10.50am Old Trafford: the first shock of the day - it's not raining, and play will begin at 11.15am, writes Andy Wilson. Lancashire include messrs Flintoff, continuing his latest comeback, and Anderson, making his first appearance of the season. Scouse leggie Simon Marshall replaces Gary Keedy, who didn't take a wicket in last week's draw at The Oval. Somerset, who did not have a game in the first round of championship matches, also selected a leg-spinner, Michael Munday, ahead of their new Kolpak signing Omari Banks, but most interest in their side will surround Marcus Trescothick - thrust straight into the action by Justin Langer, who won the toss and chose to bat despite cloudy conditions.
11.15am Good morning from The Riverside, writes Richard Rae, where we're going to start on time. The mist which enlivened the drive up the A1 this morning finally lifted about 10 miles south of Chester-le-Street, and we're - well, not exactly set fair, but it's clear enough and light enough to get under way. Dale Benkenstein won the toss and Durham are going to bat; even so, Benks is anticipating there's going to be something in the wicket all match, because they've brought in Neil 'Killer' Killeen for Harmison - Ben, that is, not Steve, in case any of you Durham supporters were starting to panic.
Talking of England quicks, sitting behind me in the press box is Kevin Shine, the ECB's fast bowling coach. Rather than Harmison, Onions, Plunkett and Mark Davies, this morning he'll be watching Jimmy Ormond, Pedro Collins and the promising Chris Jordan - Surrey have left out James Benning and Jade Dernbach. Our umpires are Messrs Duddleston and Leadbeater.
When he makes his first contact with the scorers each morning, Leadbeater, for some reason, always follows with an elaborate bow. Fourth ball of the day, he turns down an lbw appeal by Collins against Stoneman - but incredibly, Stoneman defends the next ball gently back towards Collins, and calls Di Venuto through for a single. Instead of laughing, the Aussie answers the call, but it's so palpably ridiculous he isn't even sprinting when Collins picks up and throws down the wicket. Ludicrous. On his champo debut for Durham last season, Di Venuto made 155 not out at Worcester; on his home champo debut, against Kent, he made 204 not out. Such is cricket. Durham are 4-1 after two overs, Stoneman three, Coetzer yet to score.
11.25am It's all a bit gloomy here at Hove for the champions' first home appearance of the season, reports Paul Weaver. The locals are disappointed - and not just because this fixture is one of the oldest in all cricket. Sussex were hoping to start the season with wins over Hampshire and Kent who, on paper at least, are two of the weaker sides. Sussex's opening game against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl was a damp draw while Nottinghamshire were stealing a march on everyone else by beating Kent at Canterbury.
As I write this there will be no prompt start. There has been a bit of rain this morning and it was still falling when I arrived here at 10.30. But it is brightening up and we should get under way at some stage. My money is on an early lunch with play early this afternoon. It's a quick-drying ground. Sussex are unchanged from the team that played Hampshire last week, though the injured Jason Lewry (knee) is fit enough to be playing for the seconds this week and James Kirtley is 12th man. A replacement for Ryan Harris, who played just one match for the county, is still being sought.
There is bad news for Kent, who are without their captain and best player Rob Key, who has gone down with a virus. There's been a virus knocking about the Kent dressing room going back to their pre-season trip to Spain. Neil Dexter will come into the middle order and James Tredwell will open.
Alec Stewart has been knocking about the place recently. The former England captain has been made a part-time member of the coaching staff. He has worked with Matt Prior before, of course, but the club have decided to tap into his vast experience in other areas. Technically, he was a fine batsman, of course, and his input on fitness and general cricket nous is highly valued. Sussex were interested in signing the boy Alec as a player when he made one of his first appearances but he had too many family connections at The Oval and opted for Surrey.
Midday, Richard Rae at The Riverside writes: Well, Di Venuto can now ask Stoneman what he was thinking about - a couple of balls later, there's enough rain in the air for the players to go off. It's coming from the west, and the forecast is it might be with us for a couple of hours before blowing over. Frustrating.
Sunday's match programme for the FP game against Yorkshire has reprinted an article from All Out Cricket - 11 reasons why we love county cricket.
They are;
1) It is still cricket's spiritual home - everyone has done 'a stint in the shires'.
2) It's our best breeding ground for international players. Witness Sidebottom.
3) Nothing provides a more positive sense of Englishness more than the county cricket season. 4) Last season's playing standard was very high. Even Warne said so.
5) The pitches are getting better - but still enough variety to be an interesting contrast between bat and ball.
6) It gave Twenty;20 to the world, 'and the world seems damn grateful'.
7) Anyone can win - no 'big four' here.
