The Cricketer rounds-up all the events of the opening round of red-ball fixtures as the ball dominated
Canterbury: (first day of four): Kent 125-6 v Essex
Three-wicket bursts by Sam Cook and Mohammad Amir helped Specsavers County Championship leaders Essex to command a rain-interrupted opening day to the 168th Canterbury Cricket Week encounter with Kent.
By stumps at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence Kent had limped to 125 for 6 after 53 overs with Cook and Amir sharing the spoils for the visitors.
Chelmsford-born paceman Cook wrecked Kent’s top-order during a stint of 3-7 , while Amir hit his straps later in the day after the hosts had mounted a partial recovery courtesy of a three-hour innings of 55 by No.3 Daniel Bell-Drummond and a gritty 35 from keeper-batsman Ollie Robinson.
Edgbaston: (first day of four): Warwickshire 303-4 v Somerset
Rob Yates fired his maiden first-class century as Warwickshire took a commanding position on day one of their Specsavers County Championship match against second-placed Somerset at Edgbaston.
Closing on 303 for 4, the Bears were led by the 19-year-old academy product, who looked assured as he reached 139* from 286 balls (22 fours), passing his previous first-class best of 91, which came at the beginning of July at Hampshire.
The Solihull-born left-hander is 32 days shy of his 20th birthday and came the youngest Warwickshire batsman to score a ton since Sam Hain, who at the age of 18 years and 336 days, reached the total in his fifth match against Northants in 2014.
Yates will look to help the Bears pick-up more batting points in the morning, a position that might have seemed unlikely when Dom Sibley departed in the second over.
Jamie Overton persevered for title-chasing Somerset
Scarborough: (first day of four): Yorkshire 232, Nottinghamshire 41-0
Jonny Tattersall fell eight runs short of his maiden Specsavers County Championship hundred, but he underpinned a healthy Yorkshire recovery from 38 for 5 on day one of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire at Scarborough.
The 24-year-old wicketkeeper, bidding to add to an April maiden first-class century against Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities, pushed the outside title contenders up to 232 all out.
Bottom side Notts then responded with 41 without loss from 17 overs before close.
Derby: (first day of four): Derbyshire 200, Gloucestershire 46-2
A five wicket haul from Ryan Higgins gave promotion contenders Gloucestershire the edge on the opening day of the match against Derbyshire at Derby.
Higgins bowled superbly to take 5-54 from 22 overs as Derbyshire were bowled out for 200 with Josh Shaw finishing with 3-50.
Alex Hughes top scored with 39 on his return to the championship side but Gloucestershire’s batsmen also struggled in bowler-friendly conditions as they closed on 46 for 2.
VISIT THE COUNTY HUB: Your one-stop shop for English domestic cricket
Chester-le-Street: (first day of four): Durham 368-5 v Leicestershire
A superb innings of 181 from Alex Lees has handed Durham the perfect start to their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Leicestershire at Emirates Riverside.
Without Cameron Bancroft, the home side needed a performance from one of their frontline batsmen. Lees came to the fore with his best display since signing for the club last year, notching his highest score for the county.
Lees batted at an excellent tempo throughout, working in partnerships with the upper and middle order to move Durham into a dominant position at the end of the day. Jack Burnham fell just before the close for an innings of 86, handing a rare moment of joy for the Leicestershire bowlers, who toiled all day at Chester-le-Street.
Colwyn Bay: (first day of four): Glamorgan 257, Lancashire 85-1
Lancashire assumed control of their top-of-the-table Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash with Glamorgan after the opening day at Colwyn Bay.
Tom Bailey and Danny Lamb claimed four wickets apiece as the Red Rose bowled the hosts out for 257 before reaching 85 for 1 in reply – a deficit of 172 runs.
It could have been worse for Glamorgan but for on-loan Samit Patel, who hit a half-century on his debut and combined expertly with the tail, most significantly Lukas Carey who crashed his way to fifty, after the hosts had been in disarray at 145 for 8.
But Lancashire finished the day content with their work with Keaton Jennings four runs short of a half-century and Josh Bohannon on six.
Ian Holland held together the top of the Hampshire order before wickets fell
Northampton: (first day of four): Worcestershire 186, Northamptonshire 140-3
Northamptonshire bowl Worcestershire out for just 186 on the first afternoon at Wantage Road before Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh shared a century stand for the third wicket as the home side then replied with 140 for 3.
Hutton’s first five wickets came in the opening 50 minutes of play as he shot out the visitors’ top order. But from 108 for 8 just after lunch, Jack Leach made a 38-ball fifty to help cobble something together for the visitors after choosing to bat first.
Twice Hutton was on a hat-trick as he claimed his eighth first-class five-wicket haul on a breezy day in Northampton.
Hove: (first day of four): Middlesex 75, Sussex 128-3
Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson took career-best figures of 8-34 against Middlesex on a remarkable first day in the Specsavers County Championship match at Hove.
The 25-year-old, who is on England’s radar after making his Lions debut last month, took the first eight wickets to fall as Middlesex slumped to 44 for 8 before recovering partially to 75 all out. Sussex were 128 for 3 at stumps, a lead of 53.
Robinson’s return was the in the County Championship this season and enhanced the seamer’s already remarkable record against Middlesex. In three matches he has taken 46 wickets including 18 this season – with power to add in the second innings.
Robinson walked off at tea to a standing ovation and was presented with his county cap by Sussex skipper Ben Brown. His figures are the best by a Sussex bowler at Hove since Ted James took 9-60 against Yorkshire in 1955.
Courtesy of the ECB reporters network
To celebrate England winning the World Cup you can subscribe to The Cricketer for just £20.19. Click here to learn more
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.