Summary

  • Opening day of 2022 County Championship season

  • Two-division model back for 2022, with 10 teams in Division One and eight in Division Two

  • Div One: Essex v Kent, Hants v Som, Northants v Gloucs & Warks v Surrey

  • Champions Warwickshire have rain-affected first day v Surrey

  • Somerset bowled out for just 180 v Hampshire who close on 109-0 in reply

  • Alastair Cook and Nick Browne make centuries for Essex against Kent

  • Div Two: Glam v Dur, Leics v Worcs, Middlesex v Derbs & Sussex v Notts

  • Middlesex's Stevie Eskinazi first to make 100 this season

Live Reporting

Adam Williams and Ged Scott

  1. rain stops play

    Rain delay at Wantage Road too

    Gloucestershire 36-3 v Northants

    They've been off for rain in Northampton too.

    But no sooner are they off than the signs are that they want to come back on again.

    BBC Radio Northampton's Andrew Radd, a seasoned Wantage Road weather-watcher, refers to "angry black clouds" but also speculates that the worst of it might miss them and skirt round the Northampton by-pass.

    And indeed they are now back on again, in bright sunshine!!!

  2. Get Involved

    Tweet using #bbccricket

    David Jackman: 3.20pm - Essex are the only side currently batting in the County Championship yet to lose a wicket this season. If this post doesn't result in a wicket falling I don't know what will!

    We'll know who to credit then if one falls imminently...

  3. rain stops play

    All kinds of weather in Cardiff!

    Glamorgan 153-4 v Durham

    The elements appear to have been well and truly coming down in Wales this afternoon in another stop-start day's play....

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  4. rain stops play

    Rain stops play in Brum. Again!

    Surrey 123-2 v Warwickshire

    . . . and off they come again!

    Just 20 minutes have been possible since the delayed restart after lunch.

    One Olly Hannon-Dalby wicket.

    One Ollie Pope boundary.

    13 dot balls for Hashim Amla.

    Covers back in place.

    This time it's a serious shower sweeping across the ground.

  5. wicket

    WICKET

    Van Buuren lbw b Sanderson 5 (Gloucs 24-3 v Northants)

    Back playing again at Northampton, where the hosts have a third wicket.

    A second for Ben Sanderson, who traps visiting skipper Graeme Van Buuren.

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  6. 50 runs

    50 for Alastair Cook

    Essex 130-0 v Kent

    Glenn Speller
    BBC Essex at Chelmsford

    Sir Alastair Cook reaches 50 for Essex...again.

    It's come off 140 balls and includied seven fours in this opening partnership withj Nick Browne (65 not out).

    Patience, patience, nudged, nurdled, accumulated. Put away the bad ball. Solid in defence. ‘twas ever thus. #standard

  7. wicket

    WICKET

    Patel c Burgess b Hannon-Dalby 75 (Surrey 117-2 v Warwickshire)

    Early strike for Warwickshire after the two-hour delayed resumption as Olly Hannon-Dalby claims his first wicket of 2022 - Ryan Patel is gone for 75, without addition to his lunchtime score.

    England's Ollie Pope has come in to join Hashim Amla.

    Not sure how much longer they'll be out there though. The skies are dark, the lights are on and the wind is still getting up.

  8. Division Two round-up

    Glamorgan 153-4 Durham:

    After Andrew Salter went early, skipper David Lloyd made 28, but Colin Ingram is already on to 60 in only his second County Championship innings in five years .

    Leicestershire v Worcestershire:

    Start delayed due to rain. Further inspection 15:00 BST

    Middlesex 159-1 Derbyshire:

    Stevie Eskinazi (69) and Josh De Caires (67) still going well, having so far put on 141 since the early loss of Mark Stoneman.

    Sussex 145-3 Nottinghamshire:

    Sussex openers Ali Orr and Tom Haines put on 11 for the first wicket. But Notts have hit back with three wickets, two of them for Liam Patterson-White, starting with skipper Haines for 59. But Orr is still there on 62.

  9. wicket

    WICKET

    Van der Merwe b Fuller 28 (Hampshire v Somerset 134-6)

    Van der Merwe outRex Features

    Somerset's rearguard for the sixth wicket comes to an end and in agonising fashion for Roelof van der Merwe.

    He tries to back away and make room to cut a short ball from James Fuller through the offside but chops it back on to his own stumps off an under-edge to depart for 28.

    Ends a partnership worth 73 between him and James Hildreth (65 not out).

  10. Action continues at windswept Home of Cricket

    Middlesex 154-1 v Derbyshire

    Sam Dalling
    BBC Radio London at Lord's

    De CairesPA Media

    The same as before lunch at Lord's, except more wind.

