England batsmen struggle as County Championship day-night games get under way

England’s batsmen struggled to adapt to the pink ball as 96 wickets tumbled during the first round of day-night cricket in the County Championship.

Ben Stokes, Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings, all of whom will be hoping to be named in England’s Test squad, were dismissed cheaply on the opening day as bowlers prospered.

England are set to play in their first day-night Test later this summer against West Indies, prompting a round of championship fixtures to be organised to give players the opportunity to experience the pink ball.

However Stokes, Hameed and Jennings all failed with the bat, while Jos Buttler and Mark Stoneman also failed to push their names forward for selection.

Stokes did not score on his return for Durham, nicking behind without scoring, and team-mate Jennings managed just six before he was bowled as the north-east county were bowled out for 197 – despite having been reduced to 18 for five early on against the new ball.

Mark Wood hit back, taking three wickets as Worcestershire finished on 213 for four, with Moeen Ali unbeaten on 36 and Brett D’Oliveira on 91 as the visitors claimed a first-day lead of 16.

Hameed’s desperate run of form continued after he edged to slip for a battling 17, but his England colleague James Anderson struck before stumps to leave Warwickshire 23 for one.

Stoneman will be looking to displace Hameed at the top of the order against South Africa, and he made a positive start against Yorkshire at Headingley before Ben Coad had him caught behind for 30.

Fresh from a Twenty20 win against South Africa, Jason Roy looked in fine form as he gave Yorkshire the runaround with a 91-ball 87 before being adjudged lbw, while Rory Burns (90) and Kumar Sangakkara (82 not out) saw Surrey through to an imposing 374 for six at the close.

Adil Rashid proved expensive as he was targeted by Roy and Sangakkara, while Test captain Joe Root also turned his arm over for the hosts.

Elsewhere in Division One, Alastair Cook proved to have no problems with the pink ball as he coasted to an unbeaten 64 on the first day against champions Middlesex.

Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir, making his debut for league leaders Essex, made an instant impact in dismissing Nick Gubbins and finished with two for 53 but it was Simon Harmer who starred with five wickets as Middlesex were dismissed for 246.

Dawid Malan impressed with 60 while Stevie Eskinazi (66) and Paul Stirling (77) were also in good form before Essex reached 106 without loss in reply.

In Division Two Ben Duckett came back into form with his first century of the summer before a late collapse saw Northamptonshire bowled out for 261 by Leicestershire.

Duckett hit a sparkling 102-ball 112, while Max Holden added 92 before four wickets fell for one run as the innings subsided, with Dieter Klein claiming six for 80.

The Northants bowlers enjoyed the late evening conditions however, leaving the Foxes 65 for four at the close.

Leaders Nottinghamshire took full advantage of the new ball by reducing Kent to six for three early on at Trent Bridge.

Australia international James Pattinson was the chief destroyer with three for 30, but Daniel Bell-Drummond showed his burgeoning talents by carrying his bat for 84 not out as the visitors were skittled for 180.

Steven Mullaney, who also claimed three wickets, was unbeaten on 63 at the close as he and Alex Hales cemented Nottinghamshire’s strong start to the match, finishing 45 runs behind on 135 for three.

Luke Wright made a quickfire 118 and was well supported by new captain Ben Brown (52) and Chris Jordan (50), but Gloucestershire’s openers were untroubled on 31 without loss at stumps.