Kent fast bowler Amjad Khan took the honours on day one of their visit to Aigburth to meet Lancashire in Division One of the Frizzell County Championship. Khan took five for 74 as Lancashire were bowled out for 226. But for Stuart Law (75) and Ryan Driver (56) putting on 99 for the fifth wicket, Lancashire would have fallen well short of 200. As it was they fought back before the close, with Glen Chapple taking two wickets as Kent struggled to 102 for four.

Bottom-of-the-table Yorkshire found it hard work at Arundel, although they were bolstered by the return of skipper Darren Lehmann from his international commitments in Australia. Lehmann made 71 as Yorkshire mustered just 255 all out. Robin Martin-Jenkins and Mark Robinson took three wickets apiece. Sussex ended the day on 23 without loss.

Warwickshire were unable to muster an individual fifty at Steffan Jones took four wickets for Somerset at Edgbaston. Ian Bell (46) and Jim Troughton (42) showed continued good form following Warwickshire's Benson and Hedges Cup win, and Graham Wagg made an unbeaten 42 as the home side were dismissed for 230. After losing both openers cheaply, Somerset closed on 121 for three in reply, with both Mark Burns and Peter Bowler reaching half centuries.

In Division Two, Andy Strauss played a captain's knock for Middlesex as they continued their consistent batting at Cardiff. Strauss made 141 before he was lbw to Robert Croft, and Owais Shah (62), Ed Joyce (50*) and Abdur Razzaq (88*) all chimed in with useful knocks to take the visitors to 408 for four at stumps.

Mark Alleyne and Martyn Ball ensured that a Kim Barnett century didn't go to waste against Essex at Gloucester, after the veteran opener came within just four runs of reaching the landmark before lunch. After Ashley Cowan bowled Barnett for 106, Gloucestershire were in danger of squandering his efforts at 214 for seven. But Alleyne (87) and Ball (63) put on 158 for the eighth wicket before the hosts were bowled out for 383. At stumps Essex were 11 for no wicket.

Centuries from England rejects Jason Gallian and Chris Read launched the post-Rice era for Nottinghamshire at Northampton. Gallian made exactly 100 and Read finished the day unbeaten on 106 as the visitors closed on a healthy 339 for six.

Worcestershire look unassailable after just a day of their meeting with Durham at New Road. Andy Bichel (four for 58) and Kabir Ali (four for 31) played havoc with the visitors' fragile batting line up, which folded for just 120. By stumps Worcestershire already had a healthy lead, thanks to Graeme Hick (119*) and Anurag Singh (88) who had taken them to 264 for two.

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