2026 County Championship Cricket tournament
Cricket tournament
The 2026 County Championship , known for sponsorship reasons as the Rothesay County Championship 2026 , was the 126th cricket County Championship season in England and Wales. As in 2025, Division One had ten teams and Division Two had eight teams. The season began on 3 April and ended on 27 September 2026. Nottinghamshire were the defending champions. Warwickshire won the title for the ninth time in the club's history.
Teams
The teams were split based on the finishing positions in the 2025 season . The following teams will take part in the County Championship .
Division One teams
Team
Primary home ground
Captain
Coach
Essex County Ground , Chelmsford Tom Westley Chris Silverwood
Glamorgan Sophia Gardens , Cardiff Kiran Carlson Richard Dawson
Hampshire Rose Bowl , Southampton Ben Brown Russell Domingo
Leicestershire Grace Road , Leicester Ian Holland Alfonso Thomas
Nottinghamshire Trent Bridge , Nottingham Haseeb Hameed Peter Moores
Somerset County Ground , Taunton Lewis Gregory Jason Kerr
Surrey The Oval , London Rory Burns Gareth Batty
Sussex County Ground , Hove Ollie Robinson Paul Farbrace
Warwickshire Edgbaston , Birmingham Ed Barnard Ian Westwood
Yorkshire Headingley , Leeds Jonny Bairstow Anthony McGrath
Division Two teams
Standings
Division One
Sussex were deducted 12 points after agreeing to a financial support package from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Leicestershire were deducted 27 points for a breach of ECB pitch regulations in their game against Glamorgan in August. Division One fixtures
April
Warwickshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Warwickshire 16, Surrey 11
Hampshire won the toss and elected field.
Ben Mayes (Hampshire) made his first-class debut.Noah Thain replaced Tom Westley as an injury substitute for Essex.Points: Essex 22, Hampshire 2
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible before lunch and only 36 overs of play was possible on day 1 due to rain and wet outfield.
Will Luxton replaced Jonny Bairstow as an injury substitute for Yorkshire.Points: Glamorgan 12, Yorkshire 10
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Ian Holland (Leicestershire) took his 150th wicket in first-class cricket.Points: Sussex 22, Leicestershire 3
Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Somerset 13, Nottinghamshire 13
Warwickshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Sussex 19, Warwickshire 4
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Leicestershire 15, Surrey 14.
Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Somerset 20, Hampshire 3.
Essex won the toss and elected to field.
Only 35.4 overs of play were possible on day 1 due to rain and a wet outfield.
Points: Warwickshire 19, Essex 3.
Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Warwickshire 16, Nottinghamshire 11.
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Sussex 13, Yorkshire 13.
Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Surrey 12, Essex 12.
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Leicestershire 14, Glamorgan 12.
May
Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible after tea on day 2 due to rain and wet outfield.
Adam Thomas (Surrey) made his first-class debut.Adam Thomas scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.
Points: Surrey 22, Sussex 4.
Hampshire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible for most of the period after tea on day 2 due to rain and wet outfield.
Zain-ul-Hassan (Glamorgan) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.Kiran Carlson (Glamorgan) scored his maiden double hundred in first-class cricket.Points: Glamorgan 23, Hampshire 1.
Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible for most of the period after lunch on day 2 due to rain and wet outfield.
Josh Thomas (Somerset) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.Points: Yorkshire 19, Somerset 4.
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Tom Scriven replaced Josh Davey and James Hayes replaced Brett Hutton as an injury substitute for Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire respectively.Points: Nottinghamshire 23, Leicestershire 4.
Essex won the toss and elected to field.
The match was scheduled for four days but completed in three.
Points: Essex 20, Hampshire 3.
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Warwickshire 19, Yorkshire 3.
Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
Gus Atkinson replaced Reece Topley as an injury substitute for Surrey.Points: Nottinghamshire 15, Surrey 15.
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field.
Tom Norton (Glamorgan) made his first-class debut.Points: Glamorgan 19, Somerset 6.
Sussex won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Sussex 23, Leicestershire 5.
Essex won the toss and elected to field.
