Don Topley
BBC Essex

Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones was the hosts' hero in the morning session as he bowled Middlesex back into this Division One contest at Lord’s.

Commencing overnight on 162-3, Essex will be disappointed by reaching Lunch on 239-7. Dan Lawrence played beautifully making a century with 11 fours and two sixes, before he was lbw to Tom Helm.

Adam Rossington took on Roland-Jones and failed on the short Mound Stand boundary at deep backward square, before the Middlesex captain got Simon Harmer lbw for 1 and the very next ball, clean bowled Shane Snater.

Matt Critchley stayed out in the middle all morning and witnessed all four Essex dismissals with his belligerent innings of 28no in 88 balls.

But Roland-Jones has been immense, showing great heart today, with figures of 5-60 off 25 overs which included his 500th first-class wicket.

Image source, Rex Features

Ian Holland picks up a couple off Olly Stone and that is enough to move Hampshire into the lead.

Holland is on 29 and is looking more at ease down the order than up at the top.

Luke Wells gets the afternoon session off to the most pleasing start by on-driving the first ball for four. Lovely stuff.

He then plays out five dots to the rest of Kemar Roach's over.

Isn't it wonderful to have the County Championship back?

Will Surrey defend their title? If not, who will assume their mantle? And what of relegated crisis club Yorkshire - is an immediate return to the top flight on the cards for the White Rose?

Let us know your thoughts via the usual methods.

Division One

Southampton: Notts 185, Hampshire 183-6 (62 overs)

Manchester: Surrey 442, Lancashire 28-0 (10 overs)

Lord's: Essex 239-7 (88 overs) v Middlesex

Canterbury: Northamptonshire 117, Kent 50-1 (22 overs)

Taunton: Somerset 52-2 (22.1 overs) v Warwickshire

Division Two

Sophia Gardens: Gloucestershire 165, Glamorgan 115-3 (32 overs)

Leeds: Yorkshire 473-8 (95 overs) v Leicestershire

Derby: Derbyshire 321, Worcestershire 66-1 (24 overs)

Hove: Durham 376, Sussex 77-2 (20 overs)

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Having been bowled out for 376, Durham then had Sussex two down inside the first 10 overs.

Opener Alistair Orr had an interesting head-to-head with Durham bowler Ben Raine. In one over he hit him for six, got caught at backward point only for it to be declared a no-ball, then hit him for another six.

But his concentration wavered a few minutes later when Raine got his revenge. Orr was out of his crease when team-mate Tom Haines played a ball back to the bowler and he deflected it onto the stumps to run him out for 29.

The incident must have affected Haines too, because a couple of deliveries later he was out as well, edging Raine to the keeper on 11.

Brydon Carse has also found the edge of Cheteshwar Pujara's bat on a couple of occasions, but at lunch the Sussex skipper is not out on 25. Tom Alsop has six.

Warwickshire made a second breakthough on the stroke of lunch as new Bears all-rounder Ed Barnard has Tom Lammonby caught behind for 22.

Slow progress for the hosts this morning though after a delayed start at rain-hit Taunton.

"The outfield is still slow, as is the pitch, which has offered precious little to either batters or bowlers," says BBC Radio Somerset's Anthony Gibson. "The outfield is soggy at one end and like a beach at the other. Sensibly, the boundaries were brought in to avoid both areas."

Nick Webb
BBC Radio Wales

Glamorgan’s fourth-wicket pair of Eddie Byrom and Kiran Carlson have got the home side on the front foot after a first session of two halves.

Spinner Zafar Gohar opened the bowling and claimed an early wicket, before the seam of Tom Price and the pace of former Glamorgan quick Marchant de Lange helping to reduce Glamorgan to 35-3.

Eddie Byrom had played and missed on plenty of occasions but survived and prospered, whacking a couple of mid-wicket sixes off Zafar to move to 48.

Meanwhile Kiran Carlson drove fluently in a partnership of 80 which posed headaches for visiting skipper Graeme van Buuren as the sun looked likely to dry the pitch and make batting easier.

After bowling out their hosts, Worcestershire go to lunch for the loss of just Ed Pollock.

They trail Derbyshire by 255 runs with 9 wickets remaining.

Image source, BBC Sport

Fans have flocked onto the outfield during the Old Trafford lunchbreak to soak up the lovely weather.

They also have the rare treat of THREE England players going through their paces just a few yards in front of them.

James Anderson, Saqib Mahmood and Liam Livingstone are doing some bowling and the crowd are enthralled.

It's fantastic to see spectators so close to get an incredible view of world-class cricketers.

Yorkshire's batting exploits this morning are one thing. But they could get even better.

They have announced the signing of Pakistan Test batting star Saud Shakeel, 27, on a short-term overseas contract.

He will be available for next week's second County Championship game of the season against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

At 213-4, Essex were looking completely in control at Lord's, even if the run rate had been pretty slow.

Dan Lawrence had completed a fine century before departing lbw on 105 but then Toby Roland-Jones took three wickets in five overs - including two in two balls - to really put the cat among the pigeons.

First task now for Essex is to get a batting point on the board, which they should achieve with three wickets in hand and Matt Critchley (28no) nicely set.

Certainly Kent's morning at Canterbury - to add to the first day that they bossed as well.

They saw off the Northants tail to dismiss the visitors for just 117 despite Gareth Berg's rebellious 21 as Matthew Quinn finished with 4-25.

A glimmer of hope for Northants just before lunch as Gareth Berg broke up Kent's opening partnership by having Ben Compton (25) caught behind.

But Zak Crawley (17no) remains at the crease with Kent on 50-1.

Another run-filled session for Yorkshire at Headingley.

Almost 200 in one morning. Poor Leicestershire! And, dont forget, they put the Tykes in yesterday morning.

Thanks chiefly to Dawid Malan's 132 and 75 from nightwatchman Matt Milnes, followed by a lively little lunchtime aperitif from Jordan Thompson's three sixes in his 26 off 24 balls

No hat-trick for Toby Roland-Jones as Ben Allison works the first ball he faces away for four.

Superb effort though from the Middlesex skipper, who has taken 5-58 to really swing this game back in the balance, given Essex had looked comfortable.

Keaton Jennings hits a lovely cover drive for four off the penultimate ball of the session as the openers make it to lunch unscathed, but not without a few alarms.

Surrey lead by 414 in a morning that belongs to Cameron Steel after his brilliant 141 not out saw them add 102 runs for the loss of three wickets.

Despite the sunshine, a hard-fought morning at Southampton.

Hampshire trail by just two but Notts will be pleased to have picked up three wickets and conceded only 64 runs in the session.