11.20am Good morning from Headingley, writes Richard Rae, our first writer up today. If I say it's a typical Headingley day you will immediately, and correctly, assume it's petty murky out there - but not sufficiently so to prevent play. There's a pretty decent crowd in and they're not happy - Lancashire won the toss, put Yorkshire in and made immediate inroads. Saj Mahmood, coming in from the top end, swung the ball in to Joe Sayers and won a distinctly generous leg-before decision from Peter Willey. It was the first ball of his second over, but more to the point, his third appeal, which for me explains why it was given - because it looked to be very leg-side on first viewing, and even more so on second viewing (counties have a young chap in the press box videoing proceedings these days, and some are sufficiently technically adept to show you an instant replay on thier computers).
Must admit I've never rated Willey particularly highly as an umpire - protected by his reputation as a 'hard man', it seems to me he gets away with some flaky decision-making.
12.40pm Morning from Whitgift School, writes Andy Bull. And a shocking one it's been too. One advantage of being here is that I've managed to co-opt the school's IT department into trying to get my internet connection up and running. Three of us have been taking it in turns to umm, ahh, scratch our chins and restart it. Again. All to no avail, irritatingly. Given that Whitgift also seems to be a mobile black spot and that I have no reception here I'm faced with an interesting dilemma as to how I'm going to file my copy later on, a problem I have around five-and-a-half hours to solve. How long does it take to train a carrier pigeon?
Anyways, it's muggy and overcast here, which may be why Justin Langer chose to put Surrey in when he won the toss. With Matt Spriegel's wicket the sole return on his decision so far it's not looking like the wisest decision he's ever made. That at least has brought Mark Ramprakash to the crease, and he's now a handful off runs into his fifth effort to reach that hundredth hundred. Somerset have been shorn of the mighty (Peter) Trego Mills, and have replaced him with Alfonso Thomas, who has looked quick but wayward on his championship debut for the county.
1pm And before the smart alecs ask, I filed this from a colleague's computer, points out Andy Bull. The real reason I'm back here though is to point out that Ramps has just fallen, caught behind for 17 off Charl Willoughby. It was a gem of a ball that did it. The atmosphere around this quaint litle ground has just slipped back from sedentary to soporific. Still, there's always the second innings I suppose.
1.05pm Sussex won the toss here and batted and they've made a bit of a mess of it, reports Paul Weaver. They are 64 for four at lunch. It's a little damp and overcast and I think the ball is swinging - it's difficult to tell at Hove because the press box is side on to the pitch but I will go behind the arm later or check it out with the players themselves.
It must have been a difficult decision for Sussex captain Matt Prior. The norm is to bat first at Hove but the conditions are not as benign as the weathermen told us they would be. This could be Durham's chance to get out of the drop zone, as football folk say.
Sussex are missing their regular captain, Chris Adams, badly - even though he has been out of form with the bat this season. He has a bad back. It's the first championship game he has missed since September 2002, since when he has played 84 straight matches.
Carl Hopkinson was the first to go, bowled by Steve Harmison in the third over. In the next over Callum Thorp had Chris Nash dropped behind on six.
It was 33 for three when Michael Yardy was bowled shouldering arms and 45 for four when Matt Prior, the country's leading scorer in first-class cricket this season, was bowled by the other Harmison, Ben - off his boot, I think.
Steve Harmison really looked the part this morning and his first spell was 8-6-3-2 with just one run coming off the bat. Then he came back just before lunch and bowled a useful maiden. Rory Hamilton-Brown, a very highly-rated young batsman who used to be with Surrey, is making his championship debut for Sussex but we haven't seen him yet.
1.20pm Given Lancashire put Yorkshire in, and took a wicket before a run had been scored, a lunch-time score of 90-2 represents an excellent morning's work for the Yorkies, writes Richard Rae. Anthony McGrath, currently 41 not out, has looked in far better touch than his recent record suggests he has any right to, and Jacques Rudolph, who was dropped by Du Plessis at third slip off Steven Croft on 8, has moved on to 26.