Nick Kelly replaced Jake Weatherald as an injury substitute for Leicestershire.The match was scheduled for four days but completed in three.
Points: Essex 20, Leicestershire 5.
Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to field.
Sam Seecharan (Nottinghamshire) made his first-class debut.Sam Seecharan replaced Freddie McCann as an injury substitute for Nottinghamshire.Points: Hampshire 11, Nottinghamshire 11
Warwickshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Glamorgan 14, Warwickshire 12
Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Yorkshire 23, Surrey 2.
Somerset won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Somerset 15, Sussex 10
June
Hampshire won the toss and elected to field.
Only 24.4 overs of play were possible on day 2 due to rain and a wet outfield.
Dan Lawrence (Surrey) scored his maiden double hundred in first-class cricket.Points: Surrey 15, Hampshire 13
Warwickshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Yorkshire 16, Warwickshire 12
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Sheridon Gumbs (Leicestershire) made his first-class debut.Michael Pepper replaced Jordan Cox for Essex on day 3 due to an international call-upPoints: Essex 23, Leicestershire 3
Nottinghamshire won the toss and elected to field.
Jake Ball replaced Lewis Gregory as an injury substitute for Somerset.Thomas Rew (Somerset) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.Points: Somerset 21, Nottinghamshire 3
Essex won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Nottinghamshire 22, Essex 2
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Leicestershire 23, Yorkshire 2
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bat
Tom Lawes replaced Gus Atkinson for Surrey on day 3 due to an international call-up.Mason Crane (Glamorgan) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.Points: Glamorgan 22, Surrey 2
Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Hampshire 19, Sussex 3
Somerset won the toss and elected to bat
Alfie Ogborne replaced Migael Pretorius as an injury substitute for Somerset.Points: Warwickshire 13, Somerset 11
August
Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
Ben Martindale (Nottinghamshire) made his first-class debut.Josh Blake replaced Ryan Patel as an injury substitute for Surrey.Points: Nottinghamshire 19, Surrey 3
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Leicestershire 19, Glamorgan 3
Essex won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Somerset 22, Essex 2
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire) made his first-class debut.Points: Yorkshire 19, Hampshire 3
Warwickshire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 1 and 3 due to rain.
Points: Nottinghamshire 13, Warwickshire 10
Essex won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
Nikhil Gorantla (Surrey) made his first-class debut.Sam Cook replaced Charlie Bennett and Ollie Pope replaced Nikhil Gorantla on day 1 after returning from international duty for Essex and Surrey respectively.Points: Essex 12, Surrey 11
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 4 due to rain.
Points: Leicestershire 11, Yorkshire 9
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field.
Sonny Baker replaced Scott Currie on day 1 after returning from international duty for Hampshire.Points: Glamorgan 11, Hampshire 11
Sussex won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
Jake Ball replaced Josh Shaw as a substitute for Somerset due to a significant life event.Points: Sussex 12, Somerset 11
September
Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Surrey 19, Yorkshire 3
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Tom Giles (Nottinghamshire) made his first-class debut.Tom Giles replaced Brett Hutton as an injury substitute for Nottinghamshire.Points: Nottinghamshire 15, Leicestershire 11
Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
Connor O'Riordan (Glamorgan) made his first-class debut.Points: Somerset 23, Glamorgan 3
Hampshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Warwickshire 22, Hampshire 3
Hampshire won the toss and elected to field.
Manny Lumsden (Hampshire) made his first-class debut.Points: Nottinghamshire 22, Hampshire 3
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Sam Cook replaced Mitchell Killeen on day 2 after returning from international duty, before Mitchell Killeen replaced Jamie Porter as an injury substitute for Essex.Points: Yorkshire 22, Essex 2
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bat.
Jack Hope-Bell (Glamorgan) made his first-class debut.Points: Warwickshire 22, Glamorgan 3
Sussex won the toss and elected to bat.
No play was possible on day 1 due to rain.