8) It still attracts big names. Laxman, Warne, Murali, Fleming, Mushtaq, Langer, Hussey, etc etc.
9) The world's most progressive administrators ..Twenty;20, Schofield Report.
10) May not attract big crowds in person, but everybody follows it, especially via the internet.
11) Some of the greatest rivalries in sport. Yorks v Lancs, Surrey v Middlesex, Warwicks v Worcestershire...
And he adds: MouthoftheMersey, I've put your question direct to Kevin Shine - apparently Jordan was clocked last season at about 86mph. Respectably hasty, given his age. Hopefully we'll get to see him making the Durham batsmen hurry later today. Unlikely to be before lunch though - the rain has settled in.
12.30pm and here is Andy Wilson at Old Trafford: Somerset 33-2, and should be three - Trescothick dropped at second slip by Stuart Law off Anderson when he had scored ten, and has moved to 27 with a few clubbed boundaries. Anderson has generated decent pace from the Stretford End in an opening spell of eight overs and counting, but both wickets have gone to Glen Chapple - John Francis lbw, and Langer superbly caught by Sajid Mahmood in the deep after top-edging a pull.
1.20pm and a quick update from Richard Rae at The Riverside: no play at Northants yet. Durham have announced a new signing though; Shaun Pollock will be playing Twenty20 for them this season. I asked how much Durham were paying him - no comment. Durham, despite winning the Friends Provident Trophy last season, have the worst Twenty20 record of any county side, which could be a cause for congratulation in some people's eyes.
1.30pm And from Old Trafford, Andy Wilson writes: Three headlines here: Trescothick 59 not out, Flintoff has bowled eight overs for 19 runs (the longest spell yet in this comeback), and Lancashire's butterfingers continue to cost them dear. After dropping four chances against Surrey at the Oval last week including Mark Ramprakash on nought, they've given Trescothick three lives this morning. In addition to the early reprieve from Law at slip, he could have been out twice off Flintoff.
3.30pm Paul Weaver checks in from Hove: In reply to timthemonkey I don't think Sussex have anyone lined up to replace Ryan Harris just yet. There have been rumours that they were going back to Mohammad Akram, who I'm sure you will remember.
Now, Akee is a proper bowler, capable of real pace and good enough to play for Essex as an overseas player (he's also played for Northants and Surrey so he's been round the block). The only problem was that when he played for Sussex in 2004 there was a general feeling that he didn't bend his back often enough. Bowling within yourself has its merits but right now Sussex want a cutting edge paceman and I don't think Akee, at 33, would make a great signing. If I was in charge I would give him a big incentive, say £1,000 a wicket, but I don't think anything will come of it.
Sussex, I gather, are still looking, but there is no point in bringing in anyone they don't feel is better than Chris Liddle and Ragheb Aga, who both have a great opportunity this season. There is also a great team ethic at Sussex and they don't want to disturb that.
As for the cricket, Kent won the toss and chose to bowl. This suited Sussex fine. My information from their camp is that Chris Adams would definitely have batted anyway. They started at 1.15 and will bowl 79 overs before the close. Sussex started well but then, at 31, Robbie Joseph bowled Chris Nash off his pads. It's difficult to see from here (we are side-on to the pitch) but I think Nash might have got an inside edge onto his pads before the ball hit the stumps. Joseph, who was down on the scorecard as 12th man, was a late replacement for Martin Saggers, who I gather is not in the best of form.
Without Amjad Khan, who is still on the comeback trail and now has a hamstring problem (the local reporter, surpressing giggles, asked him "How's the hammy, Ammy?") Kent lack a bit of pace and Joseph is the nearest thing they have to it. It's 86 for one after 29 overs and Michael Yardy (30) has overtaken opener Carl Hopkinson (26).
4.50pm Sussex have collapsed, losing four wickets in the space of 11 runs, writes Paul Weaver at Hove. Kent suddenly look much happier about their decision to bowl, though in truth there was a lot of self-destruction about the Sussex batting.
Just before tea, Hopkinson drove the ball to mid-on and just made his ground for a scrambled single. It was Joseph who hit the stumps and when the ball careered off towards the boundary Yardy decided to go for a second. This time Hopkinson, who had run well past the stumps in getting the single, was left stranded, way out of his crease, by acting captain Martin van Jaarsveld.
It got worse. Sussex went to tea on 103 for two and in the first over after the break Murray Goodwin, driving at Yasir Arafat, was well caught low down at first slip by James Tredwell. That made it 103-3. Without addition Yardy, going back to a ball that was not short, was bowled by Joseph and then Adams drove Arafat to mid-on.