The highlight for Lancashire has been an impressive spell from Saj Mahmood, who bowled 10 straight overs from the Kirkstall Lane End, and took the two wickets that fell. If both were slightly fortunate - Sayers lbw looked very leg side, and Adam Lyth feathered a catch behind down the leg-side attempting to hook - Mahmood's efforts deserved reward. Once the movement began to wear off, his line and length were very good, and on a slightly slow wicket, he kept up the pace.
Dominic Cork was his usual self, ie he bowled a poor opening spell, every time he bowled a bad ball - which was frequently - he moaned about the footholds, and once his spell was finished, he went off. Unfortunately for Lancs, neither he, Newby or Croft gave Mahmood the support he needed, and the dismissive manner in which Rudolph slapped Gary Keedy for two fours in his solitary over before lunch suggests off-spin may not get them out of trouble.
3pm Well Langer has been vindicated by what's passed since I last posted, writes Andy Bull. Surrey are five down now, their much-vaunted middle-order having been skittled by big Ben Phillips, who has been on unchanged since lunch. Phillips does a mean Caddick impersonation, with the ball I mean, I'm not suggesting he tugs out his ears and starts hooting about the quality of England's current attack. Butcher could have one of his own decisions vindicated yet too though: James Benning is batting at No7, having come in as cover for Chris Jordan, and he's raced to 29 in no time at all. I've always liked Benning, who has played some phenomenal one-day innings in his time. He should really be in contention for England's one-day squads, but he doesn't seem to get enough first team cricket for Surrey. His walloping could be just what his side need to get them out of this hole in a hurry.
4.30pm The sun came out - a little - this afternoon and batting looked a lot easier, writes Paul Weaver. Unfortunately for Sussex, most of their batting had been blown away by then. Luke Wright, who unlike the rather unlucky Prior has been included in England's one-day squad, was dropped at midwicket when he had scored just five. But he didn't make the most of his reprieve. He had made only 10 more when he was caught at slip off the bowling of Mark Davies. So, at 79 for five in the 36th over, Hamilton-Brown came in to play his first innings in championship cricket. He's been impressive, with composure and shots all round the wicket. He's still there at tea, on 55, and Sussex are 175 for six. Hamilton-Brown put on 84 in 25 overs with Chris Nash, whose 75 occupied exactly four hours before he was bowled, driving, by Ben Harmison. He got an inside edge. Steve Harmison has been the most impressive bowler and has figures of two for 21 from his 15 overs. Brother Ben has also picked up two as well as a slip catch. Durham have mixed up their bowling well and their long journey to the south coast has not been a waste of time.
6pm That seems to be it for the day at Whitgift, writes Andy Bull. Benning did indeed add a dash of badly-needed panache to proceedings, clattering his 50 in just 38 balls while Jon Batty added exactly three to his score at the other end. After that, Benning became curiously quiet though, as Langer introduced Ian Blackwell's left-arm-spin. He got some ball to turn dramatically, a sight which will have pleased Saqlain Mushtaq and made Somerset's decision to omit their legspinner Mike Munday all the more perplexing. Bad light brought an early close with the score on 280-7, Batty undefeated on a truly tawdry 28.
7pm Robin Martin-Jenkins guided Sussex to a solitary batting point against Steve Harmison, who was bowling faster than ever at the end of the innings, writes Paul Weaver. Durham looked delighted to have dismissed Sussex for 214 but it would have been even better if they hadn't dropped five catches. Sussex then battled back into the game, taking three quick wickets at the end of the day. Corey Collymore had Michael Di Venuto lbw before he bowled Mark Davies, the nightwatchman, while Jason Lewry had Mark Stoneman caught in the slips by Hopkinson. With the ball nipping about, the day has belonged to the bowlers. Durham are 10-3 and Collymore might have had another wicket or two in his final overs. The cricketers have left the field leaving some kids to enjoy the best conditions of the day.
