COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE ROUNDUP: Rain played its part in all but one of the top flight's opening day, but there was still time for Yorkshire, Sussex, Hampshire and Worcestershire to enjoy the better of their proceedings
Chester-le-Street (day one of four): Yorkshire 295-8 v Durham
James Wharton, George Hill and Dom Bess all scored battling half-centuries as Yorkshire had the better of a hard-fought opening day of County Championship cricket against Durham at Riverside.
Durham's Australian overseas seamer Brendan Doggett impressed with 4 for 69 from 19 overs as Yorkshire closed the day on 295 for 8 from 81 overs, with bad light ending the day early.
Number three Wharton made 69 off 109 balls at the start of the day as both sides jostled for position after the hosts had elected to bowl in favourable conditions before seventh-wicket pair Hill and Bess asserted their county's authority either side of tea with a 105-stand.
Related: Surrey's title credentials come into question again as Sussex make dominant start
Chelmsford (day one of four): Essex 179, Worcestershire 98-4 - Worcestershire trail by 81 runs with six wickets remaining
Jacob Duffy and Matthew Waite took advantage of a seam-friendly pitch to skittle Essex for 179 in the County Championship at Chelmsford.
New Zealand's Duffy led the way with a fine display of fast, accurate bowling that was rewarded with figures of 4 for 39 while Waite took out three middle-order wickets as Essex were dismissed inside 59 overs.
Only Simon Harmer's innings lasted more than 47 balls and 68 minutes – his obdurate 77-ball 28 spanned nearly two hours – as no one got to grips with a hybrid pitch that had plenty of grass on it and provided extra lift, carry and lateral movement. The toss was crucial, and Brett D'Oliveira won it for Worcestershire.
Not that the visitors fared much better when it was their turn to bat. Though Essex were without England pace prospect Sam Cook on instruction from the ECB, they still managed to reduce Worcestershire to 22 for 4 before they revived to 98 for 4 when bad light ended play with nine overs remaining.
A knee injury to Michael Pepper, which necessitated a runner when he came back to bat, meant Jordan Cox had to take the wicketkeeping gloves earlier in the campaign than he had planned.
Related: Kyle Abbott demons haunt Somerset again on rain-affected day one
Kyle Abbott took two wickets on a fruitful morning for Hampshire against Somerset (Dave Vokes/Hampshire Cricket)
Utilita Bowl (day one of four): Somerset 94-6 v Hampshire
Kyle Abbott continued his impressive career record against Somerset as Hampshire made the most of little play on day one of their County Championship fixture.
Abbott added two wickets to take his tally to 71 scalps versus Somerset, with 40 of them coming at an average of 12 at Utilita Bowl.
Fellow fast bowlers James Fuller and Brad Wheal also picked up a pair of wickets as Somerset collapsed to 94 for 6 at lunch – with three wickets falling in 11 balls just before the interval.
But the visitors were spared any more damage as rain prevented any play taking place after lunch.
Hove (day one of four): Sussex 227-2 v Surrey
Tom Haines' unbeaten 89 and a half-century from opening partner Dan Hughes put Sussex in control on a rain-shortened first day against Surrey at the 1st Central County Ground.
Rain arrived just after 3pm, and although they returned at 5.40pm only 11 more balls were possible. Sussex closed on 227 for 2 from 53 overs, Haines and Hughes having laid the platform with a first-wicket stand of 102 after Sussex had won the toss.
For the champions' attack it was a tough day. Gus Atkinson bowled some overs in a second-team friendly earlier in the week, but this was his first competitive outing since England's ODI series against India in February and he understandably looked rusty, especially in his first spell when he struggled with the Hove slope, overstepping six times and conceding 53 in ten wicketless overs either side of lunch.
Atkinson came in for Kemar Roach while Jamie Smith, rested by England, was replaced by 20-year-old left-hander Ollie Sykes.
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Edgbaston (day one of four): Warwickshire 34-2 v Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire struck two early blows against Warwickshire before rain wiped out the bulk of the opening day of their County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston.
Play started on time, but just 9.2 overs were possible before the rain arrived with the home side on 34 for 2, having been put in.
Having chosen to bowl, Nottinghamshire removed both opening batters in the first five overs. Rob Yates fell to the second ball of the match, and Alex Davies to the 27th, Brett Hutton inflicting the damage with similar deliveries, rapid in-duckers which trapped the batter half-forward to win an lbw decision.
Hamza Shaikh and Sam Hain, the latter looking in excellent nick, avoided further mishap before the rain arrived.
Lead Image: John Heald/Yorkshire Cricket