Key events

37m agoHenry Crocombe added to England Test squad as cover for Ollie Robinson
2h agoLunchtime scores
3h agoNew Zealand select Will Young in place of Kane Williamson
4h agoStokes seen training at Chester le Street
5h agoScores on the doors
5h agoFriday round up
5h agoPreamble

Scott Read shares an orange and white striped paper bag of Cream Rock, offering pieces around. It is a liquorice fondant treat.

Stat of the day: Dawkins and DBD combined for 87 in the first innings, matching Lancashire total exactly.

Henry Crocombe added to England Test squad as cover for Ollie Robinson

ECB confirms interesting selection news. Uncapped Sussex seamer Henry Crocombe joins the Test squad to cover for Ollie Robinson. Robinson suffered knee soreness after training yesterday and will undergo a precautionary scan today.

At Grace Road in the season opener a floating seam bowling scout observed both Crocombe and Robinson. He clearly approved. Crocombe has claimed 21 wickets at 28 this season. Unlucky Sam Cook remains sidelined by injury.

ends

Durham coach Ryan Campbell spoke on their TV commentary. No decision yet from Durham on whether Stokes will feature this week, that rests with Ben and the ECB. He still needs bowling and batting practice though, and Campbell will find him a spot.

Big thanks to Paul Edwards who returned from the Froth me Silly van with coffee and chocolate muffins. The positive mood carries onto the pitch where Balderson has Northeast caught driving, Singh taking the catch at second slip for 23. Kent 55-2.

Calm returns at Stanley Park. Meanwhile photos of Stokes appear, with rumours he will play for Durham next week.

Post lunch wickets tumble quickly:

Gloucestershire lose Joe Phillips edging to Ricardo Vasconcelos behind the stumps. Glos 28-1.

At CLS Matthew Potts bowls Luis Reece for 9 then Montgomery for 5 off Raine. Derbys 16-3.

Nottinghamshire Freddie McCann caught by James Rew for 33 off Jack Leach ending a 60 run stand. Notts 75-3.

Rehan Ahmed lbw to Shane Snater for 5 after his four wicket haul. Leics 18-2.

Glamorgan remove John Simpson at Hove bowled by ul Hassan for 34. At 289-5 the lead stands at 134.

This ground is special. Amphitheatre seating, floating seagulls, tower view, peeling wall boundary, ads for Berrys Beds and Terrys Cut Price Carpets plus the sighing trees.

Jimmy leads Lancashire down the pavilion steps onto the pitch swinging his arms purposefully. The crowd applauds their return. Barm and crisps cost four pounds in the clubhouse for anyone hungry.

Lunchtime scores

Division One

Grace Road: Leicestershire 6-1 v Essex 401

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 50-2 v Somerset 310

Hove: Sussex 259-4 v Glamorgan 155

Scarborough: Yorkshire 469 v Warwickshire 27-1

Division Two

Chester-le-Street: Durham 377 v Derbyshire 6-1

Blackpool: Lancashire 87 v Kent 178 and 12-1

Northampton: Northamptonshire 465 v Gloucestershire 15-0

New Road: Worcestershire 18-2 v Middlesex 339

Kent survive the final over before lunch after nine wickets fell in the morning session. Kent 12-1, Lancashire struggling. Time for thai green curry, scores follow.

Harry Finch chooses attack as survival, striking four to square leg. Northeast blocks an Anderson yorker.

Ben Stokes watch: Stokes walked back from the nets to the dressing room and received applause from locals.

Other brief news: Chris Green fans already know he has broken his thumb.

Sam Northeast reaches the other end quickly. Finch edges for four. Jimmy takes one wicket then pulls on his cap and walks away. Kent 5-1.

Immediately Ben Dawkins is caught by Harry Singh at second slip. Kent 0-1.

A frustrated Jimmy now has the ball at the north end. This could prove decisive.

Will Young replacing the man who decided to Leave Right Now, noted Shaun Clapperton.

That ends Lancashire innings. Jimmy Anderson bowled by Dudgeon who celebrates 6-21 as Kent leave the field. Lancashire all out for 87, 91 behind on first innings. Heavy roller and brush come out. Time for a few overs before late lunch at 1.10pm.

Fifth wicket for Keith Dudgeon (5-19) as Balderson hits to square leg out for four. Lancs 85-9. Applause greets No. 11 James Anderson.

In other Division Two games Durham batting deep thanks to unbeaten 55 from Ben Raine and 22 from Callum Parkinson reach 369-8.

Northants dismissed for 465 by Gloucs with fifties from Sales and Guthrie plus hundreds from McSweeney and Zaib. Kristian Clarke 6-109.

Worcestershire at New Road lose both openers for 12-2. Middx finished on 339 with four wickets each for Finch and Swanepoel.

No respite for Lancs as Hasan switches ends. Moores nibbles and Ben Dawkins dives to hold at first slip with two hands and a satisfying slap. Silence from the crowd. Lancs 77-8.

Writes Mike Daniels at Grace Road: It is a truth universally acknowledged that an established batsman needs an obdurate partner to reach the next batting point. Harmer seems to have found that in Mr Bennett. A valiant 24 added for the last wicket with Bennett unbeaten on 0 from 16 balls.

This may sound a touch daft writes Tim Maitland given that Yorkshire having lost the toss and been put in have scored more runs faster than any other side this round but they probably feel they let a 500 plus total slip away this morning.

