I am at Chelmsford at last. Play has just resumed. All is right with the world. Essex are 284-5. Meanwhile at Grace Road, we have a hundred for Yorkshire’s Jonny Tattersall – he now has 117* out of the Tykes’ 321 for 8. They lead by 223.

And Archie Vaughan has struck for Somerset! The young all-rounder in just his second match has had Dom Sibley caught by Tom Abell for 16 just as Surrey’s opening pair seemed to be cutting loose. The champions are 41 for 1.

At the top of Division Two, Sussex are absolutely motoring against Glamorgan, only 24 behind with Daniel Hughes and Henry Crocombe well set. 162-1

Jack Leach is on already at Taunton, two slips in, and rips a beauty past Sibley’s outside edge but Surrey’s openers still there and looking calm.

More angst for Lancs, as one some-time. England bowler, Matt Potts, pins another, Tom Hartley, in front for 16. Matty Hurst still there at Chester-le-Street on 81 though. Lancashire 191-7. And it’s started raining in Chelmsford now. The gods punishing the Essex area in general.

If there’s a few more empty seats than usual at Chelmsford, then we can blame the sizeable problems with the trains in the area, with cancellations aplenty due to an overhead wire coming down, writes your correspondent, currently becalmed (but not calm) at bleedin’ Shenfield. Those inside the ground have seen Essex chug along to 279 for 5, Westley 116 and Michael Pepper, in good red-ball nick, on 28.

It’s cloudier in Taunton than it was yesterday and Somerset’s new ball bowlers, Craig Overton and Brett Randell, have found a bit of zip against Surrey’s before-times England openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley. Three for 0 after three. Yorkshire’s Jonathan Tattersall is closing in on a fourth first-class hundred. The 29-year-old Harrogate lad has 92 of Yorkshire’s 271 for 8, the visitors nearly 200 ahead and in a very strong position at Grace Road.

Weather watch: our only delayed start so far is at Lord’s (rain), where Gloucestershire are waiting to start their reply to Middlesex’s 377 yesterday.

Pre-play reading: Some germane thoughts here.

Day one roundup:

Shakib cameo works a treat for Surrey

Surrey’s decision to enlist Shakib Al Hasan on a one-match deal paid dividends late on day one in the top-two showdown at Taunton, the all-rounder striking three times in a late-order Somerset collapse that weakened foundations laid by Tom Banton’s brilliant century.

The veteran Bangladesh all‑rounder Shakib was given plenty of practice by the Championship leaders, sending down 33.5 overs and taking four for 97, leading the way for Surrey alongside the miserly Dan Worrall, who grabbed three wickets of his own.

The afternoon had hitherto belonged to Banton, who further demonstrated his development from short-form dazzler to red-ball performer with a sparkling 132, one short of his career best, that combined dash and daring – typified by two glorious reverse-sweeps in succession against Shakib – with orthodox style. Archie Vaughan, moved up to open in only his second first-class match, also impressed with some chip-off-the-old-block drives and pulls in his 44. His dad, Michael, would have approved.

At the bottom of Division One, Lancashire’s travails continued against Durham at Chester-le-Street where Ben Raine’s tricky seamers brought him four wickets as the visitors laboured to 177 for six, Matty Hurst’s 74 not out providing ballast. Their relegation rivals Nottinghamshire also toiled after a promising start against Essex, who recovered from 86 for four through a century partnership between Tom Westley, who struck his first century of the season, and Paul Walter.

Sussex’s charge to promotion from Division Two continued with their Indian left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat taking four wickets as Glamorgan were skittled cheaply at Hove. Dan Hughes hit a half century as Sussex cut the deficit to 65 for the loss of one wicket.

A career-best 91 from Jack Davies helped second-placed Middlesex to a promising position against Gloucestershire while it was the bowlers who filled their boots for their promotion rivals Yorkshire, who had Leicestershire three for four early on en route to dismissing their hosts for 98, Ben Coad leading the charge with five wickets. Yorkshire’s batters found the going tough initially too, but Jonathan Tattersall’s unbeaten 90 guided them to a hefty lead.

Preamble