Image source, BBC Sport

While enjoying a wander around at lunch, I took this photo and the eagle eyed amongst you will notice the big gap in between stands at Old Trafford.

Lancashire are building a new 1,025-seat stand, complete with a heritage centre and new club shop. It will take capacity to 26,700 and make it the largest cricket ground outside London.

The aim is to be ready for the 2023 Ashes Test, so it will be a building site all summer. A good job for any cricket-loving construction workers!

But for the moment, passengers for the Metrolink can enjoy a brief glimpse of the action as they head to catch their tram.

Durham have lost their second wicket against Middlesex at Lord's with Michael Jones bowled by Tim Murtagh for 37. Scott Borthwick has come out to join Keegan Petersen and the visitors are 93-2.

No further damage for Leicestershire since lunch and they are now 91-6 against Worcestershire at New Road, with Harry Swindells 18 not out and Ben Mike on 1.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Durham were put in under grey skies this morning and in damp and humid conditions following overnight thunder storms. But the morning belonged to the batsmen rather than the bowlers.

Alex Lees looked unlucky to be given out just before lunch, lbw to Toby Roland-Jones. He was a long way down the track but umpire Martin Saggers raised his finger. He made 44.

It was the penultimate over before the break and Durham's opening stand was worth 81.

Play has just resumed in bright sunshine and Durham are 88-1 with Michael Jones on 35. Interestingly we have just had the first unscheduled ball change of this game. It was 32 overs in. Durham had nine changes in their last game!

In two weeks their fast bowler Matty Potts will hopefully make his England debut here. But he's just an observer for this one. Having bowled so many overs this season already, he has been rested.

for Brooke Guestpublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 19 May 2022

14:00 BST 19 May 2022

Notts v Derbyshire 108-3

You'd imagine that Stuart Broad is feeling just a little bit miffed.

Having been driven for four by Brooke Guest, he sees the Derbyshire batter miscue an attempted pull from the next delivery and it flies high in the air off the top edge, but lands behind the keeper, allowing him to come back for two and reach a 68-ball fifty.

There was a slice of good fortune there, but Guest is in fine form at the moment.

for Nick Brownepublished at 13:58 British Summer Time 19 May 2022

13:58 BST 19 May 2022

Lancashire v Essex 89-1

Nick Browne has come out after lunch in fine nick. He's hit the shot of the day with a glorious on drive off Hassan Ali for four and then a clip to deep backward square leg for a couple brings up his 50.

That is a second in a row for the opener - this one coming off 101 balls with seven fours.

Matt Lamb accelerates past partner Will Rhodes with a couple of threes and a flashing cover drive for four off Jordan Thompson.

The right-hander is 16 not out and Rhodes has nine.

Image source, Rex Features

Stuart Broad is back for another dart for Notts. His latest over is a maiden to Brooke Guest, who is 45 not out.

A quiet start post-lunch at Wantage Road, with just a single added in the opening two overs. Zak Crawley is 58 not out and Ben Compton has yet to add to his 30.

Steven Patterson goes past the edge of Matt Lamb's bat twice in the first over back after lunch as Yorkshire continue where they left off. It's a maiden.

Back under way in the sunny North West and at the other six matches around the country.

Division One

Lancashire v Essex 74-1

Northamptonshire v Kent 87-0

Somerset 58-3 v Hampshire

Yorkshire v Warwickshire 58-4

Division Two

Middlesex v Durham 81-1

Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire 89-3

Worcestershire v Leicestershire 62-6

Image source, Rex Features

They have a new captain in Callum Parkinson, but the same old problems were on display at New Road as Leicestershire's top order failed on the opening morning.

Rishi Patel and Lewis Hill both got into the 20s before falling to Charlies Morris, but no-one else has reached double figures - with 17-year-old debutant Rehan Ahmed out for a duck.

Dillion Pennington and Ed Barnard have also taken two wickets each, with the Pears well on top despite being without Joe Leach because of a back problem - replaced by loan signing Matthew Waite.

The loss of Alex Lees in the penultimate over before the interval was the only disappointment of a solid morning's endeavour by Durham after being put in by the home side.

They are without leading run scorer Sean Dickson because of a hamstring problem, and also chose to leave out England new boy Matty Potts ahead of a potential Test debut against New Zealand next month.

Michael Jones batted through the session for 35 not out and has now been joined by Keegan Petersen.

Dave Bracegirdle
BBC Radio Nottingham commentator

Image source, Rex Features

Nottinghamshire’s decision to insert this morning brought them three wickets in the opening session, including that of the country’s leading run scorer Shan Masood, caught behind off James Pattinson for only 18.

Dane Paterson then claimed two wickets in two balls before Brooke Guest led the visitors’ fightback with an unbeaten 44.

A single each for Zak Crawley and Ben Compton brings a solid morning's work to an end for the Kent opening pair.

Crawley is 57 not out - the perfect time to regain his form with Test duty against New Zealand just two weeks away - and Compton has 30, that final single of the session taking him to 700 runs for the season.

Northants have tried five bowlers, but so far their decision to put Kent in after winning the toss appears to be the wrong one.

Image source, Getty Images

Will Rhodes picks up a couple of runs from the final ball of the session at Headingley, bowled by Tom Loten, but it has very much been Yorkshire's morning despite dropping a couple of catches.

Neither miss proved costly as Rob Yates and Sam Hain fell cheaply, with Steven Patterson taking 2-14 from his eight overs so far.

Yorkshire have a weakened attack for this game with Haris Rauf, Ben Coad and Matt Fisher among the bowlers unavailable, but they'll be pretty happy with how things have gone so far.

Hampshire have really tightened the screw with those three wickets.

An intriguing afternoon in prospect as Somerset pair Tom Banton and James Hildreth try to regroup.