    Bails and caps flying everywhere, plus plenty of false starts for the bowlers.

    Meanwhile, Middlesex move along serenely. Josh de Caires (67 not out) has reached a maiden first-class half century, bringing it up with a lovely cut shot off Anuj Dal. Both he and Steve Eskinazi (69 not out) are into the swinging sixties.

    Ryan Sidebottom's lunchtime fitness test was, well, short. Harry Came continues as sub-fielder for Derbyshire.

  11. Edgbaston restart put back

    Surrey 117-1 v Warwickshire

    Play not back on yet in Birmingham. It will now be 3 o'clock.

    Tea is put back until 20 past four.

    Another five overs lost.

    This could all easily become a bit on-off/off-on.

  12. Somerset showing fight

    Hampshire v Somerset 110-5

    Charlotte Taylor
    Southern Vipers spinner on BBC Radio Solent at the Ageas Bowl

    Somerset reconvened after lunch on 61-5 with Roelof van der Merwe injecting some positivity through strike rotation early on in the afternoon session.

    He is supporting James Hildreth (56 not out) fantastically to build a solid partnership. Van der Merwe is unbeaten on 21.

    Hildreth himself has now made his way to 50, the 46th time he has done that for Somerset in the County Championship.

    Hampshire having to work hard here with an older ball to break this partnership, but as soon as they do so, they will be into the tail of the Somerset line-up.

  13. 100 runs

    100 up for Essex

    Essex 114-0 v Kent

    Essex openers Nick Browne and Alastair Cook continued to go well at Chelmsford.

    But they take second place in the first century stand of the season competition.

    Cook's England successor Rory Burns and Ryan Patel beat them to that landmark at Edgbaston earlier.

  14. rain stops play

    Rain stops play in Cardiff

    Glamorgan 138-4 v Durham

    Dafydd Pritchard
    BBC Sport Wales at Sophia Gardens

    Match updates during April can run the risk of sounding more like weather reports - and the latest delay in Cardiff has been caused by a sudden and torrential hailstorm.

    Glamorgan had started their afternoon session against Durham steadily, with Colin Ingram (60 not out) and Chris Cooke (17 not out) moving the hosts to 138-4.

    The hail has eased off since then and, although there is a little sunshine peeking through the dark clouds, it could be a while until the players return.

  15. 50 runs

    50 for James Hildreth

    Hampshire v Somerset 96-5

    James Hildreth reaches the 126th first-class half-century of his career.

    88 balls. Four boundaries.

    Roelof van der Merwe has reached double figures at the other end.

  16. Edgbaston restart at 2:40

    Surrey 117-1 v Warwickshire

    The sun is out now in Birmingham - and we have news of a restart.

    They will resume at 14:40 BST, with only eight overs lost in the day, but eight to be tagged on tomorrow.

    Edgbaston in the April sunshineGed Scott - BBC Sport

    Having said that, the wind is still howling like a banshee.

    No guarantee that this might not all change again in the next quarter of an hour.

  17. Browne makes deserved 50

    Essex 99-0 v Kent

    Glenn Speller
    BBC Essex at Chelmsford

    BrowneRex Features

    A solid contribution from Essex opener Nick Browne (51 not out) who has driven well throughout his innings and he goes to his half-century with an off-drive for two runs.

    He has been such a good servant to Essex but despite his consistent performances he rarely gets a mention further up the food chain and England might be on the look out for an opening batter #justsaying

  18. 50 runs

    50 for Nick Browne

    Essex 94-0 v Kent

    A half-century for Essex opener Nick Browne as he drives former team-mate Matt Quinn down the ground for two runs.

    Gets there off 109 balls including eight fours as his partnership with Alastair Cook (34 not out) continues to grow.

  19. Raining again in Brum

    Surrey 117-1 v Warwickshire

    We could be in for an extended break at Edgbaston.

    After a delayed restart following lunch, umpires Tim Robinson and Steve O'Shaughnessy wandered out to the middle to take a peek - only to be met by a particularly squally shower.

    And they rapidly ran off again to seek sanctuary in the pavilion.

    An excellent turn of pace for two men of their age.

    The groundstaff now back out there battening down the hatches.

    Having said, that the sun has just peeped out from behind a cloud.

    That's England in April for you!

  20. Vince off for rest of day

    Hampshire v Somerset 83-5

    News from the Ageas Bowl for Hampshire fans is that James Vince will play no further part on the field today for pre-planned compassionate reasons.

    He is attending his father-in-law's funeral. Kyle Abbott is deputising as skipper.

    Meanwhile Somerset are attempting to rebuild their innings with James Hildreth (42 not out) and Roelof van der Merwe (6 not out) hanging in there.

    HildrethRex Features