Certainly YJB will feel that way after holing out tamely for 68 while George Hill 30 and Hassan Ali 27 entertained yet threw wickets away too. Still 469 is enough to avoid defeat thoughts though it could have been better.

Keith Dudgeon replaces Hasan and promptly rearranges McDermotts stumps. Gone for 23. Lancs 73 for seven trailing by 105. Dudgeon 4-14.

Here at Stanley Park no cigar for Livi this time caught behind for eight as Hasan Mahmud picks up a second debut wicket with a fabulous ball that just moved away. Joe Moores looks confident striding out to a tasty pitch and striking firmly. Lancs 71-6.

Time to peek around the grounds:

Leicestershire fight back at Grace Road but not before Jordan Cox reached his double century with a pull for four finally out for 204. Four wickets for Rehan Ahmed. Essex 387-9.

Fergus ONeill (6-72) finished Somerset on 310 all out. But Lewis Gregory has already removed HH for a duck and Ben Slater for 1. Notts 18-2.

Yorkshire enjoy the seaside maximum batting points 469 all out. YJB 68. Warwickshire 4-0 after one over.

Sussex already lead Glamorgan by 49 at Hove 204-4 Coles and Simpson at the crease.

Liam Livingstone is in the middle fresh from five wickets yesterday and looks serious with two fours already in his eight not out.

New Zealand call up Will Young to replace Kane Williamson

New Zealand batter Will Young joins the Test squad replacing Kane Williamson who surprised everyone with retirement yesterday. Young arrives in London on Sunday and joins the squad ahead of the Oval Test.

First Championship wicket for Hasan Mahmud and it is the big one Marcus Harris caught by Sam Northeast at slip for three. Lancashire 44-5.

Emilio Gay also arrives at CLS to join Stokes in the nets. Hove and CLS the places to gather this round for resting England players.

Replay of the Bohannon dismissal shows a hell of a ball seaming everywhere. Cricket here at Stanley Park accompanied by generator whirr dancing tarpaulin and creaking poles of the press tent. Sad food news the tasty picnic usually given with lunch has disappeared due to budget cuts. Farewell double decker.

Hasan now running in from the north end with a long rhythmic run up.

Oops another Bailey skuppered between bat and pad by Matt Milnes. Lancs 24-4.

Look up to see spraying bails Bohannon bowled by Keith Dudgeon for eight having a rotten season. Lancs 24-3.

If anyone did not know Ajit Singh Dale and Luke Wells are out for the season.

Good morning Mike Daniels in the Grace Road scorebox. Allison toe ends a long hop to Kelly at mid wicket giving Leicestershire a good start. They desperately need Cox out but the new ball is available soon. Missed Coxs innings yesterday must have been some knock but looking to see if he can build on it. Cox currently 194 not out. Essex 355-7.

Have arrived at Blackpool with quite some wind and slightly wonky wifi. A couple of hearty appeals but no wickets yet. This morning Paul Edwards and the photographers were called into cover service for an early squall.

Stokes spotted at Chester le Street

My spy reports that Ben Stokes was standing in the middle at CLS wearing pads and is now wandering over to the nets with the Durham batting coach ex Lancs supremo Dale Benkenstein.

Tim Maitland has been scanning the skies. The Met Office radar suggests you might be alright all morning in Blackpool but Scarborough could be a bit dodgy.

According to the predictive bit Nottingham could get a little bit around 2 p.m.

After Englands stonking victory last night in the tournament opener there are four more World Cup games today. West Indies v New Zealand Australia v South Africa India v Afghanistan and Scotland v Ireland. Tim de Lisle is watching things unfurl at Old Trafford.

I was too hasty. It has stopped raining and I have just glimpsed the sun as the train approaches Kirkham and Wesham. Like any self respecting child the little boy opposite has already eaten the barbecued beef hoola hoops and one finger twirl from his lunchtime picnic.

Scores on the doors

Division One

Grace Road: Leicestershire v Essex 342-5

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Somerset 295-7

Hove: Sussex 136-2 v Glamorgan 155

Scarborough: Yorkshire 386-6 v Warwickshire

Division Two

Chester-le-Street: Durham 302-7 v Derbyshire

Blackpool: Lancashire 17-2 v Kent 178

Northampton: Northamptonshire 380-7 v Gloucestershire

New Road: Worcestershire v Middlesex 291-8

Fridays round up

Jordan Cox fresh from warming the bench for six weeks in the IPL and buoyed by an England call up clunked thumped and chunked an unbeaten 184 against Leicestershire at Grace Road. Essex Cox who reached his century off just 73 balls got there with a monstrous six right out of the ground. Matt Critchley was bowled just before stumps for 97 nightwatch Jamie Porter following soon afterwards.

Meanwhile Liam Livingstone playing in his first Championship game for Lancashire since 2021 collected five wickets for 20 runs in 46 balls at Blackpool with a heady mix of leg and off spin as Kent slipped down the stairs and landed with a thump. They collapsed from 111 for two to 178 all out after being asked to bat on a damp pitch. Lancashires Joe Moores just 17 took a catch and a neat stumping on his first class debut.

Glamorgan had an unhappy first day at Hove whistled out for 155 with four wickets for Sussex Indian left arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat under heavy skies all 10 batters out caught. Ollie Robinson Gus Atkinson and a rapid Jofra Archer were all spotted bowling in the nets under the close eye of England fast bowling supremo Troy Cooley.

Jordan Hermann in good touch after a century against the Lions for South Africa A was the linchpin of