George Thomas (Sussex) made his first-class debut.Ollie Pope replaced Josh Blake on day 2 for Surrey after returning from international duty.Points: Sussex 14, Surrey 13
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Josh Hull replaced Alex Green as an illness substitute for Leicestershire.Points: Somerset 22, Leicestershire 3
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Tom Scriven replaced Josh Davey as an injury substitute for Leicestershire.Points: Leicestershire 19, Hampshire 3
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Yorkshire 19, Somerset 3
Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
James Taylor replaced Matthew Fisher as an injury substitute for Surrey.Points: Glamorgan 19, Surrey 3
Sussex won the toss and elected to field.
Ben Slater (Nottinghamshire) passed 10,000 runs in first-class cricket.Points: Sussex 22, Nottinghamshire 3
Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Warwickshire 22, Leicestershire 3
Yorkshire won the toss and elected to field.
Tom Giles replaced Olly Stone as an injury substitute for Nottinghamshire.Points: Yorkshire 19, Nottinghamshire 4
Sussex won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Sussex 19, Hampshire 3
Essex won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Glamorgan 13, Essex 9
Division Two fixtures
April
Worcestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Luis Reece (Derbyshire) scored his 7,000th run in first-class cricket.Martin Andersson (Derbyshire) scored his maiden double hundred in first-class cricket.Points: Derbyshire 16, Worcestershire 11
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Middlesex 22, Gloucestershire -1.
Lancashire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Lancashire 14, Northamptonshire 12
Kent won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 3 due to rain and wet outfield in the aftermath of Storm Dave .
Points: Durham 13, Kent 11
Middlesex won the toss and elected to field.
Matthew Waite (Worcestershire), Max Holden and Sam Robson (Middlesex) all scored their 2,000th, 5,000th and 14,000th run respectively in first-class cricket.Ben Gibbon replaced Adam Finch as an injury substitute for Worcestershire.Points: Worcestershire 17, Middlesex 3.
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Ben McKinney (Durham) scored his maiden double century in first-class cricket.Oliver Price (Gloucestershire) scored his 3,000th run in first-class cricket.Points: Durham 24, Gloucestershire 1
Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Luke Procter (Northamptonshire) scored his maiden double century in first-class cricket.Points: Northamptonshire 16, Kent 8.
Derbyshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Lancashire 21, Derbyshire 6.
Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat.
Play on Day 1 was reduced to 73 overs due to bad light.
Play on Day 2 was reduced to 71.5 overs due to bad light.
Luke Hollman replaced Zafar Gohar as an injury substitute for Middlesex.Points: Northamptonshire 15, Middlesex 13.
Lancashire won the toss and elected to field.
Only 44 overs of play was possible on day 1 due to rain and wet outfield.
Tommy Boorman (Gloucestershire) made his first-class debut.Ollie Sutton replaced Ajeet Singh Dale and Harry Singh replaced Luke Wells as an injury substitute for Lancashire.Points: Lancashire 19, Gloucestershire 3.
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
Luis Reece replaced Anuj Dal as an injury substitute for Derbyshire.Craig Miles replaced Henry Brookes as an injury substitute for Gloucestershire.Points: Gloucestershire 21, Derbyshire 3.
Kent won the toss and elected to bat.
Ben Dawkins replaced Ben Compton as an injury substitute for Kent.Points: Worcestershire 23, Kent 2.
May
Derbyshire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible for most of the period after tea on day 2 due to rain and wet outfield.
Rory Haydon (Derbyshire) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.Points: Kent 22, Derbyshire 5.
Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
The match was scheduled for four days but completed in three.
Points: Northamptonshire 22, Worcestershire 4.
Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat.
Luke Robinson (Durham) made his first-class debut.Points: Durham 14, Middlesex 11.
Derbyshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Derbyshire 23, Northamptonshire 1.
Kent won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Kent 18, Gloucestershire 5.
Durham won the toss and elected to field.
Harry Darley (Worcestershire) made his first-class debut.The match was scheduled for four days but completed in three.
Points: Durham 20, Worcestershire 5.
Middlesex won the toss and elected to field.
Caleb Falconer (Middlesex) made his first-class debut.Harry Duke replaced Joe Cracknell as an injury substitute for Middlesex.The match was scheduled for four days but completed in three.
Points: Middlesex 19, Lancashire 3.
Kent won the toss and elected to bat.
No play was possible on Day 3 due to rain and wet outfield.
