Image source, Getty Images

It might be only the 6th of April on one of the earliest starts ever to what will, in late September, become English cricket's longest spanning county season.

But it was entertaining stuff almost everywhere, except at Taunton, where it was rained off even before the day began.

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas took 6-49 to bowl out Nottinghamshire for 185 as Hampshire gave last summer's Division Two champions a rude awakening on their return to the top flight.

And a lot of players were in the runs - and scoring pretty quickly too as they showd that the Bazball banter was not all talk.

It was Billyball at Derby where Billy Godleman hit three sixes off Joe Leach in his 70 off 61 balls - two of them straight back over his head.

And it was Beanball in Leeds, where Yorkshire opener Fin Bean hit at an times rapid maiden century - the first ton of the season.

But possibly none of it compared to the joy of the BBC cricket writer who rapturously received his Playfair Cricket Annual halfway through his live shift - and is now off to fan himself to sleep with it.

Goodnight all.

Division One

Southampton: Notts 185, Hampshire 119-3 (33 overs)

Manchester: Surrey 340-7 (96 overs) v Lancashire

Lord's: Essex 162-3 (56 overs) v Middlesex

Canterbury: Northamptonshire 89-7 (26 overs) v Kent

Tauinton: Somerset v Warwickshire: No play on first day

Division Two

Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 165, Glamorgan 4-0 (1 over)

Leeds: Yorkshire 285-3 (60 overs) v Leicestershire

Derby: Derbyshire 300-8 (67 overs) Worcestershire:

Hove: Durham 352-7 (70 overs) v Sussex

That's it at Derby to bring a busy first day of the season to an end.

Derbyshire bagged a second batting point in the final over to close on something like parity with Worcestershire, thanks largely to half-centuries from both of their former skippers, Wayne Madsen (87) and Billy Godleman (70).

Dawid Malan ends the day on 91 not out, to follow young Fin Bean's maiden century (118) as Yorkshire end the day well on top of Leicestershire in Leeds.

Despite the loss of three hours' cricket to rain, the Tykes have really got on with it, to score for most of the day at five an over.

Don Topley
BBC Essex

Essex finished the first day slightly ahead of Middlesex at Lord’s.

After Alastair Cook and Nick Browne fell in successive balls, skipper, Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence played cautiously and watchfully to put on a fine 121.

Dan Lawrence was more of the aggressor. He looked good as he finished the day on 74.

Middlesex bowled well at times but allowed Essex to leave much what was offered in the first two sessions. Captain Toby Roland Jones was the pick with 2/-42 off his 16 overs.

Essex coach Anthony McGrath said: "We got off to a good start before a nice platform laid by Tom and Dan. It did nip about a bit and our running between the wickets was extremely good."

Bad light ends play for the day on the south coast.

But after missing a whole session, Durham have motored along to reach 350, picking up three batting points.

They will have 40 overs tomorrow to try to reach 450 and claim all five if possible.

Timm van der Gugten is then sent out as nightwatchman and survives the over from his former teammate Marchant de Lange, now with Glos via Somerset.

Glamorgan will come back tomorrow in fine shape.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Durham have shown some intent today and have kept the run rate above five an over for most of the day.

Alex Lees made 79 in an opening stand of 142. His opening partner Michael Jones eventually went for 87, one of three wickets to fall in a six-over spell after tea.

But, since then, Durham have accelerated again, with Ollie Robinson and Graham Clark adding 50 in no time.

Clark, playing his first Championship match since September 2021, has hit four sixes, two of which disappeared out of the ground.

Adam Hose gets in on the act again as Derbyshire lose another wicket.

Anuj Dal goes cheaply, to earn Matthew Waite a third scalp.

Zak Chappell is joined at the crease by Ben Aitchison.

That drop by Steven Mullaney comes at a bad time as four balls later, the sides come off for bad light.

That will probably be stumps in Southampton.

Sean Abbott hits the penultimate ball of the day for the first six of the game and then grabs a single off Luke Wood's final delivery.

That last session has been won emphatically by Surrey and they take the honours for the whole day after being put in by Lancashire.

Dropped catchpublished at 18:28 British Summer Time 6 April 2023

18:28 BST 6 April 2023

Hampshire 115-3 v Nottinghamshire 185

Left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White is thrown the ball and he draws an edge from Fletcha Middleton.

Unfortunately for the bowler, captain Steven Mullaney puts it down at slip.

Colin de Grandhomme oversteps and the two runs for the no ball bring up a 50 stand between Cameron Steel and Sean Abbott.

Steel then hits the extra ball straight down the ground for four.

He is 86 not out with one over left in the day.

Nottinghamshire are having a good re-introduction to what is needed in Division One cricket here.

Hampshire are making a good recovery from 50-3 with Fletcha Middleton and Liam Dawson, but Notts will hope to chisel one of them out before the close.

Fin Bean's maiden centurypublished at 18:21 British Summer Time 6 April 2023

18:21 BST 6 April 2023

Yorkshire 239-2 (47.4 overs) v Leicestershire

Fin Bean reaches his maiden first-class hundred - at the age of 20 - and becomes the County Championship's first centurion of the summer.

He almost perished with a lofted legside four that fell just short of the fielder. But, an over later, his 17th boundary of the innings did the trick.

He then gets an immediate life as he is put down by Chris Wright at mid off.

Image source, Rex Features

Durham have only had 60 overs of their first innings but they already have two batting points.

Ollie Robinson went for a run-a-ball 30, but Graham Clark has hit 42 off 36 balls as they keep the pressure on the bowling.

This is exactly the type of cricket Bazball is all about!