Find out what happened across the County Championship on the first day of the first round of the 2021 competition
Essex v Worcestershire
Chelmsford (first day of four): Essex 207 for 3
Dan Lawrence returned from his England adventures with a well-made 46 as Essex began their defence of the County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy against Worcestershire.
Lawrence made his Test debut over the off-season with appearances in Sri Lanka and India and recalibrated himself to English conditions quickly at the Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford.
He put on 73 for the third wicket with captain Tom Westley, who starred with an unbeaten 84, as Essex totted up 207 for 3 before bad light stopped play, with almost 15 overs lost in the day.
Warwickshire v Derbyshire
Edgbaston (first day of four): Derbyshire 189, Warwickshire 13 for 1 - Warwickshire trail by 176 runs with nine first-innings wickets in hand
A five-for from Liam Norwell powered Warwickshire into control against Derbyshire on the first day of their opening County Championship match of the season at Edgbaston.
Norwell launched the campaign in the most spectacular style with two wickets in his first over and bowled with sustained hostility for figures of 18-7-32-5 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 189.
Luis Reece (63, 144 balls, 10 fours) and Matt Critchley (64, 97 balls, 11 fours) offered defiance for the visitors but they came in under par on a decent batting pitch before Warwickshire reached 13 for 1 at the close.
Nottinghamshire v Durham
Trent Bridge (first day of four): Durham 241 for 7
Against an opponent without a win in this competition in 27 attempts. Durham might have fancied themselves to get their County Championship season off to a positive start but they will feel the opening day here was one of wasted opportunities as wickets were lost at key moments, although eighth-wicket pair Bryson Carse and Ben Raine fought back before the close.
Asked to bat first on a typical green-tinged early-season pitch, they recovered well from a stuttering start against a Nottinghamshire seam attack that looked potent even with overseas signing Dane Paterson not yet match fit after a long-term injury.
The returning Scott Borthwick’s second county debut ended in a four-ball duck but Alex Lees and David Bedingham each made half-centuries and Jack Burnham was well placed to match them if not do better. Yet none was able to progress.
Leicestershire v Hampshire
Grace Road (first day of four): Hampshire 431 for 4
Contrasting centuries from James Vince and Tom Alsop saw Hampshire establish a dominant position in their County Championship match against Leicestershire at the UptonSteel County Ground, Grace Road.
Hampshire skipper Vince was all power and timing as he took full advantage of some wayward bowling from Leicestershire’s inexperienced seam attack, hitting 17 fours and two sixes in racing to three figures off just 81 balls.
Alsop, who had just reached his half-century when Vince came to the crease on the dismissal of Sam Northeast, was less fluent, but while his century came off 153 deliveries (and included 17 fours), it was no less valuable to his side.
Together the pair added 224 for the fourth wicket before Alsop got a leading edge trying to turn a delivery from Alex Evans into the legside and was caught at point. Vince, however, remained unbeaten, reaching his 150 off 140 deliveries before closing on 168 not out. It is the sixth time he has made a score of 150 or more in his first-class career.
Players from all teams observed a moment of unity before play across the country
Gloucestershire v Surrey
Bristol (first day of four): Surrey 220 for 9
The opening day of the new LV= Insurance County Championship season saw Bristol over 20 degrees cooler than Chennai, where Rory Burns last walked out in a competitive match, and Surrey felt a chill all day as they made 220 for nine against Gloucestershire.
Josh Shaw, 4 for 48, and Ryan Higgins, 3 for 35, ensured the home side did not squander winning the toss on a green-tinged pitch. They were denied the chance to finish Surrey off inside the day by late rain.
Middlesex v Somerset
Lord's (first day of four): Middlesex 293 for 8
Sam Robson survived two early chances to post his highest red-ball score in five years as Middlesex made a solid start to their County Championship opener against Somerset at Lord’s.
James Hildreth and Craig Overton both spilt slip catches before the opener had passed his half-century and he took advantage to accumulate 165, with Middlesex reaching 293 for 8 at stumps.
Robson’s majestic knock, which included 25 fours, was his best performance since registering a career-best double hundred in the opening match of the 2016 season against Warwickshire.
The 31-year-old eventually fell to Lewis Gregory, who ended the day with figures of 4 for 54 after Somerset fought back in the evening session.
Tom Haines was among the batters to cash-in on day one
Northamptonshire v Kent
Wantage Road (first day of four): Kent 309 for 7
Ollie Robinson led the assault with a blistering 84 as Kent’s batsmen took the attack to Northamptonshire on day one of the County Championship at Northampton.
Jordan Cox and Ollie Robinson also made half-centuries as the visitors recovered from the loss of three early wickets to post 309 for 7 at stumps.
Veteran seamer Gareth Berg had made the most of favourable conditions early on to account for England internationals Zak Crawley and Joe Denly in successive overs.
Kent’s batsmen though found runs easier to come by after lunch and went on the offensive, punishing anything short or wide with a flurry of boundaries.
Lancashire v Sussex
Old Trafford (first day of four): Sussex 291 for 9
Sussex opener Tom Haines made Lancashire pay for three dropped catches by making a career-best 155 as the visitors recovered from 40 for four to reach 291 for 9 on the first day of the County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.
Haines’ hundred, the third of his first-class career, came off 177 balls. It helped Sussex to recover from a grim morning when their decision to bat first appeared ill-advised.
Lancashire were still dominant when they reduced Sussex to 127 for 6 but Haines and Ollie Robinson had come within one run of doubling that score when Robinson was caught behind off Saqib Mahmood for 59.
Having batted for 357 minutes and hit 20 fours, Haines was finally dismissed when his tired swish edged a catch to Alex Davies and that wicket gave Tom Bailey his third success of the day.
Matches were once again staged behind closed doors as the wait for fans to return continues
Yorkshire v Glamorgan
Headingley (first day of four): Glamorgan 310 for 8
Fifties for Kiran Carlson, Dan Douthwaite and Timm van der Gugten fashioned a superb Glamorgan fightback against Yorkshire on day one of the County Championship season at Emerald Headingley.
Billy Root also contributed a steadfast 43 at the start of the second professional meeting between himself and older brother Joe.
That battle provides an intriguing subplot to an opening-round Group Three fixture which started with the Welshmen slipping to 29 for 3 and 132 for 7 before recovering to close on 310 for 8 from 96 overs.
Root and Carlson shared 82 for the fourth wicket either side of lunch before all-rounder Douthwaite and Netherlands seamer van der Gugten united for the eighth wicket before and after tea, sharing 122 - the key partnership.
Douthwaite posted 57 off 90 balls and van der Gugten a career-best 80 not out off 134.
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