The best laid plans, Giles... always good to know where in the world you're joining us from, by the way, do please let us know your set-up.

The nasty weather has cleared away from Hove to start on time.

Sussex, as you’d guess in the overcast and muggy conditions, have chosen to field.

Could be a tricky morning for the visitors.

Foxes skipper Ian Holland to open up from the wonderfully-named Trafalgar Square End.

His fifth ball drops a fraction short and Adam Lyth accepts the gift by tucking it around the corner through backward square leg for four.

BBC Local Radio

We'll bring you the words across all four days of this round of the County Championship, but you can tune in to BBC Local Radio, flitting between the games that interest you as you wish.

Just head to the 'Watch & Listen' tab at the top of the page for coverage from all nine matches - when weather permits - or if you prefer you can listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra who are jumping from ground to ground to keep you across all the action as the day goes on.

Image source, Shutterstock

Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Will Luxton stride to the crease to get us up and running in Scarborough after Leicestershire won the toss and unsurprisingly fancied a bowl.

Not sure how much cricket we'll get with rain sweeping up the country, but at least we'll get a start at this iconic ground.

There's a few changes for the Foxes.

Spinner Ajaz Patel is replaced by young pacer Alex Green, while Scotland international bowler Josh Davey returns in place of the injured Ben Mike.

Ok, we have delayed starts at Warwickshire and Essex in Division One with the Division Two games at Northants, Worcestershire and Derbyshire also not getting under way due to the wet weather.

Reality is beginning to bite for Sussex with, as expected, a number of players announcing their moving on at the end of the season with the club gripped by financial problems.

Even though last week’s defeat at Warwickshire leaves them 27 points behind leaders Notts, the dream of a Last Dance title has not been extinguished.

But it could be this week as Somerset visit Hove.

A big win for Somerset against Essex last week, having been made to work very hard in the second innings, has keep them right up with the pace and they start the round two points off the top.

Image source, Shutterstock

If this were the Tour de France Glamorgan are at the head of the peloton with five games to go with a three team breakaway up front holding an advantage but still very much in sight.

Can Glam bridge the gap? Well its doable. With 120 points available to all from here, you would have to say that 25 points from leaders to Glam is not a mountain.

What is certain is that they need to beat relegation threatened Hants in Cardiff this weekend or mid table will be their destination in this campaign.

Glam's defeat to Leics was damaging, losing by 42 runs earlier this week but prior to that Kiran Carlson's outfit had won three in five.

Carlson's 761 runs have been key (he is third in the runs scorers charts) and again he will lead from the front against Hants.

Oh Hants by the way. What has happened with just one win in seven and a loss to Yorks at Southampton earlier this week leaving them knee deep through the trapdoor, 19 points away from safety.

In Kyle Abbott they have the Division's leading wicket taker (44) but they will be without Sonny Baker on England duty. They need a spark in Cardiff this weekend you feel or the gloom will be hard to shift.

Image source, Shutterstock

Unthinkable? Certainly at the start of the season if you had tipped Surrey for relegation to Division Two people might have asked whether you needed a lie down.

But with five rounds of the County Championship to go the London giant is nervously hearing the creaks of the trapdoor under their feet just three points above the relegation zone.

Surrey were last relegated in 2013 but have posted four CC Div One titles since (2018 and a three-peat in 2022-24) but this season an inability to get to the finishing line from decent positions has seen them win just one match all season against Sussex in May.

If reality had not fully dawned as to how far they have slipped a thumping defeat against Notts (by 145 runs) earlier this week sounded the klaxon.

Surrey really should have the tools to get out of this mess but with leading run scorer Dan Lawrence (788 runs and second overall in Division One) missing with England and against a pumped up Essex it will not be easy.

Essex lost by eight wickets to Somerset, largely spun out by Jack Leach. They, too, are missing Sam Cook and Jordan Cox which is half a hand tied behind their backs.

A mouthwatering clash awaits at Edgbaston which won’t decide the title race, but could go some way to deciding who claims the Championship flag next month.

Defending champions Nottinghamshire have recovered well from their hammering at home to Somerset with emphatic wins on the road at Essex and Surrey either side of the Championship’s mid-summer break.

Olly Stone was their hero at the Oval last week with a 10-wicket haul and was rewarded with a new deal this week.

