Find out what happened on day one of the latest round of LV= Insurance County Championship matches
DIVISION ONE
Cheltenham (first day of four): Hampshire 203-2, Gloucestershire
Felix Organ defied blistering heat and all that Gloucestershire's bowlers could throw at him to compile a notable unbeaten half century and put LV= Insurance County Championship title contenders Hampshire in credit on the opening day of the 150th Cheltenham Festival.
To the utter relief of his bowlers, Hampshire captain James Vince won the toss and, unsurprisingly, elected to bat on a day when the mercury touched 38 degrees at the famous old college ground.
Organ ensured it was a grueling spell in the field for bottom-of-the-table Gloucestershire, ushering the visitors to 203 for 2 at the close on a day when play was restricted to 72 overs by an ECB directive intended to protect players and spectators alike from a heatwave of unprecedented proportions.
Applying himself diligently, Organ maintained concentration throughout to post 93 not out and dominate stands of 117 and 55 with Ian Holland and Nick Gubbins for the first and second wickets respectively.
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Northampton (first day of four): Northamptonshire 218-7, Lancashire
Rob Keogh and Lewis McManus both scored half centuries to put the heat back on Lancashire's bowlers after the visitors threatened to run through Northamptonshire's batting on day one of this County Championship match at Wantage Road.
Some tight and disciplined bowling from Lancahire's attack had reduced Northamptonshire to 124 for 5 in temperatures approaching 40 degrees, Will Williams picking up two scalps.
But Keogh led the counter attack, striking six boundaries as he passed 5,000 career runs in first-class cricket. He found a willing partner in McManus and the pair shared a 77-run partnership in 18 overs to take Northamptonshire past 200.
However Lancashire made further inroads before the close with Indian international Washington Sundar claiming 4 for 69. He removed Keogh thanks to a stunning one-handed slip catch from Luke Wells, while Tom Taylor was trapped lbw attempting a reverse sweep.
McManus reached his fourth half century of the season shortly before the close as Northamptonshire finished on 218 for 7.
Tom Abell hit another hundred for Somerset (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
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Taunton (first day of four): Somerset 262-5, Yorkshire
Tom Abell's third County Championship century of the season led Somerset to 262 for 5 on the opening day of the match with Yorkshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.
The skipper ended the day unbeaten on 114, having faced 217 balls and hit 14 fours and two sixes. Other important contributions came from Matt Renshaw (43) and George Bartlett (46).
Matthew Waite was the pick of the Yorkshire seamers, with two for 35 from 16 overs, while former Somerset off-spinner Dom Bess took 2 for 29 from 18.
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Kia Oval (first day of four): Essex 271, Surrey 24-1 - Surrey trail by 247 runs with nine first-innings wickets remaining
Adam Rossington and Dan Worrall were the first day heroes at the Kia Oval, with No.7 Rossington scoring an extraordinary 100 and Worrall bowling brilliantly to take 6 for 56 as Surrey and Essex traded fierce blows in blistering oven-like conditions.
Rossington rushed to his century with an exhilarating assault on the second new ball, in Essex's 271 all out, clubbing Kemar Roach for three legside sixes before wearily skying the same bowler to long on in the 83rd over.
Simon Harmer's 50 was another fine effort as Essex rallied hard after Worrall had earlier taken 3 for 0 in five balls as the County Championship leaders initially reduced their opponents to 91 for 6 by lunch.
In 9.1 overs' batting before stumps, Surrey replied with 24 for 1 with Ryan Patel, pushing forward, caught at second slip for four off Sam Cook from what proved to be the final ball of the day. Rory Burns remained 18 not out.
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Edgbaston (first day of four): Kent 165, Warwickshire 155-6 - Warwickshire trail by 10 runs with four first-innings wickets remaining
High-class bowling from Olly Hannon-Dalby put Warwickshire in charge before Kent hit back on a wicket-strewn opening day in the County Championship at Edgbaston.
In a crucial game, with both teams perched precariously above the relegation zone, the home side prepared a green wicket to expedite a result. They then won the toss and their seamers exploited the conditions to bowl Kent out for 165. Only Jordan Cox (48, 69 balls) passed 40 as Hannon-Dalby took 6 for 40 and Henry Brookes 3 for 56.
Warwickshire struggled in turn and closed on 155 for 6, having leaned squarely on Sam Hain (68 not out, 130 balls). Indian paceman Navdeep Saini had an eventful first bowl for Kent, his spell of 3 for 59 in 10 overs including some seriously quick away-cutters and 13 no balls.
Dan Worral starred for Surrey (Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)
DIVISION TWO
Derby (first day of four): Nottinghamshire 439-1, Derbyshire
A brilliant double century from Ben Duckett and a career-best hundred by Haseeb Hameed put Nottinghamshire in a dominant position on the opening day of the County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.
Duckett made 237 not out from 263 balls and Hameed an unbeaten 165 as the pair shared a stand of 393, the highest ever for the second wicket by any county against Derbyshire, breaking a record which had stood for 122 years.
It was also the best by Nottinghamshire for any wicket against Derbyshire, beating the 372 between Kevin Pietersen and John Morris at Derby in 2001.
In temperatures approaching 40 degrees, Derbyshire's attack wilted in the punishing heat as the Division Two leaders closed on 439 for 1.
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Lord's (first day of four): Sussex 328-4, Middlesex
Tom Alsop and Cheteshwar Pujara both posted centuries as Sussex capitalised on Middlesex's baffling decision to bowl in 41-degree heat by reaching 328 for four at Lord's.
Alsop, who hit 135, batted sensibly alongside Pujara – the India star registering his fifth County Championship hundred of the season to close on 115 not out and put the visitors firmly in control.
Home skipper Tim Murtagh gambled on a greenish surface providing early assistance to the seamers – but that never materialised as his side toiled away in sweltering conditions with little success.
The Sussex pair accrued a third-wicket partnership of 219 before Tom Helm, who finished with 3 for 63, struck late on by dismissing Alsop and nightwatchman Archie Lenham in the space of four balls.
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