County Championship: Yorkshire make strong return after winter Revolution | Sport

Yorkshire‘s first day at the office after a winter of angry finger-pointing revolution proved remarkably smooth. After the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal, the subsequent sacking of 16 staff, and the installation of a new management team, a gentle workout attracting no Headlines was all that was required.

But they did better than that, dismissing Gloucestershire for 227 despite a superb century from the Australian Marcus Harris. Matty Fisher grabbed four for 19 from 14.1 overs and, while Harris tucked into Haris Rauf with particular relish, Rauf Precipitated Gloucestershire’s late-afternoon Collapse with two wickets in two balls. The sun even came out for Adam Lyth and George Hill, with Lyth playing with particular panache.

Darren Gough was in pensive fashion speaking to the BBC. “I was shellshocked myself when I took over,” said the county’s interim director of Cricket. “I have never seen players as down. They had seen their friends sacked. Some of them had been at the club for a long time. They were upset. I understand that. They still have questions that they want answered. All those questions – are they going to drop us, are they going to dock points from us – do they just have to focus on what they can. ”

There was another day to forget for Somersetwhose brittle batting is disintegrated. Only Tom Lammonby passed 16, and he was dropped twice, the eventual total of 109 the second time they have been bowled out for less than 140 in successive innings. Simon Harmer, fresh from international duty with South Africa, took three of the last four wickets, including one in his first over. Sir Alastair Cook rubbed salt in the wound with an unbeaten half-century as Essex equalled Somerset’s total for the loss of only two wickets.

Ollie Pope continued his sweet early-season touch, with an unbeaten 113 at the Oval against Hampshire. Half-centuries from Ryan Patel and Hashim Amla also tucked useful runs into Surrey‘s purse, though Rory Burns was caught at second slip driving extravagantly for 21. Lancashire finished the first day of their season in fine fettle as Dane Vilas and Steven Croft made centuries. Vilas provided the bombast, Croft the running Stitch, in a fourth-wicket stand of 215 against Kent.

Derbyshire‘s Shan Masood batted his socks off, finishing with a career-best 201 not out, as Sussex‘s callow attack fell out of ideas at Derby. With two half-centuries in the opening match of the season, their head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, can be very pleased with his off-season browsing.

At the Riverside, David Bedingham and Sean Dickson dashed early Leicestershire hopes as they lifted Durham from the pits (34 for three) with a fourth-wicket partnership of 231. Dickson, who was playing only because Alex Lees was ruled out with a back injury, made 120 while Bedingham was unbeaten on 184 at stumps.

Ben Duckett’s 122 was the backbone of Nottinghamshire‘s 302 against Glamorgan, a Collapse of sorts from 258 for four. Duckett was dismayed to be caught and bowled off Marnus Labuschagne’s unusual brand of dibbly-dobblies.