It was a hand-rubbing day for the mystery benefactor paying Cameron Green’s wages at Gloucestershire.Green made a century on debut, hauling his side out of trouble, before walking off with cramp.James Bracey kept things rolling along an unbeaten 109 of his own, while Kent’s Nathan Gilchrist (five for 61) made light work of the tail at the other end.Half-centuries from James Wharton, Dom Bess and George Hill pulled Yorkshire towards hot-cross bun glazing respectability at Chester-le-Street.Durham’s Brendan Doggett finished with four for 69.

Worcestershire unzipped Essex for 179, Jacob Duffy’s four wickets leading the way.They then found themselves in deep water, losing four wickets before stumps to an Essex attack missing Sam Cook – rested on England orders.Wayne Madsen marched onwards in his 2025 lucky boots, his 89 in a partnership of 169 with Brooke Guest (87 not out) rescuing Derbyshire from 29 for three against Northamptonshire.Rain disrupted games in many other areas of the country.Lancashire made a rickety start against the Division Two leaders, Leicestershire, after being inserted on a grassy wicket under heavy skies.

Ian Holland removed both openers and Josh Bohannon, fresh from his century in the last round, was caught off Ben Mike.Things could have been worse – Matty Hurst was then dropped twice in nine balls.Sussex made hay against Surrey, bouncing along at over four an over.Dan Hughes raced to 62, while his opening partner, Tom Haines, was unbeaten on a more circumspect 89 not out when the rain came.It was a tricky outing for the Surrey attack on a pitch without much pace.

Somerset’s travails continued, reduced to 94 for six at Hampshire, losing three wickets in 11 deliveries just before lunch and never getting back out.In the small window of play possible at Edgbaston, Nottinghamshire won the toss and nipped out both Warwickshire openers quickly.While at Lord’s, Glamorgan enjoyed a calm morning but a fruity afternoon against Middlesex, slipping from 108 for one to 199 all out despite half centuries for Zain-ul-Hassan and Ben Kellaway.Well done that mystery benefactor!And with that, time for me to write up for the paper.Do keep chatting BTL.

Kellaway left high and dry at Lord’s on 54 as Glamorgan collapse to 199 all out,And more runs for Dom Bess (45), he and Hill (56) easing Yorkshire, 276-6, towards the promised land at CLS,Snater proving a pretty decent Sam Cook replacement: Worcestershire 22-2, both Roderick and Libby caught Critchley bowled Snater,Make that 22-3, Jones gone for a duck,Well played Cameron Green, 84 and counting on debut and some nice glue for Gloucestershire’s middle order.

I didn’t know, before I read it here, that Green has a kidney condition that he has to control through diet.His parents were warned that he might not live to become a teenager.But here he is at Bristol, all strapping six foot six of him.And Leicestershire’s players trudge the 200m back across the soggy OT grass to their digs at the Hilton.“Sussex 222 as rain falls,” writes Tim Maitland.

“I’m in heaven!”And there it may stay, the forecast for the rest of the day is downbeat.“Windy with spells of rain in the south and west which will turn heavy at times.”Better propects tomorrow though.Worcestershire have started batting at Chelmsford and have survived one over of Jamie Porter.No Sam Cook, which should make their task easier.

Worcestershire have finished their filleting of Essex: four for Duffy, three for Waite,Jordan Cox the only man to pass 30: Essex 179 all out,And make that seven wickets in the afternoon session at Canterbury as Leonard is caught for 12 on the brink of tea,Glamorgan had a positive morning at Lord’s,They have since lost six wickets during a calamitous afternoon session.

Kellaway and Leonard have stemmed the flow.Two wickets each for Roland-Jones, Paterson and Higgins.Glamorgan 170-7.I think we’re done for the day here at OT.Solid, drippy, dampness.

There were six books shortlisted for the MCC/Cricket Society book of the year:Striking Summer, How cricket united a divided nation, Stephen Brenkley, Fairfield BooksOne Hell of a Life, Brian Close, Daring, defiant and daft, Stephen Chalke, Fairfield BooksWorrell, The brief but brilliant life of a Caribbean pioneer, Simon Lister, Simon & SchusterThe Cricketers of 1945: Rising from the ashes of World War Two, Christopher Sandford, Pitch PublishingBlood on the Tracks, England in Australia, The 1974-75 Ashes, David Tossell, Fairfield BooksForgotten Pioneers, The story of the original English lady cricketers, Giles Wilcock, Pitch PublishingA fabulous-sounding shortlist and the winner is….Simon Lister’s book on Worrell.Congratulations!This attack of the rain-clouds is giving me flashbacks to last April, a month of cold hands and long delays.Only a handful of games still going today.Cameron Green gets the batting prize of the day now James Wharton has been out at CLS (caught off Doggett for 69) Green: 66 not out in his first game for Gloucestershire – he and James Bracey have nearly put on a hundred for the fifth wicket.

DIVISION ONEChester le Street: Durham v Yorkshire 174-5Chelmsford: Essex 159-7 v WorcestershireSouthampton: Hampshire v Somerset 94-6Hove: Sussex 222-2 v Surrey rain stopped playEdgbaston: Warwickshire 34-2 v Nottinghamshire rain stopped playDIVISION TWOThe County Ground: Derbyshire 210-4 v Northamptonshire rain stopped playCanterbury: Kent v Gloucestershire 192-4Old Trafford: Lancashire 61-3 v Leicestershire rain stopped playLord’s: Middlesex v Glamorgan 146-6Essex may have thought Worcestershire were easy pickings.Not so.They’ve just limped past 150, seven wickets down.Harmer 12 not out.Four wickets for Duffy.

