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New England Test captain Ben Stokes playing for Durham, predecessor Joe Root playing for Yorkshire
Division One: Essex v Yorks, Hants v Gloucs, Lancs v Warwickshire & Surrey v Northants
Division Two: Glam v Leics, Sussex v Middlesex & Worcs v Durham
Essex 126-2 v Yorks
Paul Walter trying to make the most of those two lives.
He skips down to ease Dom Bess through cover for four.
At the other end, Alastair Cook clips George Hill off his hip and then drives straight for two fours in consecutive overs.
Hampshire 165-2 v Gloucestershire
James Vince's fifty - and the hundred partnership for the Hampshire skipper and Felix Organ.
The hosts are going well here. The run rate has picked up this afternoon after going to lunch on 73-2.
Not long now until tea.
Can Gloucestershire get another badly needed breakthrough before then?
Rhodes b Parkinson 16 (Warwickshire 141-4 v Lancashire)
A second wicket for Matt Parkinson as the England one-day international gets one through the defences of visiting skipper Will Rhodes.
Both wickets now in this second session to spin. That turned a lot to the left-hander.
New man is Chris Benjamin, looking to repeat his century here on this ground on his Championship debut last August.
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Essex 104-2 v Yorks
Alastair Cook has driven the ball quite smartly today and he takes a horribly-overpitched ball from Jordan Thompson through cover to reach his half-century.
142 balls and seven boundaries for Cook.
Essex in decent shape in the Chelmsford sunshine.
Hampshire 122-2 Gloucestershire
As it turns out, Organ's 50 only took one more blow.
His seventh boundary of the day.
It's a fifth first-class half-century for the Dorset-born Australian.
Hampshire 118-2 v Gloucestershire
Felix Organ is now on 48, approaching his half-century. But it has so far taken 136 balls and three hours.
What is the betting that the far more free-flowing James Vince, who is currently on 29, beats him to it?
Essex 95-2 v Yorks
Couple of chances have gone down for Yorkshire since lunch.
Paul Walter missed both times and both off Steve Patterson.
First a firm drive back at the bowler and he can't cling on at catchable height - in the hands and out again.
Then a touch edge to third slip, low to George Hill's left and he can't get his fingers out in time.
Hain c Jones b Parkinson 38
The introduction of legspinner Matt Parkinson does the trick for Lancashire.
With the last ball of Parky's first over, Sam Hain advances down the wicket and chips him to substitute fielder Rob Jones at midwicket.
His 82-run stand with Dom Sibley is over, bringing Bears skipper Will Rhodes to the crease.
It continues the consistent Hain's solid start to the season. He has not 'failed' yet. Five innings so far of 78, 29, 54, 43 and now 38. Needs to push on and reach those centuries though, if he is ever to get that full England call-up that has long been talked about.
Surrey 100-3 v Northants
Luke Procter just gets one wrong to Rory Burns and he drives pleasantly through cover for his sixth four.
Brings him fifty in 121 balls.
A first half-century of the season for him.
41, 22 not out, 21, 12, 17 and 6 so far, so these are badly-needed runs.
Warwickshire 104-2 v Lancashire
Warwickshire's England opener Dom Sibley goes to 50 for the 46th time in his first-class career.
Seven of his 113 balls have gone to the boundary.
Good effort so far.
This is Sibley's fifth 50 at Old Trafford too. Only at Edgbaston has he scored more.
Image source, Rex FeaturesWarwickshire and England opener Dom Sibley
Surrey 88-3 v Northants
Rory Burns to face the hat-trick ball from Luke Procter...
...and survives!
But what a superb burst from Procter after lunch.
A skiddy bowler and quicker than you think.
Northants are always better off with him in the side.
Runs too for him last week at Essex.
Surrey 87-3 v Northants
Two in two balls for Luke Procter and he’s suddenly on a hat-trick at The Oval!
First Hashim Amla gets a beauty that squares him up and straightens a fraction to clip the top of off stump - a bowler's dream.
