BBC Sounds

As usual, there is live ball-by-ball radio commentary on all of today's matches.

To tune in, click on the 'watch and listen' tab at the top of this page, or ask your smart speaker to play 'Somerset v Sussex' on BBC Sounds.

Whichever match you choose, make sure you say 'day one' as well!

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Leaders Durham face Kent at Beckenham for the time in a Championship match. And it is freezing in South East London.

Beanie hats are the required headwear for most of the media. Body warmers and gloves are also in use. It's quite a contrast to the last time I was here, during a heatwave in 2021.

Durham have brought Matty Potts back into the line-up after he was rested for the game at Worcester. Luke Robinson misses out and there's still no debut for Duanne Olivier, the South African fast bowler who joined them just over a week ago.

There's two changes for Kent with Matt Milnes back and Matt Parkinson will also play against his twin Callum.

Durham are top following their three-day win at Worcester, while Kent have moved up to mid-table following two straight wins against Derbyshire and Gloucestershire.

Image source, Getty Images

South African all-rounder Delano Potgieter makes his Hampshire debut as they welcome Nottinghamshire to Southampton.

Potgieter has signed to play in Hants’ next three County Championship matches, as well as the T20 Blast which commences next week.

Hampshire, without Liam Dawson for the first time since he announced his red-ball retirement, are propping the Division One table up after losing their last three matches.

They host reigning champions Nottinghamshire to the south coast hoping to reverse their fortunes, but the unbeaten visitors have begun the defence of their title strongly.

Both sides boast players who have been selected to represent England in their forthcoming Test series against New Zealand - with Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue featuring, there ought to be plenty of pace on show.

Image source, Shutterstock

Yorkshire return to Headingley this morning after two consecutive away games as they face Surrey at Headingley in Division One.

The White Rose won at then in-form Somerset but suffered a heavy 377 run defeat by Warwickshire on Monday - their second-highest ever Championship defeat by a margin of runs.

Today they welcome the return of Joe Root, who missed the match at Edgbaston after picking up figures of 4-49 and scoring 64 in the second-innings in Taunton, while Harry Brook makes his second consecutive start.

"I don't feel great at the crease at the minute but the fact I'm still scoring and contributing - that comes with experience and an understanding of my own game," Root told BBC Sport.

"The more and more I'm playing, the more I'm starting to find my own rhtyhm. It's always a big game against Surrey, I love playing against Surrey - I'm desperate to beat them."

As for Surrey, opener Rory Burns continues to captain the side while Jamie Smith and Dom Sibley are also in the XI as Ollie Pope and Gus Atkinson miss out through injury.

Draws have been the order of the day for the Brown Caps so far this season - four of their first five Championship matches have ended in stalemates which has seen their title charge stall somewhat - currently nestling third in the table, two points below Warwickshire and three points above Sussex.

The coin lands in favour of visiting captain Luke Procter, who fancies a bowl.

Left armer Liam Guthrie returns to the Northants XI in place of George Scrimshaw.

Gloucestershire bring in right arm medium pacer Craig Miles in place of leg spinner Ed Middleton, who played last week v Kent.

Image source, Getty Images

An interesting four days await at Edgbaston, where second-placed Warwickshire host fifth-placed Glamorgan in Division One - and victory for either side in this final round of the first County Championship block of fixtures would see them well-placed when the red-ball stuff resumes next month.

The pair are only separated by five bonus points, having both won twice and lost twice in their opening five County Championship matches of the campaign and Glamorgan, in particular, appear to have taken to life back in the top tier with gusto.

They completed a dramatic victory over Somerset on Monday and are unchanged this week following that success.

The Bears, meanwhile, demolished Yorkshire by an enormous 377 runs in Birmingham thanks in no small part to Sam Hain's unbeaten 164, but they are currently without Chris Woakes, although he has been out bowling before the start of play here.

Warwickshire have won the toss and have decided to put their visitors into bat this morning, meaning we will see Ethan Bamber and Oliver Hannon-Dalby with the new ball shortly.

Image source, Shutterstock

Lancashire are once more captained by James Anderson - who makes his sixth consecutive County Championship start of the season against Worcestershire at Southport.

Anderson has won the toss and he will have ball in hand at the beginning of the first day as the Red Rose have put Worcestershire in to bat with Paul Coughlin and Harry Singh in for Mitch Stanley and Australian Marcus Harris, who misses out due to illness, following their defeat by Middlesex last time out.

As for the visitors, George Drissell makes his Pears debut while Beyers Swanepoel and Adam Finch also return to the XI after their defeat inside three days to Division Two pace-setters Durham.

Image source, Shutterstock

Many eyes will no doubt be on visiting captain and fast bowler Ollie Robinson in Taunton today, after he was named in the England squad for the Test series v New Zealand, which starts at Lord’s on 4 June.

England managing director Rob Key has heaped praise on the Sussex captain as Robinson does indeed have an impressive career average of less than 23 runs per wicket, and will no doubt approach this game full of confidence.

