Jordan Thompson asking some questions of Ollie Pope in a probing second over.

His second ball raps Pope on the pads, then he bangs in a yorker, and then skids another full one through before drawing a textbook forward defensive shot.

Nathan Gilchrist has taken over at the other end.

Fascinating first hour complete. How we've missed this...

Dropped catchpublished at 12:01 BST 3 April

12:01 BST 3 April

Som 33-2 v Notts

Lyndon James has only bowled one over, but now dropped a catch, the first of the match.

Rob Lord's third ball, given the chance to play with no Brett Hutton or Josh Tongue in this Notts squad, gets Josh Thomas' outside edge, low, but two hands were under it at third slip.

As often happens, the next ball is thumped for four. Through mid off.

Thomas 21*.

It has taken just 14.2 overs and less than an hour for Sussex to race to three figures for the loss of Daniel Hughes.

It's a bit streaky, though, as Tom Haines attempts a big cover drive off Tom Scriven and a thick inside edge runs down to long log for a single.

Tom Clark goes for something similar later in the over and the ball flies over the slips for four.

50-stand for Durham's second wicket in 64 balls, Emilio Gay weighing in with an eye-catching 27 of them and Alex Lees adding 21.

Good response from the hosts who were up against it in the opening 20 minutes of the opening morning.

Josh Thomas with his best stroke so far, timing Lyndon James for four straight down the ground having taken a four through third earlier in James' first over.

A productive first over off James for Somerset, nine off it.

Jordan Thompson comes into the attack on debut and after a couple of sighters, Ollie Pope tucks in to a wider one from the right-armer with a fine shot past extra cover for his first boundary to reach eight from 22 balls.

He's overtaken opener Dom Sibley who has faced 10 more deliveries.

Slow going under pretty steady pressure... and it's CHILLY. Sam Hain has just called for a second jumper to wear in the field.

New shot of the season at Taunton, and yet again it comes from James Rew, and this time it is a boundary!

Only the second four of the match comes after 51 minutes, Rew senior lacing a four through the covers off Dillon Pennington.

Lyndon James to bowl first change from the River End as Nick Pepper's team head around to the tarpaulin sheets..

Umpires Paul Pollard and Graham Lloyd confer, but decide the very light rain is not a problem, sensibly so.

Postpublished at 11:54 BST 3 April

11:54 BST 3 April

Leics v Sussex 90-1

Leicestershire captain Ian Holland takes himself out of the attack for some thinking time, having taken 0-36 from six overs with the new ball.

Tom Scriven comes up for his first bowl of the season from round the wicket but sends one down that is too straight and Tom Clark flicks it over backward square for six.

Next ball, similar shot, and the ball disappears for four.

Oh well, we almost made it an hour into the new season before the B-word came up...

After a minute's silence observed for the late Hampshire and England great Robin Smith, who passed away in December, we are under way at Southampton.

Kyle Abbott (can you remember a season when the South African was not trundling in?) has the ball in hand and Dean Elgar in his sights.

He drifts down the leg side and Elgar and Essex and the season are up and running.

Emilio Gay is playing aggressively at three for the hosts and, after Joey Evison takes over the bowling from Matt Milnes, he flashes a drive which flies through the vacant fourth-slip area and away for his fourth boundary in his 19*.

Keith Dudgeon will replace his Boland teammate Glenton Stuurman from the other end.

Dropped catch by Weatheraldpublished at 11:45 BST 3 April

11:45 BST 3 April

Leics v Sussex 74-1

Oops.

Ian Holland induces a thick edge from Tom Clark and Australia's Jake Weatherald shells the chance at third slip.

Wonder what word flashed briefly into the Leicestershire skipper's brain at that moment.

I'm not sure the word 'easy' quite springs to mind when watching a fired-up Chris Woakes and Ethan Bamber charging in under steely skies on a cold morning in the second city, James.

No Keaton Jennings for Lancashire with the opener missing with a calf strain and no Marcus Harris who is a late arrival from the Australian domestic season either.

But Luke Wells and Harry Singh have made a brisk enough start at the top of the Lancashire order here at Wantage Road.

Opening bowlers Ben Sanderson and Harry Conway have not made things easy for the Lancashire openers with runs coming off edges and a few pads being thumped.

But as the sun starts to break through the runs are starting to flow a little easier, Singh punching Luke Proctor's first delivery for a boundary and following up with a three on ball four.

A slice of fortune for Sussex opener Tom Haines.

He tries to shuffle forward to a ball from Ben Green, gets a leading edge and watches anxiously as it just clears the bowler and drops safely to earth.

A false shot, but Haines is certainly in positive mood - he has 38 not out off 32 balls so far.

Image source, Shutterstock

When we were at Lord's the other day it was very green indeed - and Sam Robson and Josh de Caires are having to strain every sinew to keep their wickets intact against Gloucestershire. Ten overs bowled, just 11 runs scored.

Runs are coming a little easier for Derbyshire, who are 42-0 in the 10th over by Worcestershire with Harry Came 21 not out and Caleb Jewell on 16.