County Championship 2026: team-by-team guide to the new season

DIVISION ONE

Essex

Captain Tom Westley Coach Chris Silverwood Last season 6th Div One

Essex seemed to spend most of last summer chasing their tail. The bowling resources were stretched, with Sam Cook battling injury as well as spending time with England and Simon Harmer not romping through sides with quite the gusto he once did. Some prudent signings have added ballast: zippy Zaman Akhter from Gloucestershire and young Mitchell Killeen, from Durham, can provide cover for Cook and the ever reliable Jamie Porter. Jordan Cox will miss the early part of the season with the IPL but young Charlie Allison has a chance to make a name for himself after a fabulous 2025. Prediction 6th

Glamorgan

Captain Kiran Carlson Coach Richard Dawson Last season 2nd Div Two

After 20 years skulking around Division Two, Glamorgan are finally back in the big time. Captain Carlson is confident that his young squad is up for the challenge, though there is a Sam Northeast-shaped hole in the batting lineup. Ben Kellaway and Asa Tribe had breakout seasons last year and both spent the winter with the Lions, Tribe hitting a big century against Australia A. Doing it again, up a division, will be quite a test. Australian Ryan Hadley joins for the first six Championship games, while James Harris has retired, and the Gardens will have to do without Marnus Labuschagne this year. Prediction 8th

Hampshire

Captain Ben Brown Coach Russell Domingo Last season 8th Div One

Saved from the drop by Durham’s final day tumble down the stairs, Hampshire enter 2026 craving stability. Domingo replaces the long-serving Adi Birrell at the top and must glue together a squad of young blades yet to reach their potential, and weary bones. South Australia’s Jake Lehmann (son of Darren), who has signed a two-year contract, bolsters the batting and South Africa’s Codi Yusuf is a last- minute replacement for Jayden Seales, refused an NOC by Cricket Trinidad and Tobago, who himself was a replacement for Michael Neser, who was withdrawn by Cricket Australia. Kyle Abbott, 38, ploughs on and opportunity knocks for young tearaways Sonny Baker and John Turner. Prediction 7th

Leicestershire

Captain Ian Holland (first six games) Coach Alfonso Thomas Last season 1st Div Two

Leicestershire sprinted out of the blocks last spring, winning five games in their first seven, and securing promotion with two matches to play. Things will be trickier this year, the late withdrawal of Peter Handscomb a huge blow, though Ashes debutant Jake Weatherald joins early season. A well-drilled side is boosted by Stephen Ezkinazi, Jonny Tattersall and Josh Davey, and Ben Green makes Grace Road his permanent home. Rehan Ahmed will need to have another magical summer. Ajaz Patel is a late replacement for Keshav Maharaj. Prediction 10th

Nottinghamshire

Captain Haseeb Hameed Coach Peter Moores Last season 1st Div One

Popular and well-deserved champions, after slipping through on the blind side and giving Surrey a bloody nose at the Oval in the penultimate game of the season. The match-winner that thrilling day, Josh Tongue, is now centrally contracted, and Dillon Pennington in the reckoning, but the fast-bowling stocks are boosted by the return of Fergus O’Neill for the first half of the summer, and Pakistan’s Mohammad Ali for the second. Notts will need calm captain Hameed to be in the runs again, while Kyle Verreynne’s return and Ben Duckett’s last-minute decision to turn down his IPL gig are a huge fillip. Liam Patterson-White and Farhan Ahmed wait in the wings. Prediction 3rd

Somerset

Captain Lewis Gregory Coach Jason Kerr Last season 3rd Div One

They love their red-ball cricket down in the West Country, and Somerset have been circling the top of the Championship for a couple of seasons. Their young batters – the Rew brothers, who spent the winter with the Lions, Josh Thomas, Archie Vaughan – now have experience to go with their talent, while Toms Banton and Lammonby hit their groove in 2025. There’s a familiar feel to the side with Craig Overton and captain Gregory leading the seam attack, Jack Leach and Vaughan the spin duo and Migael Pretorius coming back to fill the overseas slot. This could be the sweet spot year before England come calling. Prediction 2nd

Surrey

Captain Rory Burns Coach Gareth Batty Last season 2nd Div One

Alec Stewart is back in post at the Oval, where last year’s runners-up want their crown back. A torrid Ashes winter means Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith have early season work to do to secure their England spots, while the emergence of Jacob Bethell leaves Ollie Pope to take out his frustrations on the rest of Division One. Sean Abbott returns for a fourth stint and Rahul Chahar, who took 10 wickets against Hampshire in his only match last September, will fizz through the last eight games of the season. Another reason for the more than 80,000 who watched Championship cricket at the Oval last year to roll through the turnstiles again. Prediction 1st

Sussex

Captain Ollie Robinson Coach Paul Farbrace Last season 4th Div One

Robinson, the new captain, has his eye on 50 wickets and winning his England place back, but there is a lot sitting in his inbox. Sussex were put in special measures early this year, following financial mismanagement, and start the season on minus 12. They have two cracking overseas players in Daniel Hughes and Jaydev Unadkat, but any further signings must be approved by the ECB, and agents are circling for their good young players. The all-rounder James Coles, the subject of a huge bidding war in the Hundred, is the most prominent and has a point to prove. Tom Haines and John Simpson roll up their sleeves again. Prediction 9th

