An entertaining day around the grounds, with David Bedingham becoming, just before stumps, the first Durham player to make centuries in four consecutive innings. From a grey Old Trafford, good night!

Time for me to write up for the paper – with Durham still three down, Hampshire 60-1, trail Surrey by just 67; Essex 224-3 against Kent; and Warwicks 87-3 in the gloom.

In Division Two: 145 for Matt Lamb in Derbyshire’s 346-4; Glamorgan 284-7, Currie 3-50; Sussex 247-4, Pujara 76 not out; and Yorkshire 231-3.

And the rain starts to fall at OT.

At CLS, Bedingham and t’other Ollie Robinson rebuilding brick by brick. Durham 49-3. At OT, Davies sweeps Nathan Lyon for four. A slow but testing kind of day here.

The boundary rope at OT on the party stand side is about 20 metres in from the edge. I mention this to Ken Grime. “It’s been like that since they raised the bonus point stakes to 450,” he says. “They’ve done it at lots of grounds.” Something I have managed not to notice for a season and a bit.

And a third for Bailey! Ed Barnard, rescuer of innings, caught behind for 2. Warwicks 82-3.

Ali with the latest on England’s World Cup prep – Moeen ready to step in with Jos Buttler’s baby due at the start of the tournament.

Oh! From nowhere, Tom Bailey with a post-prandial breakthrough. Rhodes trudges off for 14. Lancs 74-2. A tinkly edge behind.

A chunk of orange cake and a cup of tea at OT; at CLS, Alex Lees has been run out for 3 by Coverton, Ackermann caught by Coverton for 1, oh and now Borthwick joins the club, lbw Coverton for 9. Durham 19-3.

Enjoying how involved Lyon is in proceedings, ball polishing, ear whispering, field nudging. Warwicks 66-1, tea on the horizon.

Aspinwall hunches and digs a short one into Davies, who lets it pass safely by.

At Canterbury, Kent have pinched a second wicket – Browne losing his stumps for 65.

The first seven overs going better for Hampshire than I expected – 12-0.

Pretorius playing the usual Lewis Gregory/Coverton role of milking emergency late-order runs for Somerset – now, 154-9.

Aspinwall with the ball, only a few days after his successful stint at Blackpool. I do enjoy his walk back to his bowling mark, each stride is one and a half strides long – stretched by enthusiasm.

Lyon jig-jogs in from the James Anderson end. Into his second over. Redirects his field with those long, articulate arms. Getting darker at OT. Warwicks 50-1.

In Division Two: At Lord’s, Sussex 178-4, Pujara 44 not out. Fizzing catch by Higgins to dismiss Alsop before lunch.

Lamb and Guest (82) have put on 147 at The County Ground – Derby 217-3. Unrewarded toil for Gloucestershire.

Carlson nearing fifty at Grace Road; Matt Salisbury has just bowled Byrom for 86. Glamorgan 207-3.

Lyth (87) and Masood a fairly formidable double-act for Northants to bowl at. Yorks 155-1.

And Surrey all out for 127. Neser (2-39) bowling Cameron Steel for the final wicket. Shut the windows, seal the doors, Hampshire.

Floodlights doing a lot of the work here at OT. Nearly as much as reliable old master Tom Bailey, into his sixth over. And with that, Yates decides to leave a ball and his off stump is blow away! Warwicks 38-1.

Five for Abbott now, Surrey 125-9. We all know this is a winnable total.

A beautifully co-ordinated lbw appeal in the slips against ex-Lancs favourite Alex Davies – but the ump not impressed. A tricky maiden from Bailey.

And now Surrey are eight down, S Abbott, Abbotted.

Apologies all, the anointed are only seven down,not eight. Dawson 3-18; Kyle Abbott 3-9. Cameron Steel and Sean Abbott with the rebuild.

Dirty clouds hanging over OT like Saturday morning’s washing – but they’re on. Tom Bailey has the ball – three slips, a gully. Lots of soggy school children queuing up for the coaches home having watched no cricket at all, but looking very happy all the same.

And no flowers for the internationals – Labuschagne gone for 8 at Grace Road, Dan Lawrence for an itchy 4 at Southampton. Surrey 104-8; Glamorgan 113-2.

Somerset, Somerset. All a bit dizzying from that lofty second place. Siddle in command against his old county, takes two in two balls. 91-7.

And with the last ball before lunch, Michael Neser, who’d a little earlier been flayed unceremoniously for three successive fours by Smith, bowls him! Time for a sandwich, back shortly.

A third Tom at the crease at Chester le Street. Banton has been joined by James Rew, after Siddle had Umeed caught for 9. And a hundred up at Essex, with fifty for Dean Elgar, off 84 balls.

Inspection at 1.30 at Old Trafford. But I just went outside and it is drizzling damply.

In Division Two: Derbyshire got off to a flier, but have been pegged back by Gloucestershire, with two wickets to Beau Webster. Derby 93-3, Guest and Lamb the men in.

Byrom and Billy Root making Leicestershire pay for inserting them, Glamorgan 85-0 with a handy 13 extras. Marnus next man in.

