A bit of soft sunshine and a hefty breeze for the players at Taunton.

Openers Sean Dickson and Tom Lammonby have each clipped a boundary off Dan Worrall.

As you'd expect, Jamie Porter and Sam Cook are the men entrusted with taking the ball for Essex at the start of this match.

Cook has opened with a testing maiden to Ian Holland, while Fletcha Middleton has struck the first boundary of the game, clipping Porter through midwicket.

So less than 48 hours after the misery of Sunday's final-day washout in the fourth Ashes Test, we have real, live, actual cricket.

Most of the ground is roped off except for the county diehard supporters but play has begun on time.

To describe it as after the Lord Mayor's show would be an understatement.

Image source, BBC Sport

Nice start for Warwickshire at Edgbaston as Rob Yates drills Ethan Bamber's first ball of the morning to the extra cover boundary.

The rest of the over is a bit tidier though. No more runs added.

Somerset captain Tom Abell has called correctly and has decided that his side are going to bat first at Taunton.

The mood around the club remains buoyant following their T20 Blast win and an emphatic Championship win over Northamptonshire.

For this one, Ben Green comes in for T20 skipper Lewis Gregory in the only change.

Somerset: Lammonby, Dickson, Abell (capt), Bartlett, Kohler-Cadmore, Rew (wk), Green, Aldridge, C Overton, Henry, Bashir.

Champions and league leaders Surrey remain the team to beat, but they now have Essex keenly on their tail.

They swept aside Middlesex at Lord's last week, but this promises to be a tougher test.

In their only change, Gus Atkinson replaces Australia all-rounder Sean Abbott, whose Surrey stint has been ended early by Cricket Australia to manage his workload.

Surrey: Burns (capt), Sibley, Latham, Smith, Foakes (wk), Jacks, Clark, J Overton, Lawes, Atkinson, Worrall.

Kent have won the toss and bowl first, but they've had to reshuffle their batting line-up, with opener Tawanda Muyeye failing a fitness test.

That means Toby Albert, on loan from Hampshire, opens on his debut with another loanee, Surrey's Ben Geddes, down to bat at three.

Nottinghamshire's Steven Mullaney resumes the captaincy after missing the last two games with injury, while Luke Fletcher also returns. Matthew Montgomery and Toby Pettman are the two who drop out.

Bottom side Northamptonshire have won the toss at Old Trafford and are going to bat first.

The same pitch as used for the Ashes Test is in operation and there are a few big footmarks already.

Lancashire, in sixth, have opted for two spinners in their line-up for the first time this season with Tom Hartley and Jack Morley both playing.

Lancashire: Jennings (capt), Wells, Bohannon, Croft, Salt (wk), Balderson, Bell, Hartley, Bailey, Williams, Morley.

Northants give a debut to bowler Dom Leech, who has arrived on loan from Yorkshire to play in this match. James Sales and Alex Russell also return to the side.

Northamptonshire: Vasconcelos, Gay, Whiteman, Broad, Procter (capt), Zaib, Sales, McManus, Leech, Russell, White.

Middlesex have won the toss in Birmingham - and have opted to bowl under ugly grey skies.

Warwickshire are forced into one change following the calf injury suffered by Chris Rushworth, the country's second leading wicket taker.

Henry Brookes comes in, with Liam Norwell and Craig Miles not fit yet and not expected to figure until the One-Day Cup.

They have also opted for an extra bat - and recall Jacob Bethell for Danny Briggs.

It's third against second at the Ageas Bowl, with both teams aiming to close the gap on defending champions Surrey.

Essex, with four straight victories under their collective belts, have won the toss and opt to bowl.

There are two changes to the visitors' line-up, with Michael Pepper and Shane Snater replacing Robin Das and Doug Bracewell.

Hampshire bring in John Turner in place of Keith Barker.

Division One

Southampton: Hampshire v Essex

Manchester: Lancashire v Northamptonshire

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Kent

Taunton: Somerset v Surrey

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Middlesex

Division Two

Derby: Derbyshire v Glamorgan

Scarborough: Yorkshire v Durham

Gloucestershire v Worcestershire at Cheltenham College starts on Wednesday

Today's BBC Weather Forecast is for heavy showers in eastern England.

Variable cloud and sunny spells elsewhere.

Still a bit of Brian Harman weather around then - and clearly nothing like what they are experiencing on the European mainland.

Image source, Rex

Welcome back to the world of County Championship cricket for this the last round of July matches before the final 'summer holiday' break of the season.

After this week's eight games, we then do not see any more red-ball cricket until 3 September, as the counties head into the One-Day Cup.

But we should know a lot more about how things might shape up then after this week, especially as two of the top three - Hampshire and Essex - clash head on.

Stay with us if you can for the next four days.

Hampshire v Essex - BBC Radio Solent

Lancashire v Northamptonshire - BBC Radio Lancashire

Nottinghamshire v Kent - BBC Radio Nottingham

Somerset v Surrey - BBC Radio Somerset

Derbyshire v Glamorgan - BBC Radio Derby

Warwickshire v Middlesex - BBC CWR

Yorkshire v Durham - BBC Radio Leeds