That's a little too full from Gus Atkinson and Paul Walter is able to ease it away through backward point for four.

Inside edge from Keaton Jennings almost rattles his off stump but instead runs down to fine leg for a couple.

The following ball is beautifully driven front of square by Jennings. Save your legs for that one - four more.

Quite the start for the Red Rose this, inside the first five overs.

No immediate breakthrough for Derbyshire, who have Mohammad Abbas and Ben Aitchison sharing the new ball.

Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth are the Glos openers - the latter playing his first innings since it was announced that he will be joining Lancashire next season.

Ben Raine hasn't quite found his length right this morning, and with wicket-keeper Ollie Robinson stood up to the stumps, the ball races away for four byes down at fine leg.

The final delivery of the third over is over-pitched and Keaton Jennings' forward drive races away to the boundary once more.

Lancashire have raced to 27-0 off just three overs.

That's a fine delivery from Gus Atkinson which has Paul Walter - converted to an opener last season - groping at thin air.

Two runs later in the over, though, as the tall left-hander strokes the ball back past the bowler.

A steady start at a splendidly sunny New Road for England opener Zak Crawley and batting partner Ben Compton.

Just one run to Compton from the opening two overs and Crawley is yet to get off the mark from four balls.

Olly Hannon-Dalby is bowling for the Pears after extending his loan deal for a further four rounds of the County Championship.

We're also likely to see Beyers Swanepoel take the ball this morning on his Worcs debut after a delayed start to the season in bizarre circumstances - more on that later.

The question for some Lancashire fans was who would open the batting alongside Keaton Jennings after Luke Wells suffered a dislocated shoulder in the field last time out against Gloucestershire.

George Balderson has done so, and has started nicely, running one with soft hands down to a vacant third man boundary for his second four of the morning already.

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First boundary of the day at the Oval as Tom Lawes overpitches from round the wicket with his opening delivery and Dean Elgar punches it away through mid-on.

Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bowl first at Headingley so we will have to wait to see Joe Root in action.

Sussex openers Daniel Hughes and Tom Haines are at the crease and the latter has started with a boundary off Jhye Richardson.

The new ball is with Brett Hutton, after Notts put Warwickshire in this morning. Rob Yates blocks the first delivery but misses out on punishing a full toss with the second.

Glamorgan opener Eddie Byrom flicks one off his pads for a single to get off the mark with the first ball of the match.

Surrey skipper Rory Burns immediately throws the new ball to Gus Atkinson. His first delivery strikes Dean Elgar on the bottom hand.

Ouch! But no major damage done.

"We're virtually slap bang in the middle of the square for this one," says BBC Radio London's Mark Church.

Ben Raine begins around the wicket for Durham and Keaton Jennings lets the first ball go.

Sir Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen have had their say on whether Jacob Bethell should be playing in the County Championship, rather than the IPL (Cook says 'yes, he should', KP says - utilising Trump-like capitals - that Cook has "absolutely NO IDEA what it's like to be in the IPL"), but what do you think?

You might also like to pay tribute to Samit Patel, who this morning has announced his retirement from county cricket.

This season it's never been easier to get in touch with us and join the conversation, just click the shiny gold button on the left of this page and get things off your chest.

We'll publish the best comments right here throughout the day.

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Leicestershire are in South Wales to face a Glamorgan side beaten by reigning champions Nottinghamshire last time out.

Foxes leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed won't be in the team however, as he heads to the IPL after it was announced yesterday he had signed with the Dehli Capitals for at least the next month.

Leicestershire's mammoth score of 691 all out at Surrey - which included three centurions - ensured they claimed a comfortable draw at The Oval a fortnight ago.

Ben Kellaway suffered a hip injury during Glamorgan's defeat at Trent Bridge and he has been replaced by Sean Dickson, but Timm van der Gugten starts once more after picking up excellent figures of 4-54 in the first innings against the 2025 champions.

BBC Sounds

As usual, you can follow every ball of every County Championship match with the BBC this summer.

Along with our live text coverage our BBC Local Radio and 5 Live Sports Extra commentary teams will be out in force to ensure you do not miss a thing.

You can listen via the BBC Sport website and app but also on most smart speakers - just ask BBC Sounds to play the game you want but also state the day as well.

For example, ask BBC Sounds to play Yorkshire against Sussex, day one.