What a day for the Kookaburra ball – and Alex Davies. His bombastic 226 not out one of eight centuries, as batters made hay round the grounds.

Thanks for all your comments today, my very talented colleague Taha will be here tomorrow on his CCLive! debut. Enjoy your Friday night. Bye!

Before the Warwickshire bamboozling, Ali interviewed Scott Boland

As Masood goes for 140, Lewis Gregory has some fun in the middle, Tom Prest misses out on a hundred, time for me to write up for the paper. BTL though, is always open.

Stretch my legs at tea and spot: one green three-piece suit, three Mr Whippies, two of them double, two games of cricket, one year eleven leavers’ sweatshirt, two pairs of shorts and three people refilling their water bottles. And a wicket – Pretorius a third for Steel. But, from the ashes, a batting point. Applause at 250-9.

Cricket meets the repair cafe . So much love for this scheme which combines combatting the cost of living with upcycling and reusing.

A heart-gladdening sight at The Oval as a good pepperpot full of the nearly 3000 people who have come through the turnstiles wander onto the field and stand and stare at the pitch. There be dragons.

Elsewhere in Division One, more runs for Joe Clarke (87) in Nottinghamshire’s 207-4, three wickets for Nathan Smith. Three fifties (Gubbins, Vince, Prest) but no cigar in Hampshire’ s 209-4 – a couple of wickets for Nathan Lyon in his first (proper) bowl for Lancs. And Dean Elgar has gone for 120 at Chelmsford, a wicket for Matt Parkinson.

Meanwhile, elsewhere:

Somerset trying on last season’s clothes and finding they fit just fine. Now 218-8, Overton bowled Steel for a duck.

“How is Atkinson looking” asks Ali, seconds before he snaffles two in two. Atkinson was the one unused seamer in India and was name-checked for a possible Test debut this summer by McCullum at the end of the tour. Somerset 213-7.

Hmmm, Somerset going to have to resort to the back of the sofa in the search for batting bonus points. Now 211-6 as Rew departs, caught behind off Atkinson, not long after Jamie Overton at slip swallowed a catch off Goldsworthy in Cameron Steel’s first over.

Just applying the jinxing knife to the whetstone by looking up record partnerships for Warwickshire against Durham. Davies and Yates have long since surpassed Nick Knight and Mark Wagh making 207 for the first wicket at the Riverside in 1997, currently sitting on 272, and now sit 50 short of the unbroken 322 made by Brian Lara and Keith Piper in the old world record 501* for the former. Warwickshire’s all time best for the first wicket is 377* made by Norman Horner & Khalid Ibadulla versus Surrey at the Oval in 1960. Dennis Amiss, to my right in the press box, points out that was his first-class debut, with his one contribution in the match being the wicket of Eric Bedser. And he’s not wrong.

Somerset now slipping into more familiar territory – 199-4, having lost three for three. This time Banton for one. Enter James Rew.

A run-out at The Oval – a scramble and then a direct hit brings an end to the second wicket partnership of 178. Lammonby eager for the run but Renshaw the man to go, for 87. Somerset still rolling around in verdant pastures at 196-2.

Also, I forgot to mention – Shoaib Bashir playing for Somerset today, but not Ollie Robinson.

And as Lammnonby waits on 99 not out…

”An anecdote,” writes Gary Moors. “You Bears, you Bears!’ I don’t remember which year or which match it was when Warwickshire’s new mascot was paraded around the ground. There was a ballot to name him. When the winning name was announced, even though it was the most popular choice, a universal groan went up, something unique in its Brummy resonance. The name: ‘HUGH BEAR.’”

Very good.

I just followed Caesar (?) the Surrey mascot round the ground and his tail fell off, if that counts as a follow-up anecdote.

Vegan cauliflower pie and salad and a walk round the sunny and actually warm Oval with Wisden editor Lawrence Booth. He wouldn’t tell me any of the Five Cricketers of the Year, so feel free to have your best guess BTL. Judged on the English summer and mustn’t have been chosen before. Wisden published on April 18.

Time for some lunch.

With ten minutes left, Tom Lammonby is making Surrey look relatively tame – though he did get hit by Jamie Overton, in between two lovely fours. Incidentally, I learn from Huw that Lammonby’s dad is Ryan Campbell’s cousin.