The Championship leaders also added extra firepower to their attack yesterday by bringing in Kiwi seamer Fraser Sheat for the busy five-match finale.

Warwickshire, meanwhile, are hovering close behind in third after a consistent campaign, and will leapfrog their Midlands rivals with a victory.

Like Notts, the Bears have lost just once this season and resumed their campaign last time out with a thrilling one-wicket win over Sussex in an Edgbaston humdinger.

They are boosted by the return of batting lynchpin Sam Hain from injury.

Whether you're stationed in the stand on the square leg boundary or following along while sat surreptitiously in the corner of the office with the headphones on, we want to hear from you this week.

Who's going to come out on top in this fascinating title race? Could we really see Surrey relegated to the second-tier? If Durham look certain to return to Division One, who will join them?

Let us know your thoughts on all those questions, and the day's action, by clicking the shiny yellow button and we'll publish the best comments right here throughout the day.

Adam Whitty
BBC Radio Leicester commentator

Image source, Rex Features

I have never been to Scarborough before, and what a sight it is. A wonderful outground full of history and character.

Loads of fans from both sets of teams are trundling in, the wooden seats, surrodunding Geordain townhouses and the loud booming squawks of seagulls make this so perfectly atmospheric (we don't get seagulls in the Midlands, you see).

130 years ago Yorkshire hosted Leicestershire in their first ever County Championship match at Scarborough, and here we are again.

Yorkshire, according to Dom Bess, now have their eyes on the title after a crucial win at Hampshire. Jake White comes in for them today.

The Foxes, meanwhile, after two straight wins, can sniff safety. Victory here and they would climb free of the clutches of the bottom two, for a week at least.

It's the visitors who won the toss, and under cloudy skies have chosen to bowl. They've left out their overseas bowler, Ajaz Patel, and have brought in Alex Green and Josh Davey - pace, it seems, is what Leicestershire think is best.

Image source, Shutterstock

Yorkshire and Leicestershire have had their struggles this season but both will head to Scarborough with a spring in their step.

Anthony McGrath’s side gave themselves breathing space from the bottom two relegation spots by edging rock-bottom Hampshire last time out.

Former England spinner Dom Bess proved their matchwinner with a five-wicket haul in the Hampshire chase. It left them 17 points above the relegation spots - and today’s opponents.

Just a few months ago, Leicestershire looked set for an immediate return to Division Two, but the Foxes are flying after back-to-back wins.

They dismantled the White Rose immediately before the mid-summer break and then picked up where they left off by wrapping up a narrow, but impressive, win over this season’s surprise package, Glamorgan, on Sunday.

They start the day second-bottom but within three points of eighth-placed Surrey.

There is surely nothing to stop Durham marching back to Division One, especially with Ben Stokes back.

A couple more wins will probably seal the deal and they will expect to easily beat Gloucestershire at Chester-le-Street this week.

The Glosters are having a shocker of a season, with eight defeats in nine games and a paltry 41 points on the board.

Injuries have begun to bite too and they take three loanees bowlers up north with them this week.

Well, this is all beautifully poised, isn't it?

Leaders Notts head to Warwickshire, who lie two places and just five points back after a thrilling win over Sussex last time out.

Somerset's thumping win over Essex has them sandwiched in between, just two points behind the defending champions as they seek to secure their very first title.

Leicestershire have won back-to-back games and head to Scarbados this week looking to drag Yorkshire into the relegation scrap and, dare we say it, potentially pull Surrey into the bottom two.

This table could look very different indeed come Sunday evening.

Durham will be top no matter the outcome of their home game against basement-boys Gloucestershire this week, but with a 30-point cushion and the possibility of a seventh win in 10 games, it seems a matter of when not if they make their immediate return to the top flight.

Who joins them is an entirely different matter, however.

Kent registered a third straight win and fifth in six matches last time out against Middlesex to take a slender grip on second place ahead of this week's trip to closest rivals Northampton.

Kent escaped with a draw despite surrendering a fifrst innings lead of more than 500 in the reverse fixture in April and Northants will be keen to exact some revenge.

Derbyshire and Middlesex know a win is likely needed to keep themselves in the hunt while Worcestershire welcome Jimmy Anderson and Lancashire aiming to keep the pressure on the sides above.