While their team have their feet up, Surrey fans – and everyone else – can read about their England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, who reflects on his first season as a Test player with Simon Burnton:

As feared, there’s a bit of rain about, and it’s paused proceedings at Taunton (where a cautious Surrey have crawled to 169-3), at Leicester (Leics 35-2, trailing by 246) and at New Road, where Warwickshire are 112-4 in reply to Worcestershire’s 307. Meanwhile at Hove, Sussex are well on top against Glamorgan with Tom Clark and John Simpson both passing 50 and their side 316-5, 130 ahead.

Essex are all out 457, the tail subsiding quite quickly in the end and Michael Pepper, having registered his highest first-class score earlier in the over, is bowled having a swish at Liam Patterson-White. Now Notts must navigate Cook, Porter and co under cloud cover. Notts’ relegation rivals Lancashire are evenly poised against Durham, who have advanced to 130 for 4, David Bedingham scoring a half-century on his return from South Africa duty.

England Test squad news

Talking of prodigious teenage spinners with England-capped relatives, young Farhan Ahmed has just bowled Shane Snater, going for a big slog, with one he just pushed in on the Essex man – the hosts now 441-8 at Chelmsford.

And it’s slow going at Taunton at the moment, Surrey proceeding methodically to 160 for 3. But that’s all they really need to go.

Hundred for Michael Pepper! The Essex wicketkeeper-batter pushes towards mid-on and scampers through for the single that gives him a century for the second successive match. Simon Harmer has also brought up his 50 at the other end in an innings that has lost much of its sense of jeopardy. Notts look toothless, and Essex should just now get a wriggle on and declare.

A bit of chat in the press box around me over whether anyone else can match Pepper in scoring two Championship hundreds and two T20 hundreds in a season. Any thoughts?

Hampshire are finally all out for 403, Brad Wheal bowled by Charlie Stobo for 61. And Gloucestershire are now five down at Lord’s, Ryan Higgins snaring Graeme van Buuren. 126-5 replying to 377. Given that Yorkshire are already almost in the home straight against Leicestershire, Middlesex need this strong position.

A fourth batting point for Essex as Michael Pepper dabs Liam Patterson-White to the boundary to take the score to 402-6, the partnership between Pepper (86) and Harmer (44) now in three figures.

Around the grounds, Durham are recovering from two early losses through Alex Lees and David Beddingham and have progressed to 82-2, and Hampshire are still batting on 390-9, their last-wicket pair of Brad Wheal and Mohammad Abbas having added 58.

In Division Two, Yorkshire’s attack are in and among them again with Matt Fisher taking two more wickets, leaving Leicestershire 35-2 and struggling to avoid an innings defeat. And Toby Roland-Jones has put Middlesex in a good position against Gloucestershire, who are now 107-4 with the former England quick taking three wickets.

Vaughan again! A much-needed breakthrough for Somerset as young Archie induces a top-edged sweep from Geddes and it balloons up into the hands of Lewis Goldsworthy at backward square leg. The teenager has three for 36 from his marathon 18-over stint.

Needing a breakthrough, Somerset break up their all-spin attack and bring on Kasey Aldridge, though Archie Vaughan’s still plugging away, positively, at the other end, bowling to two slips and a silly mid-off against the left-handed Ryan Patel. But at 127-2 Surrey, and Ben Geddes having just brought up a composed 92-ball half-century, will be much the happier of the two teams. A draw suits them just fine anyway.

Here at Chelmsford, Notts look a tad weary and unthreatening in the field, typified by a howling misfield by Jack Haynes on the deep midwicket boundary just now that gifted Simon Harmer a four. The South African has cruised to 34 and Essex 371 for 6 with Michael Pepper unbeaten on 70. If he can cut loose, then 450 and a good couple of hours in the field today is on.

Hampshire’s. last-wicket pair are nudging them nearer to 400 at Canterbury, building on foundations laid by Tom Prest’s 102. Below the line, Viriditan is impressed: “Well batted, Tom Prest. I made a half-arsed attempt to jinx him earlier and got the punishment I deserved. He’s really, really good.” Hants 377-9.

