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It was a long, dark winter, but the County Championship is back, and has been brighter than ever in this opening round of fixtures.

We've had high drama from day one until the final few minutes of day four, and thankfully the disruptive arrival of Storm Dave did not prevent us enjoying some thrilling finishes.

Essex and Sussex began the Division One campaign with a bang, thrashing Hampshire and new-boys Leicestershire respectively, with Sussex wiping out their 12-point deduction at the first time of asking.

There were high-scoring draws between Warwickshire and Surrey and Somerset and Champions Notts, with England players past, present, and future showing their class while Glamorgan and Yorkshire took it to the wire before settling for a share of the spoils in the Welsh county's top-flight return after 21 years.

Middlesex are the pace-setters in Division Two after an innings win over Gloucestershire, while James Anderson's 56th fivefer was ultimately in vain as Lancashire were frustrated by hosts Northants on the final evening.

Derbyshire also had to settle for a draw against Worcestershire despite Martin Andersson's maiden double-century while Kent battled to an opening round draw at Durham after no play was possible on day three.

We're sure you'll agree this has been a spectacular start to the 2026 season, thankyou to all those who have tuned in over the past four days and for your hundreds of messages.

Let's do it all over again on Friday, shall we?

Thanks for the hundreds of messages this weekend, seems like you've enjoyed using the shiny new button as much as we have.

If today has whetted your appetite for a summer of enthralling cricket, another round of matches starts at 11:00 BST on Friday 10 April and we will again be providing full coverage.

Division One

Chelmsford: Essex v Somerset

Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire v Glamorgan

The Oval: Surrey v Leicestershire

Hove: Sussex v Warwickshire

Headingley: Yorkshire v Hampshire

Division Two

Bristol: Gloucestershire v Durham

Canterbury: Kent v Northamptonshire

Old Trafford: Lancashire v Derbyshire

Lord's: Middlesex v Worcestershire

Division One

Glamorgan 302 & 218-5 dec v Yorkshire 226 & 239-7

Match drawn

Leicestershire 245 & 258 v Sussex 361 & 364

Sussex won by 222 runs

Somerset 347 & 407-5 dec v Nottinghamshire 338 & 140-3

Match drawn

Warwickshire 544 v Surrey 328 & 447-4

Match drawn

Division Two

Derbyshire 625-8 dec v Worcestershire 312 & 314-7 (f/o)

Match drawn

Durham 335 & 218-9 dec v Kent 197 & 234-5

Match drawn

Middlesex 445-9 dec v Gloucestershire 216 & 215 (f/o)

Middlesex won by an innings and 14 runs

Northamptonshire 258 & 213-9 v Lancashire 384 & 194

Match drawn

Great to be back, isn't it?

A cracking final day's cricket at Sophia Gardens has an anti climactic finish as George Hill offers no shot to a wide ball from Ryan Hadley and the teams shake hands on a draw.

Kiran Carlson (53) and Colin Ingram (75) helped Glamorgan build a 294-run lead before the former made a sporting declaration in the hope of given his team a chance of victory on their return to Division One of the County Championship.

Yorkshire were favourites hwile Adam Lyth was at the crease, making 97 off 150 balls, but he was denied a century when he was caught behind off Ben Kellaway.

Mason Crane took three wickets but was not the same threat as in the first innings, finishing with match figures of 8-154.

George Hill has to play at that one and pushes the ball out into the covers. He could have strolled one but doesn't bother.

Second delivery outside off stump. Again George Hill makes no attempt to put the bat in harm's way.

First one from Ryan Hadley banged in short. George Hill ignores it.

Six balls. Three wickets needed. Hat-trick anyone?

*sorry to any Yorkshire fans who don't want anything of the sort, we're just trying to ramp up the excitement.

An appeal for leg-before by the Glamorgan fielders but bowler Mason Crane wasn't convinced - and neither was the umpire.

He's much more enthusiastic about that one as a googly beats van Beek's defensive stroke, but nothing doing from the umpire.

George Hill takes a single and Logan van Beek squeezes the next one down to the backward point boundary.

It's not Ryan Hadley's best over, even though it's a maiden.

In Glamorgan's position, they'd probably have preferred an expensive one providing there was a wicket in it.

Logan van Beek leaves the last ball alone and there are 12 left in the game.

Worcestershire complete an excellent rearguard action with Matthew Waite facing 141 balls for his 66 not out.

Frustrating for Derbyshire who played some very good cricket over the four days notably Martin Andersson's bright double century on the opening day.

His positive batting helped them secure maximum bonus points so Derbyshire do come away with 16 points in total. Worcestershire get a hard earned 11.

And Northants keep them out...

Tom Hartley bowls the final six balls but he can find no way through the defences of George Bartlett with fielders crowded around the bat.

Bartlett has batted superbly and finishes with an unbeaten 95 and while there will be frustration from the Lancashire side that was a marvellous rearguard action from the Steelbacks.

Ben Sanderson deserves credit for joining the fight with Bartlett and batting for the best part of an hour to deny Lancs a victory that looked certain when Jimmy Anderson took two wickets with the new ball to leave Northants teetering nine down.

But they could find no way through in a gripping finale.

It is 14 points for Lancs and 12 for Northants but there is no doubting which dressing room will have the music on after that.

A cracking game though and creditable mentions must go to Anderson for his 5-66 in the first innings, Tom Bailey for 4-51, Josh Bohannon and Luke Wells for 90 and 86, respectively.

Harry Conway's 4-38 did much to tilt the game back towards an unlikely draw as did Calvin Harrison with 4-55 before Bartlett brought home the points with a knock that deserved three figures.

Matthew Waite hits Bashir for four to put Worcestershire ahead do they onl;y need to see off two more balls

Logan van Beek steers Mason Crane's final delivery away for a single and thus retains the strike for start of the next over.

Ryan Hadley continues.

Big lbw shout by Ajeet Singh Dale who wheels away as the Lancs fielders go up.

But the finger stays down as that looks like it was going down.

Just six deliveries left now. Six chances with George Bartlett on strike needing five for a century and none for the draw.

It is going to be Tom Hartley with the final over and it is safe to say Bartlett will be able to feel the breath or maybe even hear the heartbeats of several fielders.

Four overs, 24 balls.

Here comes Mason Crane again.

George Hill cuts his second delivery away for a single, exposing Logan van Beek to the leg-spinner.