Simon Burnton"s county roundup Hampshire’s James Vince and Tom Westley of Essex became the season’s first double-centurions on the second day of the County Championship season, both captains steering their sides to commanding first-innings totals in very different styles. Vince’s swashbuckling 231 came off just 220 balls, with 38 boundaries including a pair of sixes. He put on 224 with Tom Alsop for the fourth wicket and 194 with Liam Dawson for the fifth before he was finally caught behind off the bowling of Callum Parkinson, and he declared his team’s innings shortly afterwards for 612-5. There was still time for a bit more brutal run-scoring, though: Dawson faced 16 deliveries between Vince’s departure and the declaration, from which he scored precisely 50 runs including five sixes, all off Parkinson, to finish unbeaten on 152 off 139. Though Vince’s higher total will steal the headlines Dawson’s innings capped a remarkable return to first-team cricket, his highest score for six years coming eight months to the day after he sustained a serious achilles injury during a game against Middlesex at Radlett. “I’ve had some dark days over the winter,” he said last week, “times when I’ve wondered whether it’s going to heal and if I would be able to get back to normal.” His first innings back surely exceeded even his most optimistic ambitions, and though he couldn’t complete the fairytale with a clatter of wickets he caught both Hassan Azad and Mohammad Abbas as Leicestershire finished on 154-4, still 461 runs behind. Westley meanwhile scored a more pedestrian 213 off 408 deliveries at Chelmsford, as the 2017 and 2019 champions, and winners of last summer’s Bob Willis Trophy, opened their defence of the title in style against Worcestershire, although they were so unhurried about compiling their 490-9 declared that they may well need the rain forecast for Saturday to hold off if they are to get a result, though Sam Cook took three wickets in five balls late in the day to leave the visitors on 43-3. On a fine day for batting captains, Sussex, 291-9 overnight, managed to limp on until a third batting point had been safely banked and then made promising inroads into the Lancashire line-up only for Dane Vilas to get in the way. From 41-3 he put on 91 for the fourth wicket with Alex Davies (61) and then 125 for the fifth with Rob Jones (58), and was still unbeaten at stumps with his side 339-5 and leading by 38. Somerset, runners-up in each of the last three summers, fought their way back into their match against Middlesex at Lord’s after finding themselves in dismal positions at 17-4 and then 89-9, in response to the home side’s 313. But Jack Leach has something of a reputation for inconvenient last-wicket stands and he and Marchant de Lange added 74 to avoid the follow-on, with the England spinner hitting a couple of textbook cover drives and his South African partner doing some unabashed power hitting to score 51 off 50 balls before missing a straight one from Martin Andersson. They still trailed by 141, however, and despite the rapid loss of both openers Nick Gubbins and Steve Eskinazi dug in with an unbroken 73-run stand to leave Middlesex on 87-2 and ahead by 228. Yorkshire also flirted with a follow-on against Glamorgan at Headingley, a match that pits Joe Root against his brother Billy. Dom Bess scored an unbeaten 38 to help them avoid that humiliation by 13 runs and with Glamorgan at 68-4 in their second innings all options are open. Darren Stevens, whose debut first-class ton was scored in a different century and who celebrates his 45th birthday later this month, started his campaign with a hundred for Kent, helping his side to 455 against Northamptonshire, who were 91-1 in reply at close of play. I am about to be frogmarched out of my box at Lord’s, so this is farewell from me. Here are the scores on the doors, with play still ongoing only at Headingley and Leicester Group One Chelmsford: Worcestershire are 43-3 in their first innings, in response to Essex’s 490-9 declared. Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire are 165-7 in reply to Durham’s first-innings total of 330. Edgbaston: Warwickshire are 169-5 in their first innings, in reply to Derbyshire’s 189. Group Two Lord’s: Middlesex are 87-2 in their second innings, and lead by 228. Leicester: Leicestershire are 133-4 in response to Hampshire’s total of 612-5 declared. Bristol: Gloucestershire are 311-8 in reply to Surrey’s first-innings total of 220. Group Three Northampton: Northamptonshire are 43 without loss in reply to Kent’s 455. Old Trafford: Lancashire are 339-5 in reply to Sussex’s 301. Headingley: Glamorgan are 68-4 in their second innings, and lead Yorkshire by 205. It’s certainly a wonderful world for Sam Cook at Chelmsford, where he has taken three wickets in five balls to leave Worcestershire on 32-3 and in a whole heap of trouble, trailing as they do by 449. It’s actually just bad light stopping play at Lord’s, though I’m not sure it’s likely to get any brighter. It’s also all over at Edgbaston, where Warwickshire trail by 20 with five first-innings wickets remaining. Derbyshire’s two biggest scores were 63 (from Luis Reece) and 64 (Matt Critchley), and Warwickshire’s are 40 (Robert Yates) and 41 (Matthew Lamb). It’s stumps here at Lord’s, where Nick Gubbins and Stevie Eskinazi have slowed Somerset’s comeback with an unbroken partnership of 73. Middlesex are 87-2 in their second innings and lead by 