Find out what happened across the County Championship on the first day of the fifth round of the 2021 competition
Group 1
Warwickshire v Worcestershire
Edgbaston (first day of four): Warwickshire 271-7
Rob Yates' second century in successive innings at Edgbaston lifted Warwickshire to 271 for 7 against Worcestershire on the opening day of the County Championship derby at Edgbaston.
The 21-year-old Bears academy product followed up his match-winning unbeaten 120 against Essex with a resolute 104 (229 balls, 14 fours).
His calm, compact batting held together an innings that was wobbling at 154 for four before he received support from Michael Burgess who ended the day still unbeaten on 65 (124 balls, eight fours).
Worcestershire's bowlers maintained good pressure all day, led by two players - Joe Leach (19-4-51-2) and Brett D'Oliveira (22-3-31-2) - who made their first-class debuts in this fixture at Edgbaston nine years ago.
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Nottinghamshire v Essex
Trent Bridge (first day of four): Essex 99, Nottinghamshire 188-4 - Nottinghamshire lead by 89 runs with six first-innings wickets remaining
Nottinghamshire pace bowler Luke Fletcher took a career-best 6 for 24 as title-holders Essex were bowled out for 99 on the opening day of their County Championship match at Trent Bridge.
Fletcher, who bagged 5 for 28 against Derbyshire last week, took his wickets in two spells, the second bringing him 5 for 11 in seven overs, including a triple-wicket maiden.
It saw Essex lose their last six wickets for 19 in a dizzy hour after lunch, rewarding Nottinghamshire’s decision to bowl first on a green pitch.
Nottinghamshire lost their first four wickets for 84, the Zimbabwe-born Dutch seamer Shane Snater taking three wickets in only his second Championship match, but Lyndon James and Steven Mullaney (63) have seized the initiative in a so-far unbroken partnership of 104 for a lead of 89 by the close.
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Group 2
Leicestershire v Surrey
Grace Road (first day of four): Leicestershire 306-6
Contrasting centuries from Sam Evans, his third in as many matches, and overseas player Marcus Harris saw Leicestershire build the foundations for a big first-innings score before Surrey fought back on an absorbing first day of the County Championship match at the UptonSteel County Ground.
Evans, 23, backed up three-figure scores against Surrey at The Oval and Gloucestershire at Bristol by reaching a hundred for the first time on his home ground as he and Harris compiled a stand of 195 for the second wicket.
Harris, coming in early after Hassan Azad (5) was caught behind off Reece Topley, played a series of glorious shots, particularly through the offside, hitting 15 boundaries in going to his hundred.
Evans also hit 15 fours in going to his century, but both were dismissed by Amar Verdi – Evans’ dismissal, caught off the inside edge at short leg, was the 23-year-old off-spinner’s 100th first-class victim - as the visitors picked up five wickets in the final session to leave the match nicely balanced before a shower saw play end three overs early.
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Middlesex v Gloucestershire
Lord's (first day of four): Middlesex 210, Gloucestershire 19-1 - Gloucestershire trail by 191 runs with nine first-innings wickets remaining
Robbie White registered his fourth consecutive half-century to hold Middlesex’s innings together as they clambered to 210 all out in their County Championship clash against Gloucestershire at Lord’s.
White was the only batsman to look comfortable against Gloucestershire’s seam attack, but he was denied another tilt at a maiden first-class hundred after being left high and dry with an unbeaten 76.
David Payne finished with 5 for 31, his best figures of the season, while Ryan Higgins and Matt Taylor picked up two wickets apiece.
In reply, Gloucestershire lost captain Chris Dent, run out attempting a rash single to midwicket, but Kraigg Brathwaite and nightwatchman Taylor saw them to 19 for 1 at stumps.
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Hampshire v Somerset
The Ageas Bowl (first day of four): Hampshire 79, Somerset 142-5 - Somerset lead by 63 runs with five first-innings wickets remaining
A fighting half-century from skipper Tom Abell helped Somerset build a 63-run lead over Hampshire on an eventful opening day at the Ageas Bowl that saw 15 wickets fall.
Abell was unbeaten on 52 - guiding his side to 142 for 5 - after Hampshire were earlier bowled out for just 79 after being put in to bat on a spicy pitch in chilly and cloudy conditions.
Lewis Gregory was the pick of the Somerset attack, taking 4 for 26, as the hosts were dismissed inside 41 overs less than an hour after lunch.
It was the first time since 1969 Hampshire had posted back-to-back sub-100 first innings totals following last week's 92 all out against Surrey at The Oval.
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Luke Fletcher claimed career-best figures as Essex were bowled out for 99
Group 3
Lancashire v Glamorgan
Old Trafford (first day of four): Glamorgan 117-3
England legend James Anderson struck an early blow ahead of this winter's Ashes series on a rain-affected first day of Lancashire's County Championship clash with Glamorgan.
The 38-year-old, who returned to the Lancashire line up for the first time since July 2019, was soon into his stride with an accurate first spell before he claimed the prize wicket of Australian Test star Marnus Labuschagne after lunch.
Poor weather blighted the rest of the day's play with David Lloyd compiling a battling half-century in between the showers as the Welsh outfit recovered from the early loss of opener Joe Cooke to close on 117 for 3 off the 39 overs possible.
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Northamptonshire v Sussex
Northampton (first day of four): Sussex 106, Northamptonshire 214-5 - Northamptonshire lead by 108 runs with five second-innings wickets remaining
Ben Sanderson and Gareth Berg sliced Sussex apart before Rob Keogh and Saif Zaib garnered half-centuries as Northamptonshire enjoyed a dominant day in the County Championship.
Veteran fast bowlers Sanderson, 32, and Berg, 40, both returned five-wicket hauls, 5 for 28 and 5 for 18 respectively, as Sussex were skittled for 106.
The visitors’ pain could have been worse having been 25 for seven had it not been for England Test hopeful Ollie Robinson’s unbeaten 49.
Robinson then claimed 4 for 31 but Northants romped to 214 for 5 thanks to Keogh’s 66 and Zaib’s 66 not out, to lead by 108 at the end of day one at Wantage Road.
Sam Evans built on his fine start to the season
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Yorkshire v Kent
Headingley (first day of four): Kent 224-7
England’s Zak Crawley showed flashes of elegance during a battling 90 as Kent enjoyed an encouraging opening day against unbeaten Yorkshire in the County Championship at Emerald Headingley.
Crawley came to the crease after six balls following the early departure of captain Daniel Bell-Drummond.
He faced challenging conditions and a miserly White Rose attack led by Ben Coad, Jordan Thompson, Dom Bess and skipper Steve Patterson, who won the toss.
His 171-ball innings underpinned their 224 for 7 from 89.1 overs at the close. Patterson was the pick of the home attack with 2 for 33 from 17 overs alongside three wickets for Coad before rain ended play early.
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