Summary

  • County Championship resumes after two-month break; first of six rounds of matches across the next six weeks

  • Zak Crawley hits 81 for Kent away to Middlesex - his highest score of the season

  • Surrey bowl out leaders Notts for 184 at The Oval

  • Opener Josh Thomas scores century for Somerset at home to Essex

  • Yorkshire dismissed for 173 by Hampshire; Leicestershire batters struggle at home to Glamorgan

  • Over half of the overs lost at Derbyshire v Durham, Gloucestershire v Worcestershire and Lancashire v Northants

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Live Reporting

Adam Lanigan, Clive Eakin, Ged Scott & Phil Cartwright

  1. Lunch at Taunton

    Somerset 134-2 v Essex (31 overs)

    Josh Thomas goes into lunch on 65 - and new signing Henry Nicholls is on 20.

    There have been 19 fours in this morning's session - nine of them for Thomas, but arguably the nicest came from left-hander Nicholls, who found the legside boundary with a very pleasant sweep off Simon Harmer.

  2. wicket

    WICKET

    Shaikh c Cooke b Kellaway 5 (Leics 63-4 v Glamorgan)

    The traditional trick of bringing on a spinner for the last over before lunch pays dividends for Glamorgan.

    Hamza Shaikh gets a feathered edge from Ben Kellaway who's caught behind to confirm it's the Welsh county's morning.

  3. Lunch at Northwood

    Middlesex v Kent 117-1

    Definitely Kent's morning after winning the toss and electing to bat.

    Zak Crawley has registered his first half-century in this year's County Championship and has reached the lunch interval unbeaten on 55.

    Sam Northeast is 31 not out as part of an unbroken 92-run stand with Crawley, while Tom Helm took the only wicket to fall - Ben Compton lbw for 13.

  4. Lunch at Cheltenham

    Glos 55-4 v Worcs

    Respite for Gloucestershire as they make it to lunch only four down.

    After choosing to bat, they would have expected or wanted to be further on than this, but Ben Allison's brilliance in taking 3-5 off nine overs has the Pears in control.

    Ollie Price has battled to 20 off 77 balls, but he and Tommy Boorman have a lot of batting to do this afternoon.

  5. Hampshire v Yorkshire 43-3

    About 20 minutes or so before lunch, Hampshire are going to turn to spin for the first time as Andrew Neal is thrown the ball.

  6. rain stops play

    Wet outfield

    Lancashire v Northants - start delayed

    Groundstaff removing the covers at Emirates Old TraffordGetty Images

    We await news of when play will begin in this one.

    There has been another shower in between inspections and the outfield must dry up before we can begin to think about a start time.

    They are currently in the middle of the earlier lunch.

  7. 50 runs

    50 for Zak Crawley

    Middlesex v Kent 106-1

    Zak Crawley playing a forward defensive shot for KentGetty Images

    Zak Crawley has his first County Championship half-century of the season, reaching the milestone off 81 balls with a tickle off the legs down to fine leg for four.

    It's been a good start - can he make it really count?

  8. Hampshire v Yorkshire 37-3

    Kyle Abbott's superb opening spell of bowling continues. Seven maidens in nine overs, he's taken two wickets for the cost of only three runs.

  9. rain stops play

    Rain stops play at Derby

    Derbyshire v Durham 5-0

    They manage 16 balls in Derby before a very heavy downpour forces the players off the field.

  10. Season's best for Crawley

    Middlesex v Kent 97-1

    A bit of width from Tom Helm and Zak Crawley needs no second invitation as he creams one through the covers for four.

    It's his second boundary of the over after a fierce pull shot and it takes him to 46.

    This is his best score of his red-ball season and it is giving him a good platform to kick on.

  11. Hampshire and Yorkshire resume after rain delay

    Hampshire v Yorkshire 33-3

    Matt Revis and James Wharton are at the crease for Yorkshire and Kyle Abbott will complete his eighth over, which was interrupted by the rain about 30 minutes ago.

  12. wicket

    WICKET

    Gumbs run out 22 (Kellaway-van der Gugten) (Leics 53-3 v Glamorgan)

    Oh dear!

    After batting carefully for most of the session Leicestershire have gifted their third wicket.

    Sheridon Gumbs runs but Hamza Shaikh doesn't, leaving Gumbs to turn back from two thirds down the pitch.

    Even though he fumbles the ball in the gulley, Ben Kellaway has time to throw to bowler Timm van der Gugten who completes the job.

  13. 50 runs

    50 for Josh Thomas

    Somerset 109-2 v Essex (24 overs)

    Josh Thomas watching the ball go deep into the field as the Somerset batter wears his maroon helmetGetty Images

    Somerset's century up is quickly followed by Josh Thomas completing his half-century.

    It's only the fifth of the young Taunton-born opener's fledgling career as he bids to cement his place in this team.

  14. 50 runs

    50 partnership

    Middlesex v Kent 87-1

    Nice stuff from the Kent pair of Zak Crawley and Sam Northeast.

    They are into an unbeaten second-wicket stand of 62 on the parched Northwood square.

  15. 100 runs

    100 up for Somerset

    Somerset 101-2 v Essex (23.1 overs)

    The healthy Somerset run rate has slowed noticeably. But that doesn't prevent them from hoisting three figures.

    Josh Thomas has made 48 of them.

  16. rain stops play

    Rain stops play at The Oval

    Surrey v Notts 41-5

    After an eventful hour-and-a-half the players come scurrying off under a heavy shower at The Oval.

    So that's likely to be it for the morning session.

    Surrey have dominated after putting Notts in on a green pitch. Matt Fisher claimed two wickets in an impressive opening spell supported by Dan Worrall who took one.

    First change bowler Tom Lawes then added two more.

    Ollie Pope has been excellent in the slips holding three catches but Surrey have put down a couple of sharp chances and they've lost Ryan Patel at least for a while as he suffered a hand injury trying to take a low opportunity.

  17. Derbyshire v Durham set to start

    Derbyshire v Durham 0-0

    After a 90-minute delay to the scheduled start, Durham openers Alex Lees and Ben McKinney are heading out to bat against Derbyshire. Ben Aitchison will bowl the first over for the hosts.

    There's a lunch break scheduled for 13:30 BST so they'll get through an hour's play before then, providing there are no more weather interruptions.

  18. sun

    Back under way at Edgbaston

    Sussex 21-1 v Warwickshire (4 overs)

    The rain has stopped - and they are about to get back under way again in Birmingham.

  19. Pears substitute

    Glos 41-4 v Worcs

    A little bit of bad news to dampen Worcestershire's morning.

    Wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick is out of the match with Rehaan Edavalath coming on in his place.

    Henry Cullen is doing the honours behind the stumps.

  20. Play to resume in 10 minutes

    Hampshire v Yorkshire 33-3

    Dan George
    BBC Sport England at Utilita Bowl

    The covers are now coming off in Southampton, with the sun back out again.

    Play will restart at 12:40 BST, with the lunch break moved to 13:20 BST.