And they’re off for rain at Hove, Sussex 222-2.No play either at OT, Edgbaston or Derby.Turn on the Sussex comms and the seagulls squawk on cue.Hains and Alsop have now put on 108 for the third wicket.Surrey dropped their customary zing down the back of the sofa early this season and are yet to fish it out.

The Metrobank Cup starts tomorrow with three matches.A shout out here to the ECB for getting a sponsor rated as “a leader in climate responsibility” by bank green.Not so many plaudits for new principal ECB partner, car maker Toyota, who were slapped down by the ASA for adverts that “condoned the use of vehicles in a manner that disregarded their impact on nature and the environment.”The pigeons have now congregated on the covers at OT for some paddling.YJB has made a very thorough one from 17 balls at Chester-le-Street.

Yorkshire 108-2.Essex in trouble, five down plus Pepper retired hurt after pulling something before lunch.Sussex clap-happy at Hove: against Surrey: fifty for Tom Haines at Hove, 167-2 at quite the lick.Probably a challenging watch, this.He’s such a brave man ( I guess we know that anyway) to throw himself back out there in the public gaze.

Sam Northeast jags at Dane Patterson and, at the place of his grand triumph last year, is caught behind.Glamorgan lose a second for 110.A second wicket for Jas Singh at Canterbury and, unfortunately for Gloucestershire, it is Myles Hammond for 48.The new, huge GLoucestershire Australian, Cameron Green, has smacked four fours in his unbeaten 32.Glos 127-4.

Fifties for Madsen and Guest at The County Ground, Derby 166-3,“Are you sure you were in a bookshop in Carlisle? asks Gary Naylor,“It sounds like a fever dream after watching one too many Lancashire collapses and going to bed with a Jorge Luis Borges anthology,” I did! Far too cold and damp for a fever dream, a day where your hair starts brushed but finishes as a birdsnest,Rain, rain, rain at OT.

The covers settle and spread.Wisden’s editor Lawrence Booth has listed his top 18 county HQs.Championship games starting shortly at Hove, Chelmsford, Chester-le-Street, the Rose Bowl, Edgbaston, Old Trafford, Lord's, Canterbury and Derby.Find out where each one ranks in my (highly subjective) list of the 18 county HQs https://t.co/5y1h898uyuRain at Southampton, at Birmingham, at Manchester.

A brief flurry of excitement at Lord’s where the 12th man seemed to have swapped the ball when fielding on the boundary.But further video coverage has convinced the commentators that the fielder did actually throw the right ball back on the sward.Chick pea curry from the OT kitchen, a hearty dish.While I remember, a shout out to Bookcase, a mind-blowing labyrinthine second-hand bookshop in Carlisle with rooms that lead to more rooms and blocked off rooms and sheet music rooms and anything-you-fancy rooms.I spent five hours there with cricket writer Christian Ryan on Wednesday – though interspersed with coffee in the cafe and small nap in the floral armchair planted thoughtfully in the poetry section.

And on come the OT covers for the first time this season,Time for a quick lap of the ground,DIVISION ONEChester le Street: Durham v Yorkshire 75-2Chelmsford: Essex 94-4 v WorcestershireSouthampton: Hampshire v Somerset 94-6Hove: Sussex 126-2 v SurreyEdgbaston: Warwickshire 34-2 v Nottinghamshire rain stopped playDIVISION TWOThe County Ground: Derbyshire 115-3 v NorthamptonshireCanterbury: Kent v Gloucestershire 96-3Old Trafford: Lancashire 61-3 v LeicestershireLord’s: Middlesex v Glamorgan 92-1Essex have lost four, three now to Duffy,For those who want to brush up their Duffy dossier, here is a thing from cricinfo,Hampshire are riffing on a Somerset theme – Archie Vaughan and Toms Lammonby and Banton have joined Dickson in the pavilion.

Somerset 93-4.This was a lovely thing to eat my muesli to this morning.An accidental education.A dive, a tip of the glove, and Hurst is dropped by Cox off Scriven.And again, a simpler chance, Rehan Ahmed at third slip off Mike.

Dropped twice in his first nine balls – a century seems assured.And then they were three (down).Leicestershire look extremely perky, a-swigging their bottles with a swagger.Bohannon gone for nine after last week’s big un.A wicket for Mike in his first over.

In Division Two, some solid consolidation from Harris and Bohannon: six doughty runs in seven doughty overs until a couple of boundaries break the spell.Lancs 40-2.Derbyshire lost three early wickets to Northants, but Madsen and Guthrie are hauling them out of a hole.Derbyshire 72-3.New vigorous Kent have predictably slice through Gloucestershire’s top order, Bancroft lbw to Gilchrist for 2; ul Hassan and Northeast are keeping Middlesex at bay at Lord’s, Glam 51-1.

And as rain hits Birmingham, let’s wander around the grounds.Division One: Lyth and Bean are making steady progress against Durham (Yorkshire 31-0).A couple of wickets for Worcestershire his morning at Chelmsford, both to young Jacob Duffy, who hasn’t played much red-ball cricket.(Essex 54-2)At Southampton, Somerset have lost Sean Dickson cheaply (Wheal) (Somerset 44-1) while Brett Hutton winkled out both Warwickshire’s openers before the rain fell (Warwicks 34-1).And Sussex are pancaking the 2024 champs around the ground – 78-0 from 13 overs.

And a second at OT, as KJ advances, squares up, and nicks Holland (2-11) to first slip who gently collects the creme egg.Jones looks befuddled, stands holding his pose most beautifully, but his middle stump is lying flat behind him.Ball nips merrily between bat and pad.Lancashire 18-1.Enter Josh Bohannon, who Paul Edwards tells me nearly cut the top of his thumb right off while chopping lettuce in the winter