A wicket for the beleagured Bamber at Lord’s, Tom Haines bowled for 40. Alsop has dropped anchor, Pujara joins the party. Sussex 87-2.

And Yorkshire skipping along against Northants, Yorks 78-0, fifty for Adam Lyth. No Joe Root or Harry Brook.

AND SURREY THIRD WICKET SHOCK – Burns gone for 33.

And Pope falls cheaply again, in what has been a tricky early summer, for 15 – a second wicket for Dawson. Hants 64-2.

News from Old Trafford where there will be an inspection at 1.10, and expectations are a bit more hopeful. No updates from New Road – but, and I should have clicked this earlier, this is their first game back since last year – 244 days to be precise.

In Division One: Somerset have lost both their openers, Ben Stokes accounting for Matt Renshaw. Oh, and now he has Lammonby too, also caught Ollie Robinson. Somerset 44-3.

Surrey are 53 for one at Southampton, Burns expansive, Pope less so. Dawson the wicket taker, a missed stumping too.

Tough work for Kent at Canterbury, Essex 61-0.

And for some light relief, Pat Cummins as renaissance man:

An hour gone, coffee topped up, let’s move smoothly round the grounds:

A chance fluffed at Southampton – Burns (22) survives a missed stumping. Surrey 39-1.

Browne and Elgar moving along with fair ease at Canterbury – their respective positions in the table suggest this should be easy pickings for Essex. Essex 33-0.

Tom Lammonby sparkling at Chester-le-Street, four boundaries in his 18 not out. Somerset 29-1.

Liam Dawson makes the breakthrough at Southampton – called into action early, and in his second over of the day! Sibley caught and bowled, done by the flight.

Sussex away at Lord’s in the top of Div 2 table clash, where Clark and Haines are fair zipping along – 45-0 off eight overs. Bamber having a toothpaste down your jumper day – his three overs have cost 29.

This looks rather wonderful at The Oval on June 30:

News from the Grace Road scorebox. Hello Mike Daniels! “Decidedly cool here at Grace Road, at least there’s a heater in here.

“Lewis Hill, after deciding to bowl in the last game here and conceding 706 has won the toss again and decided to ..... Bowl!

“New loanee Holland straight into the line up and opening the bowling to Byron and Root.”

Tune into Surrey v Hants and discover, courtesy of Kevin Hand, that Hampshire’s opening partnership for the first wicket this year is 15. But, forget that for now, the ball is in the hands of Keith Barker and Michael Neser. Hants giving Surrey a bit of a working over with the new ball.

Tom Abell is back at the top of the order for Somerset, after picking up a hamstring tear during a pre-season game. But not for long as it turns out, bowled for four off the last ball of the first over. Ben Raine the man. Somerset 4-1. Not Potts for Durham today.

Worcestershire return to play at New Road today for the first time since the terrible news of Josh Baker’s death. Here, Kevin Howells talks to Ashley Giles about Josh, climate challenges and the future of the club (which has a new ground sponsor – New Road becoming Visit Worcestershire New Road).

And hello Tim Maitland!

”Once again I find myself mulling in the hour before plays starts - here in the subtropics it’s the lull after cooking food for the dogs and before preparing salads for humans - this time it’s the issue of how to fill the Jimmy-Anderson-and Stuart Broad-sized hole in England’s bowling line-up.

”No doubt the Bazball approach will be to find a brash tyro, fill him to the brim with confidence and then back him to the hilt. Lord knows that will probably work a million times better than the carousel of rejection that each new pretender to Alistair Cook’s crown stepped onto... but I can’t help wondering whether temporarily filling the immediate need with a seasoned pro like Surrey’s Dan Worrall who presumably won’t be crushed by the expectations might buy time to develop the next front line quick.

"Unless of course my instinct that the answer doesn’t lie in a combination of Woods, Woakes, a miraculously durable Joffra Archer and an even more remarkably dependable and responsible Ollie Robinson is wrong.”

I don’t think this England team do temporary fillings … it was quite fun when they did – Darren Pattinson anyone?

“Good morning Tanya.” Hello Finbar Anslow! “Just arrived horribly early at Bergamo airport so will be following the cricket from here for the next few hours, before travelling to Brum and then Sheffield.What kind of a week’s weather can I expect and was I right to bring a hot water bottle?”

I can’t speak for Birmingham and Sheffield, but it was 12 degrees at Derby last night for the women’s ODI and they had hot water bottles in the dugout. Damp as an early autumn paddling pool here in the north west. Hope that, unlike Rishi, you remembered your umbrella.

Early news from Old Trafford, where there will be no play till lunch, which is being taken at 12.30. Not the world’s greatest surprise.

Rumours were that Lancs were planning a dry turner – and duly recalled left-arm spinner Jack Morley from his loan spell at Derbyshire. But that would be miracle of Stokesian proportions considering the amount of rain we’ve had in the last two days. Reports from OT say the groundstaff have just started mopping up but it is “squelchy” underfoot.