And in a continuation of the keep-it-in-the family theme, Jaydn Denly makes his first-class debut today for Kent, playing alongside uncle Joe. Good luck!

Also debuts for Nathan Fernandes and Scott Boland, whose Durham debut so far has been tricky (7 overs, 0-34) as Warwicks continue to play clap-happy cricket.

“Do you think Joe Root will take a bath after being out for two?” asks Gary Moors. Hmm Gary, I don’t know but I’ve asked those with more knowledge at The Oval and although there are still a couple of single baths in dressing rooms here, there are no longer any troughs. The shower is the washing place of choice for the 2024 player.

It’s quickfire half-century for Alex Davies at Edgbaston, having punched his way there in 57 balls, with nine fours and six. Not a huge amount of early juice in the pitch for Durham’s seamers and Warwickshire’s new skipper has tucked in nicely (one short boundary notwithstanding). Inauspicious start from Scott Boland after I sounded the bugle yesterday, first ball driven down the ground and, despite a spot of beat-beatage, a few loose ones in his opening burst. Durham were last year’s quickest scorers at 4.39 an over .. the Bears, with Roy Yates starting to cut loose at the other end on 36, are currently taking them for 5.8 to sit 94-0 after 16 overs.

In Division One:

Feroze Khushi, shorn of his big bat, lasted one ball at Chelmsford. Westley also out cheaply. Wickets for Wes Agar and George Garrett. Essex 56-2.

Fletcha Middleton run out for six at the Rose Bowl … and there goes Ali Orr for 10, to Tom Bailey in his 100th Lancs game. Hants 25-2.

Both openers gone cheaply again for Notts, both wickets to New Zealand’s Nathan Smith. Notts 46-2.

Fifty up for Somerset here at The Oval, as a warbler at third man hops towards a discarded jumper, while Yates and Davies giving Scott Boland a bip on the nose as they do their own Bazballing – Warwicks 72-0 off 13.

With Renshaw looking good with a delightful punch through mid-off, Somerset 43-1, time to look round the grounds.

And Ken’s stats reach across from Rose Bowl, where Tom Bailey is playing his 100th game for Lancashire and has sent down four overs in Hampshire’s 17-0.

BEST BOWLING STRIKE RATES FOR LANCASHIRE IN FIRST-CLASS MATCHES SINCE 1946

(qualification: 350 wickets)

Name WKTS SR

JB Statham 1816 41.9

JM Anderson 368 45.9

Wasim Akram 374 46.0

TE Bailey 358 50.0

Overall Tom is 15th on the all-time list of strike rates by Lancs bowlers who have taken 350+ f-c wickets.

This was lovely at The Oval this morning. A minute’s applause for Keith Booth, the legendary Surrey scorer, who died in January :

Morning from Edgbaston, where I’m hoping the “sniffer” nickname doesn’t stick. Bonus to see Ben Stokes having a trundle before play though, with a big team of England physios and bowling coaches looking on. There’s talk he might have a bat in the nets at some point but he’s not in the XI to face Warwickshire, Durham having won the toss and opted for a bowl on a dry, slightly chilly day (with blue starting to creep on to the canvas overhead). Championship debut for Scott Boland, who seemed a friendly, do my talking with the ball kinda guy when chatting from the team bus yesterday, Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse also in the attack, and it’s a chance for the visitors to announce their return to Division One after last week’s quagmire at the Riverside.

A thin edge, a juggle, and that’s the end of Sean Dickson . Sibley with the magic, Jordan Clark with the wicket. Somerset 18-1.

There is play at Bristol:

but a delayed start at Sophia Gardens.

Time for a quick stroll round the ground, back in ten.

And a great spot from Daddy Pig, who has seen signs of a Lancashire dynasty, with two Flintoffs and one Chapple on the Lancashire second XI card.

Lots of warming up going on at The Oval, though surprised to hear Eurythmics Sweet Dreams on the speaker. Flags bustling in the breeze and extremely good coffee in the media room.

Struck by how wet and without good drainage a lot of the Division two counties are. Big advantage for Sussex and Middlesex there if they can get more play. at home.