Will Rhodes replaced Ben McKinney as an injury substitute for Durham.Points: Kent 16, Durham 14
Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to field.
Louis Kimber and Luke Charlesworth replaced Saif Zaib and Gabe Bell as an injury substitute for, respectively, Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire.Points: Northamptonshire 19, Gloucestershire 3.
Derbyshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Derbyshire 22, Middlesex 3.
Lancashire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on Day 2 due to rain and wet outfield.
Points: Lancashire 12, Worcestershire 11
June
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Northamptonshire 24, Gloucestershire 3
Lancashire won the toss and elected to field.
Joe Moores (Lancashire) made his first-class debut.Points: Kent 19, Lancashire 3
Worcestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Henry Cullen (Worcestershire) made his first-class debut.Harry Darley replaced Adam Finch as an injury substitute for Worcestershire.Points: Middlesex 21, Worcestershire 4
Kent won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Kent 21, Middlesex 7
Derbyshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Derbyshire 22, Lancashire 3
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Worcestershire 20, Gloucestershire 3
Durham won the toss and elected to field.
Gus Miller replaced Luke Procter as an injury substitute for Northamptonshire.Colin Ackermann replaced Ben Stokes for Durham on day 3 due to an international call-up.Points: Durham 23, Northamptonshire 7
August
Kent won the toss and elected to bat.
Noah Cornwell replaced Eathan Bosch as an injury substitute for Middlesex.Points: Kent 22, Middlesex 3
Derbyshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Durham 20, Derbyshire 3
Lancashire won the toss and elected to field.
Ben Walkden (Lancashire) made his first-class debut.Points: Northamptonshire 20, Lancashire 3
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
Aman Rao (Gloucestershire) made his first-class debut.Rehaan Edavalath replaced Gareth Roderick as an injury substitute for Worcestershire.Points: Worcestershire 20, Gloucestershire 3
Middlesex won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 1 and 3 due to rain.
Will Rogers (Derbyshire) made his first-class debut.Points: Middlesex 11, Derbyshire 8
Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
Points: Northamptonshire 16, Kent 12
Worcestershire won the toss and elected to field.
No play was possible on day 1 and 3 due to rain.
Points: Worcestershire 12, Lancashire 10
Durham won the toss and elected to field.
JT Langridge (Gloucestershire) made his first-class debut.Points: Durham 22, Gloucestershire 3
September
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
Yousaf Bin Naeem (Derbyshire) made his first-class debut.Points: Gloucestershire 19, Derbyshire 4
Worcestershire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Kent 19, Worcestershire 3
Durham won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Durham 19, Northamptonshire 4
Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Middlesex 19, Lancashire 3
Kent won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Derbyshire 21, Kent 3
v
200 (67.1 overs)
Henry Cullen 64 (105) Luke Procter 5/63 (20 overs)
Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Northamptonshire 20, Worcestershire 3
Middlesex won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Durham 20, Middlesex 3
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
Kamran Dhariwal (Gloucestershire) made his first-class debut.Points: Gloucestershire 19, Lancashire 3
Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to field.
Nick Potts replaced Ben Aitchison as an injury substitute for Derbyshire.Points: Northamptonshire 13, Derbyshire 12.
Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Middlesex 13, Gloucestershire 12
Kent won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Kent 19, Lancashire 3
v
241 (75.1 overs)
Kamran Dhariwal 66 (115 overs) Matt Milnes 5/33 (19 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Kent 19, Gloucestershire 3
Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Middlesex 19, Northamptonshire 3
Derbyshire won the toss and elected to field.
Points: Worcestershire 19, Derbyshire 3
Durham won the toss and elected to bat.
Points: Durham 13, Lancashire 11
Notes
1 2 Division 1 1 2 Division 2 ↑ Gloucestershire were deducted a total of 2 points for maintaining a slow over-rate . ↑ Worcestershire were deducted a total of 2 points for maintaining a slow over-rate . ↑ Kent were deducted a total of 3 points for maintaining a slow over-rate . ↑ Kent were deducted a total of 2 points for maintaining a slow over-rate . ↑ Derbyshire were deducted a total of 2 points for maintaining a slow over-rate .
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