Warwickshire

Captain Ed Barnard Coach Ian Westwood Last season 5th Div One

After a career-best season in 2025, Barnard takes over from Alex Davies as captain. He will have wise counsel from Chris Woakes, free to play a full season at Edgbaston for the first time in years. The bowling stocks are further boosted with the return of Keith Barker for one last hurrah, Jordan Thompson from Yorkshire and Kent’s Nathan Gilchrist, plus, for the first half of the season, the all-round talents of Beau Webster. With the bowling looking healthy, Warwickshire just need to prize more runs from a batting lineup that relied heavily on Sam Hain and Barnard last year. Prediction 4th

Yorkshire

Captain Jonny Bairstow Coach Anthony McGrath Last season 7th Div One

If Yorkshire just about navigated their first year back in Division One, it wasn’t always easy. They have stocked up the larder over the winter: Australian quick bowler Jhye Richardson joins for the first six Championship matches, Netherlands workhorse Logan van Beek is around for the first eight, and left-handed Western Australia batter Sam Whiteman will spend the summer at Headingley courtesy of his British passport. Throw in George Hill and Jack White and the bowling looks healthy, while Matthew Revis and James Wharton are the most eye-catching of the young batters. Joe Root to sprinkle some magic early season. Prediction 5th

DIVISION TWO

Derbyshire

Captain Wayne Madsen Coach Mickey Arthur Last season 3rd Div Two

Derby jumped from eighth to third last year, and Arthur has added some sparkle to the squad during the winter. They have a thoroughbred in Mohammad Abbas, lured east after winning the Championship with Notts; while Shoaib Bashir has a chance to relaunch his career at the County Ground – which wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card a year ago. Caleb Jewell returns after 1,000 handsome runs last year and Madsen, who also passed a thousand in 2025, joins Jimmy Anderson in the Ancient Mariner role. Prediction 3rd

Durham

Captain Alex Lees Coach Ryan Campbell Last season 9th Div One

Durham’s brain fart on the final afternoon of the season, was the most seismic of many last summer, and dumped them back down in Division Two. A talented squad, they need to rediscover their mojo and could do with David Bedingham finding his “walking on water ways” quickly. Surrey star Kemar Roach is a surprise signing for the first half the season and brings professionalism and star power. Spectre of Old Trafford, Dale Benkenstein, returns as a batting coach at his old club. Prediction 2nd

Gloucestershire

Captain Cameron Bancroft Coach Mark Alleyne Last season 6th Div Two

A grand exodus at the end of the season left Gloucestershire without six of their seamers. Into that bare larder walks Will Williams, Lancashire’s ever reliable pro, who may have to bowl from both ends. He gets support for the first six games from 6ft 4in Australian Gabe Bell whose steepling bounce might pep up Nevil Road. The batting looks relatively strong, Bancroft returns, to join Miles Hammond, Ben Charlesworth, Ollie Price and James Bracey, while Ed Joyce is a batting consultant. Prediction 8th

Kent

Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond Coach Adam Hollioake Last season 8th Div Two

Hollioake’s first job is to keep everyone on the park after Kent limped across finishing line last September. Keith Dudgeon was one of the walking wounded, seven for 36 on debut before injuring his knee and flying home. He’s back, alongside all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy and fast bowler Glenton Stuurman, who split the season. After Rob Key’s musings over “a lack of consequence for poor performance” all eyes will be on Zak Crawley, and the batting looks in decent shape as Sam Northeast returns. Prediction 7th

Lancashire

Captain Jimmy Anderson Coach Steven Croft Last season 5th Div Two

It’s been getting spicy at Old Trafford, Special General Meetings sprouting everywhere, just in time for the start of the season. The chaotic air belies a more settled playing squad, led by Croft and Anderson (44 in July) who turned around Lancashire’s season last year. The prolific Marcus Harris flies in from Australia (though fast bowler Mitch Perry is a last minute cancellation) to join a group also boosted by Ajeet Singh Dale, while Rocky Flintoff is fit at last. After last year’s debacle, all eyes are on promotion. Prediction 1st

Middlesex

Captain Leus du Plooy Coach Peter Fulton Last season 4th Div Two

A club in perennial crisis, with a financial albatross, no chief exec, no recruitment and no overseas player. But all is not lost. The indefatigable Toby Roland-Jones will continue to carry the attack, ably supported by Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar, and there are promising young players coming through. All-rounder Caleb Falconer and seamer Sebastian Morgan both played in the U19 World Cup, while left armer Noah Cornwell is fancied. Interesting times for new coach Fulton, who came recommended by Kane Williamson. Prediction 4th

Northamptonshire

Captain Luke Procter Coach Darren Lehmann Last season 7th Div Two

Could things be looking up for Northants? Good things are expected from new recruit and Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney, who made an unbeaten 226 against the Lions during the winter. He joins Harry Conway and Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the overseas slots. Much relies on Calvin Harrison, whose happy loan from Trent Bridge becomes permanent, and Saif Zaib, who both had thrilling seasons in 2025. Eyes too on Stuart van der Merwe, who wowed with a century on his first-class debut. Prediction 6th

Worcestershire

Captain Brett D’Oliveira Coach Alan Richardson Last season 10th Div One

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