Ben Foakes steadies ship for champions Surrey at Lancashire on opening day

Ben Foakes doesn’t slip comfortably into contemporary boxes. He stays away from social media and plays his game, his way. And on the first day of the Championship season, a bitter wind screaming across Old Trafford, he played a crucial innings as Surrey began their title defence against last year’s runners-up, Lancashire. His careful 76 spanned a partnership of 87 with Jamie Smith and 75 with Cameron Steel after an early Surrey wobble – Rory Burns, the season’s first wicket, affronted to be given out caught behind for one. Steel also played astutely and cutely to be unbeaten on 86 at stumps.

A stop-start opening day at Lord’s was still positive for Dan Lawrence. After two Tests as a drinks waiter in New Zealand he was back with a bat in hand, holding firm between the breaks to give Essex a promising early platform against Middlesex.

Striding out to the middle an hour into play after Alastair Cook (16) and Nick Browne (22) fell in the space of two balls, Lawrence was 74 not out off 153 balls when bad light had the final say at 5.10pm. The visitors closed on 162 for three from 56 overs, the third wicket falling shortly before the close as Tom Westley (48) skewed Toby Roland-Jones to backward point and ruefully slunk back to the pavilion.Lawrence might have left that winter tour believing that all-out aggression should now be his default but here he was content to absorb pressure, a stand of 121 with Westley built in the main on steadfast defence. It wasn’t until the final instalment of the day that he truly freed his arms, shimmying down to Roland-Jones to unfurl a handsome six over extra-cover and then drill the follow-up for four. Back in the top flight for the first time since 2017, Middlesex were served an early