Sussex impress with victory

Sussex's Richard Montgomerie batting against Kent at Hove

Champions Sussex got their defence of the LV County Championship First Division title off to the perfect start with an easy final-day victory over Kent.

The opening round of matches also saw wins for Durham and Yorkshire - for whom England pacemen Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard were in devastating form - while promotion favourites Nottinghamshire were the only victors in Division Two.

Sussex completed an eight-wicket win over Kent as they rattled off the 50 runs required at the start of play on Saturday.

After Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan had run through the visitors on Friday afternoon, Sussex resumed play on six without loss.

The departures of opener Carl Hopkinson (11) and Chris Nash (one), both to lbw decisions, were of little concern as Richard Montgomerie (33 not out) took his match run tally past 200, finishing alongside Murray Goodwin (seven not out).

Darren Gough took his first win as Yorkshire captain

New Yorkshire captain Darren Gough led his side to a 346-run thrashing of Surrey at the Brit Oval as his decision not to enforce the follow-on was well and truly vindicated.

After the Tykes had amassed a 250-run first-innings lead, the former England paceman opted to send out his batsmen for the second time as the home side were set an unlikely 517 to win.

Resuming on 47 for one overnight, Surrey's hopes of a draw were all but extinguished as they limped into lunch on 138 for seven - with Hoggard, who finished with 4-34, the chief assassin.

And Yorkshire wasted little time in sealing victory after the break as Gough - 3-50 for the innings - removed James Ormond for one, before Adil Rashid claimed the final two victims, Chris Schofield (11) and Nayan Doshi (15).

The young spinner finished with impressive figures of 7-169 for the match.

A Steve Harmison-inspired Durham completed a demolition of Worcestershire by 241 runs in their opening Division One fixture.

The England fast bowler began his rehabilitation from the Ashes debacle in Australia by completing a five-for and match figures of 8-115, as newly-promoted Worcestershire subsided for 297 in their second innings.

After Harmison had done for Gareth Batty (47), Callum Thorpe polished off the home resistance with the final three wickets before lunch as Worcestershire added only 46 runs to their overnight total of 251 for six.

Lancashire's Mal Loye went to a hundred © Getty Images

In the division’s only draw, England batsman Mal Loye struck a fluent century as Lancashire comfortably held on to deny Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The Bears declared before lunch on 189 for seven to set last year's runners-up a near-impossible 347 to win.

Alex Loudon accounted for Iain Sutcliffe (nine) and Mark Chilton (14) early on, but Loye (105no) and Stuart Law (38) erased any doubts to leave Paul Horton the other man standing at the close on eight.

In Division Two, favourites Nottinghamshire wrapped up a convincing nine-wicket victory over Leicestershire after a devastating new-ball spell from Ryan Sidebottom.

The 29-year-old picked up 3-18 in five overs to finish off Leicestershire’s second innings for 311, with Notts knocking off the 111 runs required in 26.3 overs.

Jason Gallian added 37 to his first-innings knock of 150 before he was caught off Claude Henderson, but Bilal Shafayat’s unbeaten 41 and Mark Wagh (30no) finished off the job before tea.

Justin Langer's marathon innings for Somerset was soon ended by Middlesex on the final day at Taunton as the match finished in a record-breaking draw.

The hosts’ skipper was eventually out for 315 and Peter Trego claimed 130 as his side declared on 850 for seven - a first-innings lead of 247.

In accruing their massive total, Somerset set new bests for their highest score at Taunton, the highest score by any team at the County Ground and the highest score for any team in a match in which they have been involved.

Middlesex lost Ben Hutton (10) and Nick Compton (15) in close succession, but Owais Shah (72no) and Ed Smith (103no) steadied the ship to take the visitors to 209 for two at the close.

A draw was also the result at Chelmsford where Essex reached 131 for three in pursuit of 376 against Derbyshire.

The visitors added 91 to their overnight 140 and lost a further two wickets before declaring on 231 for three, with captain Simon Katich making an unbeaten 88.

Alastair Cook (21) and Mark Pettini (two) went early in Essex’s impossible chase, but Varun Chopra’s 69 and unbeaten efforts from Ronnie Irani (28) and James Foster (four) saw the hosts to a share of the spoils.