CHAMPIONSHIP DIGEST: Catch up on all the action from around the grounds

The Cricketer rounds up the news from across the country on day one of the latest set of County Championship fixtures...

^{Surrey celebrate a wicket against Worcestershire}

Division One

Yorkshire vs Lancashire

Lancashire enjoyed an excellent opening day of their relegation battle with Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley.

Led by seam trio Graham Onions, Tom Bailey and debutant Richard Gleeson, the Red Rose survived Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s superb unbeaten 105 - his second century in two matches - to bowl their hosts out for 209 shortly before tea.

Kohler-Cadmore, dropped on 44 by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas in the penultimate over of the morning, was central to Yorkshire’s recovery from early strife at 33 for four.

But this was the Red Rose’s day as they closed on 105 without loss from 35 overs, including Alex Davies’ unbeaten 57.

Worcestershire vs Surrey

Worcestershire allrounder Ross Whiteley thrived on the responsibility of being promoted up a rejigged batting line-up with a season’s best score of 91 against leaders Surrey at Blackfinch New Road.

Whiteley is accustomed to batting at six or seven but the absence of Brett D’Oliveira and Ben Cox gave him the chance to bat go in at No.5 – and he grabbed it with both hands.

He was within nine runs of a deserved first Championship hundred in three years when he was undone by a ball of extra bounce from Morne Morkel which was pouched by Ollie Pope in the gulley.

But by then he had shepherded bottom placed Worcestershire from 88 for three to within two runs of a second batting point.

Tom Fell, recently converted into the opening role, and Ed Barnard also weighed in with crucial half-centuries after Worcestershire had elected to bat as they reached 288 for six off 94.1 overs.

Nottinghamshire vs Essex

Lyndon James, a 19-year old former academy graduate on his first-class debut, altered the complexion of the opening day of Nottinghamshire’s Championship match against Essex at Trent Bridge.

The Worksop-born all-rounder recovered from the disappointment of only making a single in his maiden innings by snaring three wickets for 34 during his opening spell, to leave the contest on an even keel.

Essex closed on 133 for five, with another debutant, India’s Murali Vijay, making 56.

Hampshire vs Somerset

Kyle Abbott claimed his third five-wicket haul in as many Championship games before Sam Northeast’s half-century edged Hampshire into a slender first-innings lead on a wicket-heavy first day against Somerset.

South African fast bowler Abbott has now taken 24 scalps in the four matches since the Championship returned from the Vitality Blast after he struggled during the early season with an ankle injury.

And Abbott used the seam friendly conditions to his advantage to post figures of five-for 31 to help Hampshire bowl Somerset out for 106.

Hampshire then lost nine wickets of their own, taking the day one wicket tally to 19, but Northeast handed his side a 36-run lead with a patient 53, with Hampshire ending on 142. 

Division Two

Durham vs Sussex

Sussex exposed Durham's fragility with the bat in their match at Emirates Riverside, reducing the home side to 92 for seven at the end of day.

Durham were inserted following an uncontested toss and were put on the back foot by impressive bowling from the visitors. David Wiese led the way with figures of 3-12, while Ollie Robinson also notched a couple of wickets to continue his impressive term.

The home side have struggled with the bat at Emirates Riverside this season, accumulating just two points in the campaign. Once again Jon Lewis's men have it all to do.

Northamptonshire vs Derbyshire

Saif Zaib and Ben Curran made fifties as Northamptonshire enjoyed a good opening day at Wantage Road.

Zaib’s 57 and Curran, with 51, steered Northants to 255 before Derbyshire were reduced to 60 for two at the close.

Leicestershire vs Warwickshire

Dominic Sibley's century, his second of the season, helped Warwickshire establish a dominant position after bowling injury-hit Leicestershire out for just 100 on the first day at the Fischer County Ground.

Sibley, who took just 49 balls to reach his half-century, during which he hit Leicestershire triallist Usman Arshad for four consecutive boundaries, was made to work rather harder thereafter, needing a further 107 deliveries to reach three figures.

By the time of his dismissal shortly before the close, however, the league leaders already led by 90 with seven first-innings wickets in hand.

Middlesex vs Kent

Joe Denly and Nick Gubbins wasted England auditions as more unsung heroes came to the fore on a day when 19 wickets fell at Lord’s.

Denly and Gubbins, touted as possible tourists for England’s winter trips to Sri Lanka and West Indies, both missed their cue under the watchful eye of selector James Taylor.

Instead it was 42-year-old Darren Stevens who starred with ball (4-44) then bat (64) for the visitors, while James Fuller 37 not out and 3-47 underlined his all-round value to the Lord’s tenants.

It all meant Kent closed 28 ahead, on 189 for nine, with their last pair at the crease.

Reports courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network