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The morning belongs to Colin de Grandhomme, who completed a Championship debut century for Hampshire.

Only two wickets fell for the hosts after they pressed on from 229-7 overnight to 417-9 at lunch.

Felix Organ made an entertaining 67 in an eighth-wicket partnership of 119 with De Grandhomme while Kyle Abbott was caught trying to hook a Jamie Overton bouncer as Hampshire went in search of maximum batting bonus points.

De Grandhomme remains unbeaten on 135 after an elongated morning session with Hampshire nine wickets down. Brad Wheal is not out at the other end on 18.

Surrey somewhat depleted in the bowling stocks with Kyle Jamieson.

Image source, Rex Features

After losing the first four sessions to the weather, play is finally due to get under way at Old Trafford at 14:00 BST.

Lancashire, top of Group Three, take on winless Kent.

They'll hope the elements allow them 67 overs of play today with tea at 16:00 BST and close of play at 18:30 BST.

Kent have won the toss and elected to bat first. Jimmy Anderson will have to put the football away and prepare to take the new red ball for the hosts.

Here are the two teams:

Lancashire: Jennings, Davies, Wells, Bohannon, Jones, Vilas (capt & wk), Croft, Wood, Lamb, Parkinson, Anderson.

Kent: Crawley, Cox, Denly (capt), Robinson (wk), Leaning, Kuhn, Stevens, Milnes, Podmore, Logan, Quinn.

Adrian Harms
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sussex at Hove

Image source, Rex Features

Honours about even at Hove although Sussex will be pleased to have totalled 226 having at one stage been 96-6.

Sixteen-year-old Dan Ibrahim on just his second first-class appearance scored another half-century to add to the one he scored at Leeds on his debut.

Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan were the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers sharing six wickets

Clive Eakin
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ CWR at Edgbaston

The two current England players involved in this match both had blank morning sessions.

Warwickshire’s Dom Sibley was out for a duck edging his 11th ball to be caught behind off Matty Potts.

Ben Stokes, playing in his first championship match for Durham since 2018 bowled six overs without success though he did ask some questions of Rob Yates in particular.

The young Warwickshire batter answered them to reach 43 at the interval.

The other wicket to fall was that of Pieter Malan. He was looking good before falling in unfortunate circumstances, adjudged caught behind down the leg side off Brydon Carse for 31, leaving the South African still without a half-century for Warwickshire in red ball cricket.

Anthony Gibson
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Somerset at Taunton

Image source, Rex Features

What a morning!

The Somerset lower order have run riot against some lacklustre Leicestershire bowling, to rack up 166 for the loss of just one wicket - Roelof van der Merwe caught at mid-off for typically pugnacious 76.

Josh Davey has compiled his highest first-class score for Somerset with 52 and Marchant de Lange weighed in with some mighty blows, to reach 50 from just 38 balls.

A good crowd have loved every minute of what we like to think of in these parts as 'proper Somerset cricket'!

Kevin Hand
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio London

Gloucestershire have made a fine start to their first innings, having been put in by Middlesex, and survived the opening session with little alarm.

George Scott opened the batting for the hosts due to the broken finger of Chris Dent but was bowled by Tim Murtagh without offering a shot.

The ball itself didn't do a great deal and indeed nor have many others as Miles Hammond and James Bracey have looked relatively untroubled which may leave Middlesex rueing their decision under sunny skies.

Lunch is taken as Joey Evison has Ben Aitchison caught by Ben Slater at square leg for 15 to wrap up the Derbyshire first innings.

Evison finishes with 2-24 but the best figures of 3-36 belong to Luke Fletcher, who now has 41 this season, the highest in the Championship.

Outstanding morning for Somerset and their lower order.

How do they keep doing this?

Marchant de Lange has slugged four sixes to bash them to maximum points.

At 224-7 Leicestershire were right in the game but that's a horror session for the visitors.

A second fifty of 16-year-old Daniel Ibrahim's nascent career helped Sussex to a batting point at Hove.

A quickfire response from Glamorgan, who will hope to go past their hosts.

Ben Stokes bowls the final over of the morning session but is unable to make a third breakthrough for his side as Rob Yates adds a couple of runs to reach 43 not out.

Stokes' six overs so far have cost 29 runs - but that's 29 more than England team-mate Dom Sibley made at the start of play, dismissed by Matty Potts for a duck.

A real wobble from Northants, staggering from 88-2 to 110-6 with Dom Bess taking three of the wickets.

But they've settled and are back on course for a lead.

It's not the strongest batting line up Gloucestershire will ever put out so much rests with the top order.

A solid start having been sent in.

Ben Stokes starts a pre-lunch spell, having bowled three overs earlier on. It's a decent over with just two runs for Sam Hain. remember, lunch at Edgbaston won't be taken until 13:10 because so much time was lost yesterday.

Postpublished at 12:56 British Summer Time 5 July 2021

12:56 BST 5 July 2021

Hampshire 371-8 v Surrey

That has gone a long way. Another Will Jacks over and Colin de Grandhomme hoists the first delivery over mid-wicket for six. He's now onto 115 not out.

Just a single from the latest Jamie Overton over and Hampshire have seven more to score the 40 runs they need for maximum batting points. Colin de Grandhomme is now on 107.

Derbyshire are still clinging on at Trent Bridge, but Dane Paterson has trapped Alex Thomson lbw with one that cut back off the pitch. Michael Cohen has three from 33 balls and has now been joined by Ben Aitchison.

Gloucestershire were going exceptionally well in the Championship before back-to-back innings defeats stalled their campaign.

Likewise they were top of the T20 Blast South Group before back-to-back losses has left qualification in the balance.

So it's a massive Cheltenham fortnight for their season.

A steady start against Middlesex, losing ersatz opener George Scott before settling.

Oh how James Bracey needs runs after a shocking month or so.

He's unbeaten on 28.

Durham have taken a wicket at Edgbaston and it's a bit of gift. Brydon Carse strays down leg-side, but Pieter Malan feathers a catch to the keeper, having looked so good for his 31. No wonder he's disappointed