Some England v Sri Lanka verdicts from our man Gary Naylor:

Chelmsford in September is very much one for the stoics and diehards, but it was good to see a party of schoolkids enjoying some catching practice on the outfield during the lunch break, in open defiance of the ECB’s stipulation that under no circumstances should the County Championship be exposed to children.

Anyway, they’re back out at Taunton – Leach still wheeling away – and Derbyshire have been swiftly dismissed for 165 at Northampton. Yuzvendra Chahal, signed for the run-in, proving his worth with five wickets.

Right, just a couple of things to catch up on before I go for a stroll round the ground. Yorkshire’s innings is over at Grace Road, Tattersall finally going for 126 and Matt Fisher making an impressive 88 from No 10. Yorks could go a long way to wrapping this one up today. And the Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has taken three for Northants against Derbyshire. Anyway, lunch beckons. Back in a bit.

Lunchtime(ish) scores

Lunch at Taunton, with Surrey 91-2, Ryan Patel and Ben Geddes progressing reasonably serenely against an all-spin Somerset attack in the past 45 minutes or so.

Michael Pepper has brought up a diligent 50 for Essex. As with Tom Banton at Somerset yesterday, here’s a player more renowned for his white-ball exploits who’s developing layers to his batting in the longer form. He’s on 53 and his team 332-6 against relegation-threatened Notts.

And Notts won’t be cheered to learn that Lancashire have claimed two early Durham wickets – Anderson Philip bowling Ben McKinney for eight and Scott Borthwick caught behind off Tom Bailey for nine. Durham 25-2.

Vaughan Jr strikes again! Archie has both Surrey openers, Rory Burns – who’d looked in decent touch – is lbw for 21 after missing a sweep. Will Shoaib Bashir get back into this team (in the rare event of his availability/’suitability’)? Surrey are 63-2 and this one is deliciously poised. Though Surrey do bat very deep.

In Division Two, Gloucestershire have lost both openers against Middlesex but are cruising along at five an over (62-2) and Sussex have lost their set overnight batters in quick succession, Dan Hughes for 83 and Henry Crocombe for 54, shortly before the rain came at Hove. They’re 198-3, 12 ahead of Glamorgan, with plenty of runs still out there.

A second bowling point for Hampshire against Kent – Tom Prest doing a good job shepherding the tail from No 8, with 82 not out. Hants 308-8. And Warwickshire have lost Rob Yates for 12 to Tom Taylor – they’re 38-1 in reply to Worcestershire’s 307.

No batting points for Lancs – they’ve been bowled out for 228, which might give something to play with given the conditions. Matty Hurst was run out for 90 in the end trying to force the pace. Ben Raine claimed his 14th five-wicket Championship haul.

And Tom Westley is bowled for 122, chopping on to one that lifted sharply at him from Robert Lord. Given the overhead conditions, I’d imagine Sam Cook and Jamie Porter are looking forward to having a bowl later – Essex 297-6.

Lots of bantz below the line about Sibley’s uncharacteristic hoiked dismissal, and also a bit more from Middlesex v Gloucestershire, which I perhaps slightly overlooked at times yesterday, including seven catches from the inestimable James Bracey. Here’s MrLloyd:

Absent btl yesterday as I was on a field trip to Lord’s. Excellent day’s cricket with Middlesex batting very steadily and Gloucs coming back strongly with the second new ball in the last hour. The partnership between De Caires and Davies was key, and they both batted with some assurance – real shame Davies missed out on his hundred. Singh Dale and Tom Price bowled with vim at the end of the day and Bracey helped himself to seven catches. The sun even came out. Great stuff. Balance probably with Middlesex, but very nicely poised. Hope the weather allows it all to play out properly, though sadly I will have no opportunity for a return visit.

Am pondering taking this one in on Thursday if a tasty finish looks on.

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