Live: Rothesay County Championship – Durham v Yorkshire Men, Day 1

That’s it for the day.

Yorkshire will be pretty chuffed with their day’s work there. We will have reaction shortly.

The umpires have taken the players off, and that could be it for the day. Bess 57, Sears 0.

Jordan Thompson caught Alex Lees bowled Ben Raine, 0.

Two in two balls. Thompson picks out mid-off. Ben Sears in now alongside Dom Bess on 57.

George Hill caught Colin Ackermann bowled Ben Raine, 64.

Durham strike immediately with the new ball. A low catch was adjudicated on by the umpires after Hill stood his ground, but a superb stand of 105 with Dom Bess 57 comes to an end. Jordan Thompson in now.

Dom Bess reaches his fifty off 62 balls with 8x4s and 1x6s. This has been a fabulous first half of the evening for Yorkshire, who are 285-6 now. George Hill 60.

George Hill reaches his fifty off 71 balls – Yorkshire 250-6 and a batting point secured.

This evening session is swinging the way Yorkshire’s day. Hill 50 and Dom Bess 28.

There is a suggestion in the press box that the rain is quite close to us now. 5pm was mentioned a moment or two ago.

Yorkshire, meanwhile, have started this session encouragingly. They are 233-6 in the 70th over, with Bess 26 and Hill 40.

Yorkshire have moved to 214-6 in the early stages of the evening session. George Hill has 36 and Dom Bess 11.

Hill drove the first ball of the evening for four down the ground off Potts.

Four wickets in the session and things continue to advance evenly.

George Hill 31 and Dom Bess 11.

Matthew Revis caught Colin Ackermann bowled Will Rhodes, 7.

Ackermann dropped Wharton earlier on, but he holds on this time to get rid of Yorkshire’s returning all-rounder.

Dom Bess in now alongside George Hill, who has 27.

James Wharton caught Ben McKinney bowled Brendan Doggett, 69.

Oh no. Wharton pulls out to deep mid-wicket, and the Australian has a fourth wicket.

An impressive innings ends in frustration. Matthew Revis in now alongside George Hill, who has 10.

Jonny Bairstow lbw Ben Raine, 22.

Bairstow falls just as Yorkshire were looking to push on. George Hill in now, alongside Wharton, who has 51.

The last five minutes have been dominated by Jonny Bairstow, with him hitting five fours in six balls against Matthew Potts, but Wharton has just driven the under-fire England seamer to the cover boundary to reach his fifty off 85 balls with 10x4s. Superb.

Yorkshire have moved to 137-3 after 46 overs.

The umpires have decided to change the ball following a request from Alex Lees, but the new one immediately disappears to the cover boundary off the blade of Jonny Bairstow against Matthew Potts.

And two more have followed. One viciously pulled and the other driven straight of mid-off. After a calm start, Bairstow is up and running. He has 13 out of 120-3 in the 44th over. James Wharton has 43.

As I type, Bairstow has just clattered another boundary. So that’s him to 17 out of 124-3 after 44. Four boundaries in the over.

Excuse me umpire, can we have our ball back please?

James Wharton has moved to 43 out of 107-3 from 40 overs. He’s looked in good order.

It’s raining at Utilita Bowl, where Somerset are 94-6 against Hampshire, and also at Edgbaston and Emirates Old Trafford.

Warwickshire are 34-2 against Nottinghamshire, while Lancashire are 61-3 against Leicestershire.

Dawid Malan caught Will Rhodes bowled Brendan Doggett, 18.

Malan has been caught at first slip, giving the Australian his third wicket.

Jonny Bairstow in now alongside James Wharton, who has 28.

Three boundaries in a row for James Wharton against Paul Coughlin, the first scorched straight down the ground, the second flicked to long-leg and the third edged wide of the slips. He has 28 out of 92-2 in the 34th.

The floodlights remain on, and there is some suggestion that we’re due a bit of wet weather later on, maybe around 6pm time. Fingers crossed, not.

It’s been a very even session, though maybe Yorkshire marginally the happier having been inserted.

Adam Lyth and Fin Bean were the morning wickets, both falling to Brendan Doggett in the same over.

James Wharton has 14 and Dawid Malan 17.

Both sides will be reasonably satisfied with how the morning has played out. Yorkshire saw off the new ball, and a partnership here between Dawid Malan 13 and James Wharton 10 will leave them in really good shape.

Durham weren’t great immediately with the new ball but have improved.

The floodlights are on here at the Riverside. One of the photographers has just come into the press box and said that it’s raining, though only very lightly.

