There was a point in time at 39-4 when you could reasonably wonder if Hampshire would reach three figures, but they are there in the first over after lunch.

Ben Brown is going to be key to their recovery, he's moved on to 39 from 60 balls. At the other end Ian Holland just needs to stick with him.

Good news for Kent, Matt Quinn is back into the attack after lunch.

He trooped off after delivering his 22nd ball this morning, looking to be nursing his groin, then spent around an hour in the pavilion, but came back to take a catch and is thrown the ball for the first over after the interval, which is a maiden.

Image source, Rex Features

Got to love an early-season snood.

The players are beginning to re-emerge after lunch at most grounds now.

Plenty of showers are popping up. It could well be a stop-start afternoon session. Let's see...

The afternoon session is under way at Trent Bridge after they took an early lunch amid a rain shower.

England's Ben Duckett resumes on 64 and Haseeb Hameed has 34.

What's the likelihood of these two opening for England at some point in the Ashes?

Thumbs up if you'd like to see that, thumbs down if it's a no.

Image source, Rex Features

Image source, Rex Features

The outfield has dried sufficiently at the Uptonsteel County Ground and so there will be a toss in 15 minutes with a view to starting play at 14:15 BST.

Mike Taylor
BBC WM

Being asked to bat in mid-April might induce nerves in an opening batter; facing a fervent appeal for lbw first ball might make them worse.

But if Rob Yates felt any palpitations he kept them well hidden, and after surviving one tense over from Michael Hogan when the ball passed his outside edge three times in a row, he batted with growing assurance.

He was aided by Kent’s determination to test him out against the short ball. One edged cut flew over the slips, but all the other short deliveries he took on raced to the ropes beyond cover or square leg, six boundaries coming in three overs from Joey Evison.

An apparently casual pull for six off Michael Hogan took him to 59 at lunch.

If Warwickshire were guilty of anything, it was over-confidence.

Alex Davies followed up his century at Taunton with some confident driving, but then edged a ball from Evison onto his stumps.

Will Rhodes hauled a ball from wide of off-stump to mid-on, where Matt Quinn took the catch shortly after regaining the field, his first bowling spell having been aborted by an apparently tweak to the groin.

Already light on seam-bowling resources, it was a relief for Kent to see him back.

Glenn Speller
BBC Essex sport

A good morning for Essex who have given precious little away after losing the toss.

Josh Bohannon and Steven Croft will be disappointed with the shots which led to their dismissals; flashing outside off stump with both out to slip catches taken by Simon Harmer.

Harmer, who has been sporting a snood pulled-up over the back of his head and under his nose line to protect himself from a biting Chelmsford wind, will be delighted with the second catch in particular; a diving one-handed effort.

Doug Bracewell’s debut for Essex started with a boundary off his first ball but since then he has found significant lift from the Hayes Close end to pick-up two wickets.

Lancashire will look to Dane Vilas and George Bell to steady the ship this afternoon.

Div One

• Essex v Lancs 70-4
• Northants v Middlesex 82-6
• Notts v Somerset 106-0
• Surrey v Hants 96-5
• Warwickshire 104-2 v Kent

Div Two

• Durham 79-1 v Worcs
• Gloucestershire v Yorkshire - no play Thursday, wet outfield
• Leicestershire v Derbyshire - inspection at 13:10 BST

The hosts are on top after the first session, Rob Yates cruising to 59 not out at lunch and peppering the ropes with regularity.

Kent's depleted attack have been forced to toil even further by an early injury to Matt Quinn, and it needed a bit of luck for them to claim even these two wickets, Alex Davies chopping on off Joey Evison for 23 and then Will Rhodes injudiciously skying one off Conor McKerr, who has arrived on loan from Surrey.

Middlesex's batting woes from last week continued into this game, as they slumped to 11-4 inside the first hour.

John Simpson then batted well for his 32, but fell just before lunch to leave the home side well on top.

It's fair to say it's been Surrey's morning.

Ben Brown is unbeaten on 34 at lunch and Fletcha Middleton made a gritty 32 before nicking behind 15 minutes before the end of the session, but it's been a story of some superb bowling in conditions which aided the bowlers, especially in that first hour when Kemar Roach and his colleagues had the visitors reeling at 39-4 and threatening to cut loose.

Simon Harmer rolls his arm over just before lunch, but George Bell sees out a maiden, spins on his heels and heads for the changing room.

Essex started well this morning, removing Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings cheaply, and have also prized out Steven Croft and Josh Bohannon.

A productive first session for the hosts.

Image source, Rex Features

Tattz: Nice to see Yates making some runs for Warwickshire. They will depend on him this season with a batting line up short of experience.

Rob Yates hates running, pass it on.

He's just launched Michael Hogan over the head of Matt Quinn on the rope for a mighty six. 46 of his 59 runs have now come via boundaries.

Sam Hain at the other end has eight from 22 and had to run every one of them, enough of that, he says, and cuts Evison through the covers for four to take his side past three figures.

Rain stops playpublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 13 April 2023

12:50 BST 13 April 2023

Notts 106-0 v Somerset

The rain continues at Trent Bridge, and the umpires decide it's too heavy to continue. They'll take an early lunch.

Cricket in April, eh?

It's raining in Nottingham, but play goes on.

Ben Duckett continues to attack Jack Leach, and sweeps powerfully to the square leg boundary.

Four more! Another sweep - he plays that shot better than most.

The hosts race past the 100 mark.