The Cricketer goes around the grounds across the County Championship on the first day of the second round of matches
Nottinghamshire 263; Somerset 74-3
Lewis Gregory continued his fine start to the season with a six-wicket haul to help Somerset to maximum bowling points on the opening day against Nottinghamshire.
Gregory claimed figures of 6-68 as Notts were bowled out for 263 in 66.4 overs, with Chris Nash and Luke Wood passing 50 for the home side.
Nash made 58 from 72 balls, with 10 fours, and Wood, recalled from a short loan spell with Northants, was last out for 52.
Stuart Broad then removed both Somerset openers as the visitors reached the close on 74 for 3.
Root and Ballance did the job for Yorkshire again
Yorkshire 310-3
Joe Root continued his strong Ashes preparations with a third County Championship score of over fifty in as many innings but was outshone by Yorkshire teammate Gary Ballance.
England Test captain Root had scored 73 and 130 not out against Nottinghamshire in the opening round before scoring adroitly on the opening day at the Ageas Bowl.
But he fell six runs short of a deserved century, although partner Ballance did continue his liking for the south coast venue with an unbeaten 120.
Root and Ballance complemented each other in an 182-run stand for the third wicket as Yorkshire reached stumps on 310 for 3.
Kent 367-5
Zak Crawley led the way with a polished century as Kent took advantage of a good batting pitch against Warwickshire.
In the clash of the two newly-promoted Division One sides, Kent chose to bat and closed the first day on 367 for five.
Twenty-one-year-old Crawley was the only member of the top four to take full advantage as he struck his second first-class century - 108 from 172 balls with 18 fours.
Broad bowled with pace and accuracy
433-4
Glamorgan's Marnus Labuschagne and Billy Root held centre stage against Northamptonshire in their opening game of the season.
The home team were 433 for 4 at the close with Labuschagne scoring 121, with Root and Carlson undefeated on 126 and 101 respectively.
Labuschagne, who appeared in five Tests for Australia against Pakistan last winter, played a chanceless innings, becoming the fifth Australian player to score a hundred on debut for the club.
He followed Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja, who achieved the feat last season, with Matthew Elliott and Mark Cosgrove previous centurions in their first games.
When Root reached three figures, it was the first time in Glamorgan’s history for two players on debut to score a century in the same game, as he became the 13th batsman to do so.
Brother of England captain Joe, he requires a further six runs to equal his previous championship best 132, scored against Sussex two years ago.
Durham 210-8
Sussex enjoyed a successful first day of their Division Two contest against Durham despite a career-best score of 54 from teenager Liam Trevaskis.
All eyes were on Cameron Bancroft on his bow for the north-east outfit. He made a patient 33, but he and his team-mates in the top order struggled to put runs on the board.
Trevaskis led a fightback in the evening session, scoring his maiden first-class fifty. However, a late surge from Chris Jordan ensured that Sussex were in command after the first day at Emirates Riverside.
Worcestershire 348-4
Daryl Mitchell and Hamish Rutherford's centuries saw Worcestershire establish a dominant position against Leicestershire.
Leicestershire’s decision to bowl was based on the overhead conditions but it quickly backfired on them as Mitchell and Tom Fell put together a stand of 59 for the first wicket.
The ball did swing, but the pitch played well, and it was something of a surprise when Will Davis beat Fell’s defence.
Ben Mike then picked up the wicket of Brett D’Oliveira, Colin Ackermann taking a sharp low catch to his left after the batsman edged an out-swinger.
Mitchell looked in prime form throughout, taking full advantage of some loose bowling from the change Leicestershire seamers.
The experienced opener accelerated as he approached his century, which came off 169 balls and included 16 fours.
By tea his third wicket partnership with Rutherford was worth 166, but that was the extent of it as from the third ball after tea Ackermann found the edge of his bat before being caught by Paul Horton at first slip.
Rikki Wessels, like Rutherford making his first-class debut for Worcestershire, hit 43 before being given out leg before on the back foot to Chris Wright, but Rutherford continued calmly on his way, reaching his century off 182 balls.
The New Zealander enjoyed some good fortune against the second new ball, especially against the bowling of Tom Taylor, who moved the ball away from the left-hander off the pitch, but he remained unbeaten at the close.
Mitchell boosted his own England hopes
Derbyshire 256-7
Tom Lace top scored with a career-best 83 as Derbyshire posted 256 for 7 against Gloucestershire at Bristol.
The 20-year-old batsman, playing in only his seventh first-class match, hit 16 fours in facing 127 deliveries to better the 61 he made in the second innings of the previous game with Durham.
Opener Luis Reece contributed 39, batting through the morning session, while Harvey Hosein (41) and Matt Critchley (34) produced a sixth-wicket stand of 71 to ensure Derbyshire of a meaningful score.
Ryan Higgins was the pick of the home attack with two for 37 from 23 overs, while Josh Shaw claimed two for 61 and Matt Taylor two for 75.
Reports courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network
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