228. Dane Vilas, who came in with Lancashire reeling gently at 41-3, has just scored his 150th run with the team 327-5 and holding a 26-run lead over Sussex. Rob Jones, who missed out on a half-century klaxon due to an administrative oversight, was out for 58 and with Luke Wood alongside him it seems Vilas is now giving it some welly, with four runs off his last nine balls as I type. We’ve had competing brothers already today, with the Roots in action at Headingley, but at Bristol Jack and Matt Taylor are now in the middle for Gloucestershire, with the score on 283-8, a lead over Surrey of 63 and rising. Half-century klaxon! Ricardo Vasconcelos has a 45-ball 52 to his name for Northamptonshire against Kent. Darren Stevens had the best strike rate in the Kent innings with 86.56, but Vasconcelos is rumbling along at 114.89. At 91-1, though, Northants are still 364 runs behind. A few scores on the doors: Essex declared on 490-9 and Worcestershire have chipped one off that in reply. Middlesex are 60-2 in their second innings, a lead of 201 on Somerset. And Gloucestershire are now 59 runs to the good against Surrey, with four first-innings wickets remaining. Tom Westley has finally fallen, out for 213 as Essex pile it on against Worcestershire at Chelmsford. They’re currently 467-7, with Adam Wheater still there on 78. Yorkshire are all out, Dom Bess unbeaten on 38 in their 193, a deficit of 137 on Glamorgan. I’m going to tiptoe gently away from the blog for a while to craft a roundup for tomorrow’s paper (and online soon after close of play). Either myself or one of my fine colleagues will pop in to update on major events, but do keep dancing below the line. TEA Time for a brief breather, and here’s a teatimely update on the scores: Group One Chelmsford: Essex are 439-5 in their first innings against Worcestershire. Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire are 66-4 in reply to Durham’s first-innings total of 330. Edgbaston: Warwickshire are 125-5 in their first innings, in reply to Derbyshire’s 189. Group Two Lord’s: Somerset have been dismissed for 172 in reply to Middlesex’s first-innings total of 313. Leicester: Leicestershire are 45-1 in response to Hampshire’s total of 612-5 declared. Bristol: Gloucestershire are 244-5 in reply to Surrey’s first-innings total of 220. Group Three Northampton: Northamptonshire are 43 without loss in reply to Kent’s 455. Old Trafford: Lancashire are 204-4 in reply to Sussex’s 301. Headingley: Yorkshire are 176-9 in reply to Glamorgan’s first-innings total of 330. Half-century followed by wicket klaxon! Marchant de Lange reaches his half-century and is immediately bowled by Martin Andersson, heaving and missing. He got a 50-ball 51, Somerset are all out for 172, and trail by 141. Double century klaxon! Tom Westley is the season’s latest double-centurion, the Essex captain guiding his side to 435-5 against Worcestershire, with Adam Wheater on 61 alongside him. Only one Essex batsman has failed to get at least 20, and that’s Alastair Cook. There will be no follow-on at Lord’s, where Machant de Lange has just launched the ball into the stands to take Somerset’s score to 168-9. They trail by 145. Jamie McIlroy is making his first class debut for Glamorgan at 26, and has just got his first wicket, in the shape of Yorkshire’s Matthew Fisher. Lovely cover drive there from Jack Leach! That’s really very nice. Somerset’s last pair are making a nuisance of themselves, and have put on 45 so far. It’s 134-9 here at Lord’s, and they trail by 179. At Lord’s Marchant de Lange now has 25 from 25, making him Somerset’s highest scorer and just one away from being the second highest scorer of the match (but still 141 away from top spot). Gary Naylor is watching Lancashire v Sussex: “Alex Davies, going well with Lanky’s captain, Dane Vilas, given out LBW by Neil Bainton for 61, giving Sean Hunt a wicket on debut,” he reports. “Left arm round, the ball looked both high and legside to me and I suspect Davies would agree. The Sussex teenager is showing plenty of potential and, if he can win appeals from that angle consistently, he’ll be the next Wasim Akram. But I’m not sure that he will.” Does anyone else find that Somerset’s Marchant de Lange reminds them of He’s So Fine by the Chiffons? If not, he really should. Half-century klaxon! Alex Davies has passed 50 for Lancashire at Old Trafford, and Dane Vilas isn’t far behind on 44. They’re 127-3 now, in reply to Sussex’s 301. Another couple of Somerset wickets have fallen, and they’re now 89-9 at Lord’s. Tim Murtagh got the latest, his fourth, hitting the top of Josh Davey’s off stump with a cracking delivery. This has obviously been a very poor start to the season for Somerset but on the plus side I thought my chance to watch Tom Lammonby was over when he was given out for five, but I might yet get another. It is of course Liam Dawson’s first game back after a horrible achilles injury sustained playing against Middlesex last year, and it sounds like the rehab process has been long and draining. It’s worth reading this interview with him in The Cricketer last week. “I just want to be fit and able to play, do well for Hampshire and get back to playing cricket,” he says. “It’s been a long time and I’ve missed it.” Bloody well done, Liam. Liam Dawson faced 16 deliveries between James Vince’s dismissal and the end of Hampshire’s innings, and scored precisely 50 runs. 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