Ben Stokes plays for Durham, Sussex v Hampshire, and more: county cricket – live

Stokes gets through over number two, which unfolded without incident, apart from tumbling over in his follow-through second ball. And relax.

And now from the Finchale end. Ben Stokes… the first ball is a dot, the second flies down to fine leg off the thigh pad of Vasconcelos for four. Ball three: nothing. Ball four – ooops, a drop by Ben McKinney at leg gully. In and out, midnight sweats. Ball five: four through the covers in front of the watching groundsmen sitting on plastic chairs. Ball six – off the ankles to long leg for a couple. Ten from the over.

The Grace Road groundstaff have gone for a weird striped pitch today – beige ends and a grassy middle. It has been largely successful – Luxton and Whiteman both out, Yorkshire 40-2.

Stokes watch: the man warms up.

A dismal start for Somerset, as Etham Bamber rocks out Thomas. Kohler-Cadmore in his second over; and now Jordan Hermann is caught off Nathan Gilchrist. Somerset 21-3.

England’s other naughty curfew-breaker has taken the new ball for Surrey at Sophia Gardens. where Joe’s brother Billy Root is opening the batting with Asa Tribe. Glamorgan 7-0.

And good morning to Mike Daniels, in his scoreboard perch at Grace Road. “Yorkshire win toss and bat here. Looking forward to seeing if Will Luxton can build on his 100 against Warks last game.

“He’s looked very good when I’ve seen him and surely he might get a look in for the Lions soon?”

Ben Raine, with an old fashioned fast-bowler’s build runs in from the end, Ben Stokes stalks at midwicket. And Matthew Potts takes the ball at the Lumley end.

Chelmsford: Essex v Nottinghamshire

Sophia Garden: Glamorgan v Surrey

Grace Road: Leicestershie v Yorkshire

Taunton: Somerset v Warwickshire

Hove: Sussex v Hampshire

Chesterfield: Derbyshire v Lancashire

Chester-le-Street: Durham v Northants

Canterbury: Kent v Middlesex

New Road: Worcestershire v Gloucestershire

And, when the time comes, Stokes to bat at No. 5.

Stokes is now stalking over to some rubber stumps and bowling with vigour. Today is also schools day at the ground, so 600 lucky north east kids are getting a blue riband ticket

Good morning from Chester le Street, where Ben Stokes, lean. freshly shorn, is warming up with his teammates on a muggy Chester le Street Friday 250 long miles from The Oval. We’ll be keeping an eye on him, and around the grounds, where play starts at 11am. Do join us!