Rain curtails play across England

Only four overs of play were possible on the opening day between Warwickshire and Sussex at Edgbaston after which rain forced the players off the field for the rest of the day. During that short period, Sussex, who chose to field, managed to pick up a wicket - Tony Frost lbw to Yasir Arafat - and Warwickshire were 5 for 1 when play was stopped.

Northamptonshire and Derbyshire managed double the number of overs in Northampton before rain ruined their first day as well. Nantie Hayward dismissed Ben Howgego for a duck after Derbyshire put the hosts in but Stephen Peters and Rob White prevented any further damage, taking Northamptonshire to 23 for 1 before play was eventually abandoned.

As many as 48 overs were possible on the first day at Chelmsford and during that time Essex slipped from a strong position to an average one against Glamorgan. The visitors' openers, Gareth Rees and Herschelle Gibbs, laid a sound foundation after they chose to bat by adding 115 for the first wicket. Both batsmen reached half-centuries but, unfortunately for Glamorgan, they fell shortly afterward. Gibbs was lbw to Ryan ten Doeschate for 53 and Rees edged David Masters to the wicketkeeper for 59. Essex slipped further from 118 for 2 to 138 for 3 when Ben Wright was leg before to Graham Napier and eventually finished the day on 155 for 3.