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
With a delayed restart at Edgbaston, coverage on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra now switches to the Ageas Bowl until 14:55 BST.
You can listen to commentary of Hampshire v Somerset now with Kevan James and Anthony Gibson while you're out and about.
Play resuming in most of our eight fixtures after lunch.
Still delays though at Grace Road where there is still rain falling and play yet to begin between Leicestershire and Worcestershire.
We'll bring you more news from there as and when there will be an inspection.
Also, we've had a lunchtime shower at Edgbaston which means a delayed restart between Warwickshire and Surrey.
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Jack Leach had an at times eventful winter for England in Test series against Australia and the West Indies and not always for the right reasons.
The 30-year-old slow left-armer has been chatting ahead of the new county season about how he feels he can handle the pressures of the game and you can read more in our article below.
England spinner Jack Leach says he is in the "best place" of his career to deal with pressure.
Read MoreThere's been plenty of change over the winter at Derbyshire with an exciting new era under head coach Mickey Arthur starting at Lord's against Middlesex today.
Also joining his coaching team is former England batter Ian Bell as batting consultant.
Red more about that move in our story below.
Former England star Ian Bell is installed as batting consultant by Derbyshire, who also sign Ryan Sidebottom on loan.
Read MoreAustralian bowler Michael Neser is “happy to be back” with Glamorgan and “can’t wait" for new County Championship season to begin.
He chatted to BBC Wales Sport ahead of the county's opening Division Two fixture against Durham at Sophia Gardens.
Before we resume for the afternoon session, let's bring you some news from around the counties in recent days...
Sussex 101-0 v Nottinghamshire
Adrian Harms
BBC Sussex at Hove
A terrific morning for Sussex at a blustery Hove, reaching 101-0 after being put into bat.
Tom Haines (55 not out) has led the way following up his excellent form of last season and been ably supported by Alistair Orr (41 not out), who turned 21 yesterday.
This looks a good pitch and Sussex will be looking to press home the advantage after lunch.
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Middlesex 96-1 v Derbyshire
Sam Dalling
BBC Radio London at Lord's
Image source, Getty ImagesMiddlesex are ticking along nicely at what is a very blustery Lord's.
Asked to bat first by Billy Godleman, the home side have reached 96-1 at lunch.
Mark Stoneman (12) fell early, flicking one Derbyshire debutant - Suranga Lakmal - to another - Shan Masood - at mid-wicket.
But Stevie Eskinazi (48 not out) and Josh de Caires (36 not out) have since put on 83 relatively untroubled runs.
An 11th-hour call up in Sam Robson's absence, De Caires can count himself a tad fortunate to still be there. He was put down by Anuj Dal at point off Sam Conners when on 21.
Warwickshire quick Ryan Sidebottom was only signed on loan by Derbyshire yesterday, his morning was just seven balls old when he limped off with a suspected hamstring injury. He will be assessed at lunch.
Essex 86-0 v Kent
Glenn Speller
BBC Essex at Chelmsford
Image source, Rex FeaturesEssex’s morning, with knobs on.
Kent will have hoped winning the toss in overcast conditions would lead to the almost obligatory flurry of early-season wickets, but the pitch has played very true with hardly any lateral movement.
The bowlers have not been helped by a strong wind blowing across the ground, which has led to a lot of aborted run-ups and pauses in play while they wait for the strong gusts to abate.
Nick Browne (48 not out) has timed the ball sweetly driving both off the front and back foot while Sir Alastair Cook (29 not out) has played a circumspect support role while putting away any bad balls.
Hampshire v Somerset 61-5
Anthony Gibson
BBC Somerset at the Ageas Bowl
Image source, Rex FeaturesOh dear.
Another Somerset batting collapse, although in truth it has been more the quality of the Hampshire bowling as opposed to failings on the part of Somerset's batters which accounts for a lunch score of 61-5.
The one glimmer of West Country hope is that James Hildreth is 30 not out, using all his skill and experience to keep the bowlers at bay, although in writing that, I just hope I haven't put the commentator's curse on him!
Glamorgan 110-4 v Durham
Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle
The sun continues to shine in Cardiff but it has been a tough morning in a stiff breeze for the players.
Colin Ingram, who is far more used to white-ball cricket these days, led Glamorgan's fightback following the early loss of Andrew Salter in the fourth over.
Ingram has just reached his 50 and, in doing so, he brought up the 100, having put on partnerships with David Lloyd of 38 and 53 with Sam Northeast.
But Durham's bowlers have found the edge a number of times and after Ben Raine had Lloyd caught for 28, Chris Rushworth then had Northeast LBW for 24.
Northeast, making his Glamorgan debut, struggled to time the ball and both Matty Potts and Paul Coughlin found his edge a number of times before Rushworth eventually got him.
Division One:
Chelmsford: Essex 86-0 v Kent - Kent won toss and elected to bowl
Ageas Bowl: Hampshire v Somerset 61-5 - Somerset won toss and elected to bat
Northampton: Gloucestershire 10-2 v Northamptonshire - Northants won toss and elected to bowl
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Surrey 117-1 - Surrey won toss and elected to bat
Division Two:
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 110-4 v Durham - Durham won toss and elected to bowl
Leicester: Leicestershire v Worcestershire. No play before lunch. Match now due to start at 13:10 BST. - Worcestershire won toss and elected to bat
Lord's: Middlesex 96-1 v Derbyshire - Derbyshire won toss and elected to bowl
Hove: Sussex 101-0 v Nottinghamshire - Notts won toss and elected to bowl
And that is indeed the lunch interval after those two wickets in close succession just before the break.
Stick with us and we'll show you how things stand in all eight games.
Burns c and b Briggs 41 (Surrey 117-1 v Warwickshire)
Warwickshire strike with the last ball before lunch as Danny Briggs tempts England opener Rory Burns into drilling him a return catch.
A deserved wicket for Briggs, who has helped put the brakes on to take 1-13 from his six overs prior to the interval from the Pavilion End.
Davies b Barker 7 (Hampshire v Somerset 61-5)
And there is one of those pre-lunch breakthroughs.
Keith Barker rounds off a superb morning for Hampshire to take a fifth Somerset wicket for them.
Steven Davies misjudges one outside off stump and shoulders arms only to hear the rattle of his off stump being knocked out the ground.
That is lunch too.
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Almost the opening session of the season complete with the lunch interval on the horizon shortly.
Can the bowlers make some more crucial breakthroughs before they take a break from the elements?
Surrey 114-0 v Warwickshire
Olly Hannon-Dalby comes back on again, and this time comes in round the wicket, in an attempt to stem the flow of morning runs.
That he does, followed by just one off the next over from spinner Danny Briggs.
Surrey pair Ryan Patel (74) and Rory Burns (39) have become becalmed as they prepare for their lunchtime repast.
Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire 10-2
Image source, Getty ImagesThe sight every bowler wants to see and every batter dreads at the start of a new season.
Gloucestershire's Ben Charlesworth unfortunately saw his furniture rearranged between the rain delays at Northampton earlier by Ben Sanderson.
Great piece of photography.
Gloucestershire 10-2 v Northants
Another passing shower and off they go again at Wantage Road.
Gloucestershire's batsmen go off a lot more quickly than the Northants fielders, it has to be said.
Tough conditions for the batters - and the hosts were clearly almost enjoying it.
An early lunch announcement is confirmed.