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So the first result of the 2026 season is in and it is Essex setting the early pace after a comprehensive victory over Hampshire inside three days at Southampton.

No one did more to secure that 22-point starter than Matt Critchley who posted his highest first class score (173) and best figures for Essex (5-9) – a high bar set for the season to come.

Elsewhere Storm Dave did its best to spoil things at the Riverside ruling out any play on day three but might still not prevent Durham gaining an opening round win against Kent.

Warwickshire, Sussex, Derbyshire, Middlesex and Lancashire will also be eyeing victories on the final day if things continue to go their way and Somerset have given themselves a sniff of a chance too.

Eight matches are still to conclude and we will be here for every run, wicket and strangled appeal so join us at 10:40 in the usual place.

Thanks for your company and all your messages, enjoy what's left of your Easter Sunday.

Division One

Glamorgan 302 & 111-3 v Yorkshire 226

Glamorgan lead by 185 with seven wickets standing

Hampshire 156 & 168 (f/o) v Essex 461-7 dec

Essex won by an innings and 137 runs

Leicestershire 245 & 125-5 v Sussex 361 & 364

Leicestershire need 356 to win with five wickets left

Somerset 347 & 214-1 v Nottinghamshire 338

Somerset lead by 223 with nine wickets standing

Warwickshire 544 v Surrey 328 & 169-3

Surrey trail by 47 with seven wickets standing

Division Two

Derbyshire 625-8 dec v Worcestershire 312 & 68-1 (f/o)

Worcestershire trail by 245 with nine wickets standing

Durham 335 & 83-2 v Kent 197 - no play on Sunday

Middlesex 445-9 dec v Gloucestershire 216 & 120-3 (f/o)

Gloucestershire trail by 109 with seven wickets standing

Northamptonshire 258 & 9-1 v Lancashire 384 & 194

Northants need another 312 to win with nine wickets left

Captain Kiran Carlson takes a couple off runs off Dom Bess to end day three as the clock shows 19:18 BST at Sophia Gardens with Glamorgan 185 in front.

Spinner Mason Crane earlier took 5-55 as Yorkshire - minus injured captain Jonny Bairstow - were bowled out in 60 overs.

Bess picked up a couple in Glamorgan's second knock to reach 300 in first-class cricket but Carlson and Colin Ingram used their experience to negotiate the final 15 and a bit overs before stumps.

This one looks like a draw unless the Welsh county can produce some enterprising batting on the final morning to give their bowlers a chance of winning the game.

So that will be that at the end of an absorbing third day at Edgbaston during which 383 runs were scored and 11 wickets taken in 91 overs.

Dan Mousley enhanced his England prospects by taking his overnight century to 144. Beau Webster highlighted his all round ability with a half century. Jamie Smith also nudged the selectors with an unbeaten 51 and we may have seen a name for the future as Surrey's 18 year old spinner Ralphie Albert claimed his first three championship wickets.

Warwickshire will still believe they can win this game but Surrey's positive scoring rate means they'll surely be safe if they're still batting by tea tomorrow.

England certainly have something to Rewminate on tonight. Thanks for all your dozens of messages today. Do keep them coming on what looks set to be a final day filled with drama tomorrow.

The action continues at Sophia Gardens where Glamorgan are 182 in front with four overs left. Kiran Carlson is 28 not out and first-innings centurion Colin Ingram has 17.

54 overs ago this game was firmly in the balance, but that is no longer the case.

Notts needed to take wickets to have a chance of a final-day chase, but despite ousting Josh Thomas early-on, they have toiled away ever since with James Rew posting an imperious century and Tom Kohler-Cadmore sharing an unbroken a stand of more than 200 to finish unbeaten on 94 overnight.

Earlier Somerset wrestled back the imitative with the ball, ousting Joe Clarke (92) and Jack Haynes (55) early on on their way to a nine-run first innings advantage which Rew and TKC have hammered home.

They have scored quickly enough to build a lead of 223 going into the final day and are in control of their own destiny tomorrow morning as they try to conjure a way of beating the Champions.

We're passed 7 O'Clock when the umpires finally rule that the light is not good enough to carry on,

There were 6 overs still to bowl and Surrey will be relieved to have come off after a decent effort in the field by Warwickshire

Daniel Lategan and Kashif Ali survive the final 12 overs to stumps at the Co-Op County Ground to give Worcestershire hope of escaping from this game with a draw.

Lategan, aged only 19, top scored in the first innings with 89 before being run out attempting a second run, while England's Shoaib Bashir picked up his first Derbyshire wicket by removing Brett D'Oliveira (50).

Mohammad Abbas did likewise, having Jake Libby caught behind, after the Pears were asked to follow on, but Lategan's unbeaten 43 helped them reach the close245 behind, but with nine wickets still left.

I am fairly sure Asa Tribe and Ben Kellaway have been written about so much of late that the A button is wearing out on some keyboards, Matt.

50 for Jamie Smithpublished at 19:00 BST

19:00 BST

Warwickshire 544 v Surrey 328 & 165-3

A good and important knock from Smith with Surrey still having work to do to secure the draw.

He's faced some hostile bowling from Woakes and Bamber towards the end of the day and will be keen to see the job through to the close.

stand for Somersetpublished at 18:58 BST

18:58 BST

Somerset 347 & 207-1 v Notts 338

200 from 290 balls for this second wicket between James Rew and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who is 93*.

Still time in the day for him...

for James Rewpublished at 18:56 BST

18:56 BST

Somerset 347 & 205-1 v Notts 338

This has looked inevitable for about 35 overs.

147 balls, two sixes and 12 fours, the latest of them a lovely straight drive off spinner Liam Patterson-White to reach the milestone.

James Rew has begun the season with a half-century and now a century in the opening match.

That's his 12th first-class century. He's just turned 22.

Let the clamour intensify...

We've had a light reading and it would seem there'll be no more seam bowling in these last knockings in the shadows.

Liam Patterson-White will bowl his 17th over, having gone for 75 so far.

Having begun the season on minus 12 points, Sussex are firmly on course to start with a win after setting Leicestershire a huge target at Grace Road.

Skipper Ollie Robinson, perhaps mindful of the amount of time left in the game, opted not to declare and Jack Carson made 85 before they were bowled out 480 in front.

The run out of Rishi Patel in the second over of their run-chase was a big blow to Leicestershire's chances, underscored by the dismissal of Jake Weatherald, caught behind trying to cut Henry Crocombe.

Stevie Eskinazi (24) and Ben Cox (16) are not out at the close, with their side needing another 356 for what would be an astonishing chase.

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Tom Kohler-Cadmore follows one down leg-side from Rob Lord and there's a noise on its way through to Kyle Verreynne who takes a spectacular catch flying to his left.

The sound is the pad, though, no bat involved, and the strangled appeals die out quickly.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore, on 89*, tries an almighty heave over mid-wicket off Rob Lord to try and get within one blow of a century but misses the ball and is struck on the pads, outside the line, fortunately for him.

James Rew is five away from three-figures at the non-striker's end with four overs and change left on day three.

Dropped catchpublished at 18:47 BST

18:47 BST

Leics 123-5 - target 481

Ben Cox edges Jack Carson to second slip, but Jack Leaning can't take it.

A heavy collective sigh of relief among Leicestershire followers.