Somerset have made an impressive start to their Frizzell County Championship clash with Leicestershire at Taunton. After winning the toss and choosing to bat this morning, Jamie Cox scored 176, featuring in an opening partnership of 184 with Matthew Wood (79). Last year's runners-up closed on 390 for three against this summer's second-placed side.

At Old Trafford, Chris Adams steadied Sussex after a wicket apiece for Lancashire's Peter Martin and Kyle Hogg had the visitors wobbling on 40 for two. Adams reached an unbeaten 159 as Sussex recovered to 345 for seven at the close.

At Canterbury, Craig White shone for an otherwise lacklustre Yorkshire, with 104 out of the visitors total of 239. Amjad Khan was Kent's bowling star with six for 39. In reply Kent ended the day on 61 without loss.

Nick Knight continued his imposing run of form for Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Hampshire's Chris Tremlett and Dimitri Mascarenhas took two wickets each as Knight (151*) received only fleeting support from his team mates, and the home side finished on 274 for nine.

In Division Two, Darren Thomas played havoc with the Durham batting at Cardiff, taking seven for 33 as the visitors collapsed from 120 for two to 162 all out. It would have looked a lot more gruesome for Durham without an innings of 71 from Martin Love. But Ian Hunter and Mark Davies then took two wickets apiece to peg Glamorgan back to 117 for five in reply, still 45 runs behind.

James Averis took five for 51 for Gloucestershire as Nottinghamshire subsided to 197 all out at Bristol. Darren Bicknell (38) and Nicky Boje (36) could do no more than delay the home side's relentless advance. Thanks to Craig Spearman (99*) Gloucestershire were well on the way to taking control of the match by the close, reaching 165 for two.

Sven Koenig (101) and Paul Weekes (92*) helped take Middlesex to 367 for five at Northampton. And 61 from Ben Smith followed 60 from Anurag Singh to give Worcestershire some early backbone against Essex at New Road. Andy Bichel then compiled 65 to add to the visitors' misery as Worcestershire were eventually dismissed for 367. Essex finished on nine without loss.

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