James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, two England Test  fast bowlers of recent pedigree pensioned off against their wishes,  completed five-wicket hauls on their debuts as permanent championship captains for Lancashire and Sussex respectively. 

Although Anderson’s performance at Northampton will not have any impact on England’s selectors, as he was cajoled into retirement from international cricket  in 2024, Robinson’s haul against newly promoted Leicestershire could form the start of a case for his rehabilitation, although there remains much work to be done. 

Robinson has been in the wilderness for two years but with England making it clear after their drubbing in Australia that they are receptive to anyone making a case for selection by dint of championship runs and wickets, there now appears to be a path back for him. 

In his case, though, he will have to persuade the powers-that-be that his attitude and fitness are better than they were when he last featured in India two winters ago. His winter request to Sussex to bestow on him the red-ball captaincy was connected to a desire to show he had turned over a new leaf. 

Robinson shared all ten wickets at a blustery Grace Road with Henry Crocombe as Leicestershire were dismissed for 245, giving Sussex a lead of 116. Robinson claimed five for 42 and Crocombe a career-best five for 33. Robinson’s haul included the wicket of Australia batsman Jake Weatherald, bowled off a bottom edge for 83, and it was this scalp that he celebrated most. 

Robinson’s fifth wicket arrived at 3.30pm, 15 minutes after Anderson, 43, had captured his fifth at Wantage Road, when he bowled Louis Kimber, also off an inside edge.

 Anderson’s first four wickets came in short order before lunch in what were ideal bowling conditions, with skies overcast, the floodlights on and ball darting around in classic fashion. 

Anderson’s first ball was slung down the leg side in unbecoming fashion but he got a spring into his step once he found his range. His admission at Lancashire’s media day that “there are times when I wake up and struggle to walk to the toilet, and think maybe I can’t get another year out of my body”, must have seemed a distant memory. 

His first wicket was ambiguous, Calvin Harrison  making it clear he did not think he had made contact through to the wicketkeeper, an opinion hardly scotched by replays, but his other victims could have no complaints, other than facing Anderson on such a day is well nigh impossible. The slips supported their captain with three catches but Harry Singh spilled a chance to remove Australian Nathan McSweeney for a first-ball duck. 

This was Anderson’s 56th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, 22 years after his first. Bad light thwarted Lancashire’s attempts to wrap up the Northamptonshire innings, which ended on 215 for nine, 169 in arrears. 

Sam Cook, another new-ball bowler looking for an England recall, struck twice in three overs as Essex dominated Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl.  

Cook bowled Nick Gubbins third ball shouldering arms, then had Joe Weatherley caught behind. Matt Critchley scored a career-best 173 in Essex’s 461 for seven.

Matthew Potts took three for 45 as Durham dismissed struggling Kent for 197, and another England aspirant Dillon Pennington took five for 65 for Nottinghamshire at Taunton. 

Martin Andersson scored 228, the season’s first double-century, as Derbyshire racked up 625 for eight declared against Worcestershire, and Leus du Plooy’s 182 paved the way to Middlesex declaring on 445 for nine before Toby Roland-Jones struck three times against Gloucestershire.

Surrey laboured as Warwickshire ran up 330 for two, with England Lion Dan Mousley scoring a maiden hundred for his county.