Middlesex v Somerset, Lancashire v Sussex: County Championship – live!

People were asking yesterday for viewing figures for the YouTube livestreams, and the numbers have now been released – this image is from a Middlesex tweet.

I’m particularly interested to see Tom Lammonby, the Somerset left-hander who burst into the team impressively last season and is still a mere strapling at 20. He gets off the mark with a lovely shot through midwicket for four off Tim Murtagh, one to stand and admire.

Century alert! Tom Westley has reached triple figures for Essex at Chelmsford, his first ton since the tail end of the 2019 season. His side are 238-3 against Worcestershire.

Yesterday, the first day of a new season, there were three other journalists sharing my box here at Lord’s. Today I am on my own. This means that I am a little lonely, and there is nobody with whom I can share witty repartee, but it also means there’s nobody here to judge me for getting started on my packed lunch at 11.30. So, swings and roundabouts.

It’s all over for Middlesex! Roland-Jones is pinned lbw by Craig Overton, and Middlesex are all out for 313.

Five-fer claxon! Lewis Gregory, whose spell with the second new ball yesterday changed the momentum in the game, clean bowls Ethan Bamber. Tim Murtagh is the last man in for Middlesex.

Middlesex have bagged a third bonus point by reaching 300, which Toby Roland-Jones celebrates with a lovely push through the covers. And so now have Sussex, who are 301-9 at Old Trafford.

Wicket! Surrey’s innings comes to an end in Bristol just three balls into the day, as Reece Topley is caught behind off David Payne.

Someone has just run around the outfield here at Lord’s distributing handwarmers to the fielders. You appear to need to shake them to fire them up, leading to several Somerset players shaking it like a Polaroid picture between the first over of the day and the second.

The covers are being cleared away at Trent Bridge, with play due to start at 11.15am.

What a world! And by way of a bonus, one of the replies to this tweet made me laugh out loud.

There’s nothing stopping us at Lord’s, where the bell has rung and the umpires are on their way out!

There is a member of the Lord’s groundstaff wearing a woolly hat, a large puffa jacket done up to the chin, gloves, shorts and Crocs. It is as if his top half and bottom half are living in entirely different seasons.

I’ve watched a weather forecast, and it looks like most of us will enjoy a dry but chilly day. Having said that there’s a delayed start at Edgbaston, with a pitch inspection at 10.55am ahead of an anticipated start half an hour later.

An email! Um, from the Labour party press office! Apparently Sadiq Khan, not dissuaded by the I in IPL, is planning to bring the IPL to London if he’s re-elected as the city’s mayor. Here’s some of their press release. Other political parties are available.

Sadiq is an avid fan of cricket and had a trial for Surrey County Cricket Club as a teenager. He is also passionate about the power of all sports to bring people together.

Sadiq Khan said: “This is part of my plan to build a better London after the pandemic. I know Londoners are hungry to see more of the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant and, with two of the world’s greatest cricket grounds in Lord’s and The Kia Oval, London is ideally placed to host IPL matches.

“The absence of live crowds at elite competitions has been hard for many sport-loving Londoners but I know we can build a better, more open and prosperous city after the pandemic and see our capital confirmed as the undisputed sporting capital of the world. Bringing the Indian Premier League to London would not only guarantee a home crowd for every country but boost tourism and generate much-needed revenue to help get our capital back on its feet.”

I’m back at Lord’s, and this morning the sun is shining. Having learned my lesson the hard way, today I arrived with winter coat and scarf, and both are draped on the back of my chair. What’s more, although I now know about the switch in my repurposed hospitality box marked “heater”, I am yet to flick it. Things are looking up.

Before we get started, a request: hard as I strive interesting things will happen that I will miss. If you are watching a match (all matches should be available to stream here. Top tip: don’t worry if there is a padlock next to “watch live”, pick your match on the left-hand scrolly thing and you should be on your way; you could also check your chosen county’s YouTube channel) and something noteworthy happens, send me an email! I will appreciate it, cherish it, and probably also publish it. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Now, the scores on the doors:

Group One

Chelmsford: Essex are 207-3 in their first innings against Worcestershire.
Trent Bridge: Durham are 241-7 against Nottinghamshire.
Edgbaston: Warwickshire are 13-1 in their first innings, in reply to Derbyshire’s 189.

Group Two

Lord’s: Middlesex are 293-8 in their first innings against Somerset.
Leicester: Hampshire are 431-4 in their first innings against Leicestershire.
Bristol: Surrey are 220-9 in their first innings against Gloucestershire.

Group Three

Northampton: Kent are 309-7 in their first innings against Northamptonshire.
Old Trafford: Sussex are 291-9 in their first innings against Lancashire.
Headingley: Glamorgan are 310-8 in their first innings against Yorkshire.