Fin Bean lbw Brendan Doggett, 15.

Bean is trapped in front, playing back.

Dawid Malan is in now alongside James Wharton, who has 1.

Adam Lyth caught Graham Clark bowled Brendan Doggett, 28.

Lyth miscues a pull at the Australian seamer to square-leg, where Clark holds on going to his left.

James Wharton is in now alongside Fin Bean, who has 15.

Yorkshire are 43-0 in the 17th over.

The ball is definitely swinging, but Durham’s bowlers haven’t really made it pay.

Adam Lyth 28 and Fin Bean 15.

Matthew Potts has just completed his fourth over, alongside new ball partner Ben Raine.

They haven’t really tested Yorkshire too much so far. Adam Lyth has 14 and Fin Bean 6.

Adam Lyth found the boundary in the opening over, square-driving Ben Raine. Yorkshire 6-0 after four overs.

The ECB Reporters Network have compiled team-by-team previews for this summer’s Rothesay County Championship.

Here’s everything you need to know about Durham.

DURHAM

Previewed by Graham Hardcastle – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Captain: Alex Lees

Head Coach: Ryan Campbell

2024 finish: Fifth (Division One)

2024 highest run-scorer: David Bedingham (1,331)

2024 highest wicket-taker: Matthew Potts (33)

Key winter moves: Experienced Australia A seamer Brendan Doggett has signed an overseas deal for the first two months of the season, supplementing prolific South African batter David Bedingham, who is available all summer aside from any Test Match commitments. Scotland batter Michael Jones has moved to birth-county Lancashire, but three domestic recruits have arrived in the North East; opening batter Emilio Gay, all-rounder Will Rhodes and fast bowler Sam Conners.

What we’re looking forward to seeing: After winning Division Two in 2023, Durham consolidated their top-flight position last season by finishing mid-table courtesy of four wins and five draws. Can they kick on now and give champions Surrey something to think about? England Test captain Ben Stokes, currently sidelined following hamstring surgery, could return to county colours during the early stages of the summer as he builds up to blockbuster series against India and Australia this year.

Final thought: It will be fascinating to chart the progress of three highly-rated homegrown youngsters as they tackle a summer in which Alex Lees will captain Durham’s Championship team alongside their white-ball sides. Opening batter Ben McKinney scored an England Lions century against Australia A this winter and is targeting a breakthrough campaign, while fast bowlers Daniel Hogg and James Minto can further progress after brief – and exciting – exposure in last summer’s Rothesay County Championship.

Picture by Getty Images. Brendan Doggett.

Alex Lees has opted to have a bowl first here at the Riverside.

So much for the locals saying it would be flat, hey!!

Yorkshire make two changes from last week’s win over Worcestershire. Ben Sears and Matthew Revis in for Ben Coad and Will Luxton.

Yorkshire: Lyth, Bean, Wharton, Malan, Bairstow c&w, Hill, Bess, Revis, Thompson, Sears, White.

Just looking down both squad lists for this fixture, it’s interesting that Adam Lyth is the only member of Yorkshire’s current squad who was part of the back-to-back County Championship titles successes of 2014 and then 2015.

Durham’s squad for this fixture includes captain Alex Lees and all-rounder Will Rhodes – both Yorkshire-born players – who were also part of that White Rose success.

There is a definite green tinge to the pitch, as you can see to the right of the above photo, but the locals assure me that it’s normal for them to have that appearance but be flat.

That’s exactly what happened last week against Warwickshire, apparently.

Good morning from Chester-le-Street, or the Banks Homes Riverside, as this ground is now known.

It’s a dry and overcast North East morning ahead of day one of our third round Rothesay County Championship fixture, this one coming against a Durham side who have lost both of their opening games.

Captain Alex Lees and co were beaten at Nottinghamshire in round one and then were on the wrong end of a thriller against Warwickshire at the Riverside last weekend.

The Bears won by one wicket chasing 339 during Monday’s final day. They had fallen to 295-8 and 324-9 but got home.

This fixture will see New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears make his Yorkshire debut. He will come into the side in place of Ben Coad, who has been rested.

The White Rose management have opted to give the new-ball seamer an extended break – there’s a week free of action after this fixture – in order for him to be fresh ahead the final four games of this opening block of Championship cricket.

Like Sears, Matthew Revis is also in a match day squad for the first time this season. He is in the 13 having fully recovered from the back stress fracture he suffered during the latter stages of last summer.

We are all set for an 11am start.