Somerset's James Rew is also in the squad, though most likely as batting and keeping cover for the time being. They begin this round sixth in the table and no doubt frustrated after losing their last two games, despite earning an innings lead of more than 100 runs on both occasions.

The team remain without three of their injured senior players – Tom Kohler-Cadmore (thumb) Lewis Goldsworthy (hamstring) and Tom Banton (finger).

However, the club do have home advantage promising South African A left-hander Jordan Hermann makes his debut.

The visitors will hope to strengthen the batting further with the return of Tom Haines, who was replaced in the last round due to illness.

Image source, Shutterstock

It's been an up and down start to the County Championship for Essex, but they were back to their normal selves in the last round of games when they saw off Hampshire by six wickets.

Pace bowler Sam Cook may be smarting following his latest omission from England's Test squad, a decision which the i newspaper said was "typical of a set-up that still too often picks players more by gut feeling than on-field performances"., external

Only Kyle Abbott has taken more than Cook's 21 Division One wickets this season and he will be looking to add more against Leicestershire, who are yet to register their first win back in the top flight, in the first Championship meeting between the teams for 10 years.

Foxes head coach Alfonso Thomas and his assistant James Taylor have been rewarded with new deals to run until 2028, external but they will have to manage without seamer Tom Helm at Chelmsford after he was recalled early by Middlesex from a two-week loan.

Gloucestershire and Northants both suffered losses in the previous round but it is the hosts who will perhaps be more concerned, given their position at the foot of the table after four defeats in five games to date.

Their last match was competitive, though, ending in a tense two-wicket defeat by Kent in Bristol, who chased down 261 on the fourth day.

Northants have gone from the highs of an innings win at home to Worcestershire to a thumping innings and 113-run loss away to Derbyshire, though the team deserve credit for batting out 122 overs in the second innings rearguard after following on.

They remain third in the table at present and Liam Guthrie returns to the bowling attack after a brief spell out of the team for personal reasons, but fellow pace bowler Raphy Weatherall (exams) and all-rounder Justin Broad (back injury) remain absent.

Image source, Getty Images

So after scoring more than 3,500 runs in 64 Tests, Zak Crawley finds himself on the outside looking in as far as international cricket is concerned.

"He can now go back, out of the spotlight and try and develop his game," England managing director Rob Key has said.

It's not been a great start to the season for Crawley, who averages 19.50 and has yet to make a 50 in the County Championship, but what better answer could there be than to smack Durham's attack - including England skipper Ben Stokes - around at Beckenham.

Unbeaten Durham who are 23 points clear at the top of the Division Two table, may again look to use Stokes with the new ball as they did in last week's innings win over Worcestershire.

We will see Ollie Robinson bowling this morning, perhaps sharing the new ball with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who is retained in the XI.

Tom Haines returns to the Sussex side after illness and Dan Ibrahim misses out.

South African batter Jordan Hermann makes his debut for Somerset in place of Will Smeed, who played in the last round.

Left armer Alfie Ogborne replaces Jake Ball.

Division One

Chelmsford: Essex v Leicestershire

Essex won the toss and put Leicestershire in

Utilita Bowl: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire won the toss and put Hampshire in

Taunton: Somerset v Sussex

Somerset won the toss and will bat

Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Glamorgan

Warwickshire won the toss and put Glamorgan in

Headingley: Yorkshire v Surrey

Surrey won the toss and put Yorkshire in

Division Two

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire

Northants won the toss and put Gloucestershire in

Beckenham: Kent v Durham

Kent won the toss and will bat

Southport: Lancashire v Worcestershire

Lancashire won the toss and put Worcestershire in

Lord's: Middlesex v Derbyshire

Derbyshire won the toss and put Middlesex in

There is also a big game in the women's 50-over competition today, with The Blaze taking on Hampshire.

It's first v second at Trent Bridge, with both teams having lost only one of their seven games so far.

Hampshire have won the toss and are batting.

You can follow score updates for that game by clicking here.

Image source, Getty Images

"It's another day of sunshine and showers today - but on balance there's more sunshine and fewer showers than we've seen over the past few days. Temperatures still on the cool side for this time of year," says BBC Weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas.

The showers are apparently likely to be heaviest in the south-east, but let's hope we won't get too many interruptions to the cricket.

Division One

Image source, BBC Sport

Division Two

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Shutterstock

The start of the T20 Blast is just seven days away - and so the first block of County Championship fixtures comes to an end this weekend with all 18 teams involved.

We've had some exciting and enthralling red-ball cricket over the last six weeks and eye-catching performances for their respective teams have brought Emilio Gay, James Rew and Sonny Baker to the attention of the England selectors.

Defending champions Nottinghamshire are setting the pace at the top of Division One and are up against struggling Hampshire this week, while Durham are looking formidable in the second tier following last summer's relegation.

Welcome to our coverage of the opening day in round seven. Play is due to start at 11:00.