dubious single and Weighell hit the stumps from side on.

Mark Church
BBC Radio London

A glorious morning of proper Championship cricket. Surrey keeping themselves in the game but Middlesex edging themselves in front.

Robbie White and Sam Robson picked up where they left off last night, getting their heads down and needing to be at their best against the Surrey attack.

They had added 133 for the fourth wicket and were moving the home side to parity when Jordan Clark made the breakthrough as White played on for 72. John Simpson followed to Clark for 3 but Robson is still there on 76 and Middlesex have a slender 22 run lead.

for Joe Leachpublished at 13:14 British Summer Time 23 April 2021

13:14 BST 23 April 2021

Worcestershire 397-9 v Notts

Home skipper Joe Leach becomes the fifth Worcestershire batsman to go past 50 in this innings - and the third of the morning session.

What a curious looking scorecard.

Openers Jake Libby (117) and Daryl Mitchell (59) went unparted until the 41st over.

Followed by five successive failures.

And now 8, 9 and 10 have all made fifties.

Ed Barrnard 58, Alzarri Joseph 61 and now Leach is on 52, admirably supported by Charlie Morris, who has already lasted over an hour for his 3 not out from 38 balls.

Kevan James
Former Middlesex & Hampshire cricketer on BBC Radio Solent

Hampshire added 84 runs for the loss of two wickets this morning as Gloucestershire kept things reasonably tight.

We had to wait 63 minutes before James Vince managed to pierce the field with his famed off drive before Tom Alsop fell to a catch down the leg side off Ryan Higgins for 149, just one run short of a career best.

Higgins claimed both wickets to fall. His two wickets cost just 16 runs spread over two spells. He bowled some useful balls getting some life out of the pitch.

This made Josh Shaw's plan of bowling wide outside off stump to Alsop all the more puzzling.

While they carry on at New Road, we can see what some of the BBC local radio commentators made of their morning sessions...

Group One

• Durham 388-6 v Derbyshire
• Warwickshire 75-2 v Essex 295
• Worcestershire 390-9 v Notts - still in play

Group Two

• Hampshire 376-5 v Gloucestershire
• Leicestershire 233 v Somerset 157-4
• Middlesex 176-5 v Surrey 154

Group Three

• Kent v Lancashire 350-7
• Northants 17-2 v Glamorgan 407
• Sussex 212-8 v Yorkshire 150

It's now lunch at eight of the nine games - they're carrying on at Worcester with the hosts nine down - so a good time to look at the scores...

What a fightback this has been by Yorkshire.

Steven Patterson has just taken two wickets in two deliveries - first removing Ben Brown lbw for 37, then bowling Ollie Robinson without scoring.

Sussex have collapsed from 168-3 to 212-8.

Have we finally found an answer to Simon Harmer?

The Essex wicket machine is into the attack at Edgbaston and, having gone for 14 runs off four overs, has so far has proved harmless.

This is largely due to the skills of Indian Test batsman Hanuma Vihari, who has, according to BBC Essex's Don Topley "so far played him as welll as anyone I've seen".

Vihari has moved on to 24. England Lions Test hopeful Sam Hain is on 13. Their stand has so far reached 37.

No wickets this morning at Canterbury as Lancashire pair Luke Wood and Danny Lamb have made hay in the sunshine.

Their eighth-wicket stand is worth 102 and Wood is 20 short of his century.

10 minutes to go until lunch. Can anyone grab a crucial wicket or two before the interval?

for Abellpublished at 12:34 British Summer Time 23 April 2021

12:34 BST 23 April 2021

Leics 233 v Somerset 123-4

Somerset captain Tom Abell goes to his half-century at Leicestershire.

Can he now take his side towards a healthy first-innings lead?

He may have failed with the bat, but England Test captain Joe Root has just taken a fine catch to dismiss Delray Rawlins.

The Sussex all-rounder spooned one up from Duanne Olivier into the off side and Root leapt to his right and clung on.

Four wickets for paceman Olivier and Yorkshire are right back in the game.