Image source, Rex Features

There are nine England players involved in this week's seven Championship games, but it was one who didn't make the cut for the first Test against New Zealand that enjoyed the best opening day.

Dan Lawrence marked his return from a hamstring injury with an unbeaten 100 for Essex against second-placed Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Zak Crawley made 62 for Kent, but England skipper Ben Stokes only managed 15 in Durham's game at Lord's against Middlesex.

What will tomorrow bring? Join us at 10:30 to find out.

Division One

Lancashire v Essex 280-7

Northamptonshire v Kent 286-2

Somerset 211 v Hampshire 29-0

Yorkshire 28-0 v Warwickshire 244

Division Two

Middlesex v Durham 256-5

Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire 260

Worcestershire 159-2 v Leicestershire 148

No major alarms for Yorkshire's opening pair at the end of a good opening day for the White Rose county.

With Haris Rauf and Dawid Malan added to their list of absentees, they went into the game well under strength but managed to reduce Warwickshire to 43-4 after the champions opted to bat first.

Matt Lamb and Will Rhodes put on 74 and Michael Burgess made 96 from 106 balls before he was the last man out. Steve Patterson and Jordan Thompson both took three wickets for Yorkshire.

Perhaps buoyed up by his maiden first-class wicket earlier in the day, Ben Slater helps himself to four boundaries in a three-over mini-session, which the two Notts openers survive.

Needing 174 to reach 1,000 runs before the end of May, Shan Masood went for 18 at the start of play and the Derbyshire total was built on half-centuries by Brooke Guest and Leus du Plooy after they were asked to bat.

Dane Paterson led the Notts attack with three wickets, while Slater had Alex Thomson stumped by Tom Moores.

Ned Eckersley and Liam Trevaskis have put on an unbroken 73 for the sixth wicket stand at Lord's and probably mean the North East county have shaded the day.

Eckersley has top scored with 57 not out in an innings where everyone has reached double figures.

An unbroken partnership of 106 between Azhar Ali and Jack Haynes has underlined Worcestershire's dominance on day against Leicestershire.

Azhar will resume on 60 not out, his partner has 42, and the home side are already 11 runs in front after bowling out Leicestershire - who decided to bat first - in just 52.2 overs.

It would have been even worse for the visitors had new skipper Callum Parkinson (22) and Chris Wright (27 not out) not added 50 for the final wicket.

As days go, that must rank as either a 9 or 9.5 out of 10 for Hampshire.

Bowling Somerset out after the home side won the toss and then Felix Organ and Ian Holland seeing off 15 overs without losing a wicket, despite a few plays and misses and an LBW appeal off the last ball of the day, is an excellent effort.

Gorgeous shot.

George Hill punches Nathan McAndrew straight down the ground for the third boundary of his innings.

He is 20 not out and there are two overs to go.

Well, that was an excellent final session.

111 runs, four wickets, missed chances and a lovely hundred for Dan Lawrence.

The game feels quite evenly balanced after Essex won the toss and decided to make first use of another good Old Trafford wicket.

Jack Leaning safely plays out a maiden from Tom Taylor to end a highly successful day for Kent, who were put in after Northants won the toss.

Ben Compton bats through the entire day for 125 not out off 267 balls, his fourth century of the season, having shared stand of 93 and 176 with Zak Crawley (62) and Daniel Bell-Drummond (83).

Ben Sanderson and Matt Kelly took the two wickets to fall, but Northants will need a lot more on the second morning to get back into the game.

for Dan Lawrencepublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 19 May 2022

18:17 BST 19 May 2022

Lancashire v Essex 277-6

And there is Dan Lawrence's century.

One ball after running out Adam Rossington and he gets the single needed to reach a very important milestone.

Coming off 178 balls with ten fours, it's a timely reminder of his ability.

Dan Lawrence is now up to 99, but he gets away with a streaky one as he edges one low through the gap between second and fourth slips.

for Ned Eckersleypublished at 18:09 British Summer Time 19 May 2022

18:09 BST 19 May 2022

Middlesex v Durham 250-5

Ned Eckersley tucks Martin Andersson off his hip for one run and reaches 50 from 113 balls. A fine knock for his side, who were 146-4 when he went to the crease.

Liam Trevaskis is 30 not out and together, these two have added 67 to earn Durham two batting points.

Felix Organ and Ian Holland are showing plenty of determination for their county here.

They have seen off nine overs and there are six more to go before the close.

He had to reach for it, but George Hill makes a solid contact as he gets off the mark with four runs off Henry Brookes.

Eight more overs to come at Headingley.

Nathan Cole: How many teams do we think are in the race for division 1 atm? I think it’s 3 teams, Hampshire, Surrey and Lancashire if anyone would pick the team they would think will win it as it stands #bbccricket, external