Cricket: 2011 County Championship Division 1, Round 1

Lancashire and Yorkshire got off to winning starts in the opening round of the 2011 LV County Championship, while Durham and Hampshire played out a draw.

Lancashire hammered Sussex by an innings and 55 runs at Liverpool. A home game as Old Trafford is under development and will only stage one County Championship match this season.

Joe Gatting (90) and Ed Joyce (84) provided most of the runs in Sussex's first innings total of 243. Glen Chapple was the best bowler with 5-68.

Karl Brown (114) celebrated his maiden championship century and he was ably supported by Mark Chilton (87), Steven Croft (64), Gareth Cross (63) and Tom Smith (60).

Monty Panesar was the pick of the away side's bowlers with 4-105 and Amjad Khan took 3-94.

Sussex collapsed from 152-3 to 174 all out as Chapple (4-49) and Gary Keedy (5-41) ripped through the line-up to give the Red Rose county victory by an innings and 55 runs.

Yorkshire are second after a thumping nine-wicket win against Worcestershire at New Road.

No. 10 Matt Mason top scored with 63 from 54 balls, while Daryl Mitchell and Gareth Andrew both made 49 in a total of 286.

Adil Rashid was the stand out bowler with 6-77.

Yorkshire recovered from 155-7 to amass 368 thanks to Gerard Brophy's 177 not out and Ryan Sidebottom's 61. Matt Mason (3-72) and Damien Wright (3-79) were among the wicket takers for the home side.

Worcestershire then collapsed from 102-3 to 137 all out, Alexei Kervezee's 52 the only innings of note as Rashid again tormented the batsmen with figures of 5-37.

Yorkshire knocked off the 56 runs they needed for the loss of only one wicket to get their campaign under way with a victory.

Durham and Hampshire played out a draw at the Rose Bowl, with worrying news for Hampshire as Simon Jones pulled up injured while bowling in the second innings.

Durham batted first and compiled 473, Dale Benkenstein top-scoring with 118, Phil Mustard (68), Gordon Muchall (62), Ian Blackwell (62) and Mark Stoneman (51) all made half-centuries. 

Danny Briggs was the pick of the bowlers with 5-129.

Hampshire recovered from losing Jimmy Adams first ball and their last four wickets for two runs to make 294 thanks to Neil McKenzie's 75. Ben Stokes's 6-68 was expensive but did the damage.

Durham declared on 310-3 as Stokes smashed 135 not out from 145 balls and Benkenstein made 55 not out as they chased victory.

But Hampshire batted better second time around to reach 345-5 chasing 490 before the match was ended as a draw. A Jimmy Adams century (105) saw Hampshire safe, despite the best efforts of Ian Blackwell (2-50).

Current holders Nottinghamshire start their defence at home to Hampshire on April 14, Somerset face Warwickshire and Yorkshire play Durham in the next round of fixtures.