Durham, who began the season among the favourites for the Championship, continued their troubled start by being bowled out for 125 by an injury-hit Somerset side containing five players aged 20 or under yesterday.

The clatter of falling wickets was silenced at Liverpool yesterday as 2011 County Championship runners-up Warwickshire took the upper hand against title-holders Lancashire during a magnificent eighth-wicket partnership between Darren Maddy and Rikki Clarke.

England captain starts his search for form with second-ball duck against Durham at Lord's

Only spectators lucky enough to find a sunny vantage point protected by a windbreak might have forgotten that it was early April yesterday, but at least there was little chance of succumbing to hypothermia on account of dozing off.

England all-rounder admits that bowling full and being less irritable helped him to man-of-the-series award

Somerset may not have proved the force they expected to be after being installed as pre-season favourites for the County Championship but they are not yet out of the race.

Marcus Trescothick's prolific season brought the former England opener the fifth double century of his career as Somerset made 591 for 9 to overtake Worcestershire on a run-filled pitch at New Road. However, with only a day left the win his side need to maintain an outside chance in the title race may prove elusive.

Andrew Strauss will open the batting for Somerset today in a guest appearance necessitated by his own poor form and the bizarre vagaries of the fixture schedule. Had the county declined Strauss's request to play in the tour match against India, he might well have gone three weeks without an innings before the first Test at Lord's next Thursday.

Kevin O'Brien and Hamish Marshall both clubbed centuries as Gloucestershire made a record-breaking 254 for 3 in their Friends Life t20 victory over Middlesex at Uxbridge yesterday.

Liam Plunkett starred with bat and ball as Durham recorded a thumping 83-run victory over northern section rivals Lancashire in the Friends Life t20 last night.

Mike Yardy, the Sussex and England all-rounder, is taking a further break from the game. After returning early from the World Cup suffering from depression in March, Yardy resumed playing for his county last month, but he left the field during their Twenty20 match last Friday.