The new Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast raced to the first century of the new campaign, as his side did just as Northeast had promised pre-season and played a “front-foot style of cricket” gulping down the batting points in the process. Northeast’s 186 not out was done in accompaniment with 67 from Billy Root, opening the batting in the absence of Eddie Byrom, and a stylish 77 from Kiran Carlson. The first day of Middlesex’s return to the Second Division was not a cheerful one, especially after they won the toss and chose to have a bowl with the Kookaburra ball being used for this round and which, true to form, didn’t give any bowlers round the grounds much help.
At Trent Bridge, Dean Elgar and Jordan Cox, Essex’s replacements for Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence, held the scorecard together as their middle order collapsed around them against Nottinghamshire. Both the new signings were out in the 80s, while no-one else made more than 18. Dane Paterson, who only flew in from South Africa on Wednesday, picked up the first five-fer of the summer, pocketing five for 49 and Essex were 244for nine when bad light stopped play.