Then first ball, Will Jacks is caught in the crease by one that nips in a shade, might have caught him on the back pad, either way it looks good and he's lbw.
End of the over so Procter's moment will have to wait.
Northants back in the day.
Hampshire 85-2 v Gloucestershire
Slow going in the afternoon session for the hosts but skipper James Vince has now hit his second boundary. He is on to 16, with Felix Organ on a more obdurate 32 off 107 balls.
Warwickshire 85-2 v Lancashire
Back underway in Manchester - and Luke Wood restarts with a maiden to Dom Sibley.
First run of the afternoon session is a leg bye off Tom Bailey.
Durham 100-1 v Worcestershire
Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle
Durham won the toss and decided to bat on a lovely warm morning in Worcester and have done nicely, with Sean Dickson on 50 and Keegan Petersen 21.
Dickson has reached 50 on five occasions in the County Championship this season and gone on to make two big hundreds as well. He looks in great form.
His opening stand with Alex Lees was worth 55 before the England opener was bowled by Ed Barnard for 27.
Talking of England, the new skipper Ben Stokes is making a rare appearance for Durham. It's only his second championship game since a defeat by Gloucestershire in Cheltenham in July 2018.
It's also brought the national cricket writers out in their droves. I've never seen so many at a county match.
Warwickshire 84-2 v Lancashire
Scott Read
BBC Radio Lancashire
Dom Sibley has been at his battling best for Warwickshire this morning.
A glorious on drive is the highlight of his innings so far.
He's required a touch of good fortune along the way but it's been an impressive knock from the Bears opener so far.
Lancashire have bowled well.
Luke Wood uprooted Rob Yates' off stump with a yorker while Alex Davies earlier decided not to offer a shot on his first return to Emirates Old Trafford and his woodwork went tumbling in the same direction.
Interesting morning session, which feels just about even.
Hampshire 70-2 v Gloucestershire
Kevan James
BBC Radio Solent
This wicket didn’t helped the bowlers quite as much in the first hour as last week's pitch here.
But it was a good toss to win as Graeme Van Buuren also admitted he would have done the same.
Ryan Higgins got one to seam away and catch the edge of Ian Holland’s bat.
Dominic Goodman has got the ball to shape a little too, but, although Nick Gubbins went before lunch too, it looks a good day to bat first.
Essex 63-2 v Yorkshire
Glenn Speller
BBC Essex Sport
A good morning of county cricket in which you can forgive Essex supporters for fearing the worst when, having been asked to bat, the home side lost Nick Browne to the third ball of the morning.
Accurate bowling from Jordan Thompson and Steve Patterson meant it wasn’t until the 35th delivery of the morning that Essex accrued their first run.
Tom Westley was dropped on 4 but Yorkshire will see the wicket of the Essex captain as a bonus when he was sharply taken by Harry Duke off the bowling of Dom Bess for 24 with the score at 56.
With Alastair Cook still there on 31, Essex will hope they can break their first innings bogey: they have gone past 200 just once so far this season.
Sussex 90-1 v Middlesex
Adrian Harms
BBC Sussex
A good morning for Sussex on another good batting pitch at Hove.
Tom Haines won his first toss of the season and decided to bat, but lost his off stump wicket to the impressive Shah Afridi
Thereafter, Ali Orr who was badly dropped by Mark Stoneman at square leg off the second ball of the match, and Tom Alsop have added an untroubled 69 for the second wicket.
Leicestershire 82-0 v Glamorgan
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport Wales
Glamorgan captain David Lloyd – and certainly his bowlers – must be questioning his decision to bowl first at Sophia Gardens.
Trying to think of adjectives to describe it other than just ‘flat’ is a struggle.
Not even Michael Neser or Michael Hogan could seem to find any movement with the new ball
Sam Evans and Hassan Azad started watchfully but have progressed nicely on to 82-0 - and Glamorgan have already used six bowlers in the first session.
Marnus Labuschagne became as excitable as ever as he bowled his leg spin in the final over before lunch, but with good weather forecast for all four days, it already looks like we’re in for a high-scoring encounter.