County Championship (2026): Discussion Thread

[BouncerGuy]

County cricket ins and outs - all the signings, departures and overseas arrivals ahead of the 2026 season

DERBYSHIRE

Ins: Matt Montgomery (Nottinghamshire), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)

Outs: David Lloyd (retired), Alex Thomson (released)

Overseas players: Caleb Jewell (Australia), Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan), Sufiyan Muqeem (Pakistan - first six Vitality Blast matches), AM Ghazanfar (Afghanistan - second half of Vitality Blast)

DURHAM

Ins: Kasey Aldridge (Somerset), Archie Bailey (Gloucestershire), Shafiqullah Ghafar

Outs: Mitchell Killeen (Essex), Paul Coughlin (Lancashire), Bas de Leede (released in order to prioritise international commitments with Netherlands)

Overseas players: David Bedingham (South Africa), Kemar Roach (West Indies - County Championship, April to mid-June)

ESSEX

Ins: Zaman Akhter (Gloucestershire), Mitchell Killeen (Durham)

Outs: Nick Browne (retired), Adam Rossington, Jamal Richards (both released)

Overseas players: Wiaan Mulder (South Africa - County Championship and Vitality Blast, April to June), Simon Harmer (South Africa)

GLAMORGAN

Ins: Sean Dickson (Somerset)

Outs: Sam Northeast (Kent), Tom Bevan (released), James Harris (retired)

Overseas players: Colin Ingram (South Africa), Ryan Hadley (Australia - first six County Championship matches), Nathan McAndrew (Australia - whole of Vitality Blast, plus two County Championship matches in June), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan - Vitality Blast)

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Ins: Craig Miles (Warwickshire), Will Williams (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire - Vitality Blast only)

Outs: Archie Bailey (Durham), Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Dom Goodman, Tom Price (both Sussex), Josh Shaw (Somerset)

Overseas players: Cameron Bancroft (Australia), Gabe Bell (Australia - first six County Championship matches), D'Arcy Short (Australia - Vitality Blast), Liam Scott (Australia - Vitality Blast and two County Championship matches in June)

HAMPSHIRE

Ins: Jake Lehmann

Outs: Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Benny Howell (Nottinghamshire), Joseph Eckland (released)

Overseas players: Kyle Abbott (South Africa), Codi Yusuf (South Africa - first block of County Championship matches), Tristan Stubbs (South Africa - Vitality Blast), Hilton Cartwright (Australia - Vitality Blast)

KENT

Ins: Matt Milnes (Yorkshire), Sam Northeast (Glamorgan)

Outs: Nathan Gilchrist (Warwickshire), Jack Leaning (Sussex), Marcus O'Riordan, Mohammed Rizvi (both released), George Garrett (retired)

Overseas players: Keith Dudgeon (South Africa), Glenton Stuurman (South Africa - County Championship, until May 18), Senuran Muthusamy (South Africa - County Championship and Vitality Blast, from May 22), Tom Rogers (Australia - Vitality Blast)

LANCASHIRE

Ins: Ajeet Singh Dale (Gloucestershire), Paul Coughlin (Durham)

Outs: Will Williams (Gloucestershire), Josh Boyden (released)

Overseas players: Marcus Harris (Australia), Chris Green (Australia - Vitality Blast), Ben McDermott (Australia - Vitality Blast)

LEICESTERSHIRE

Ins: Ben Green, Josh Davey (both Somerset), Stephen Ezkinazi (Middlesex), Jonny Tattersall (Yorkshire), Yadvinder Singh (Worcestershire)

Outs: Louis Kimber (Northamptonshire), Matt Salisbury, Roman Walker (both released), Chris Wright, Harry Swindells (both retired)

Overseas players: Ajaz Patel (New Zealand), Jake Weatherald (Australia - first block of County Championship matches), Ashton Turner (Australia - Vitality Blast)

MIDDLESEX

Ins:

Outs: Stephen Eskinazi (Leicestershire)

Overseas players:

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Ins: Louis Kimber (Leicestershire), Calvin Harrison (Nottinghamshire)

Outs: Freddie Heldreich (released)

Overseas players: Nathan McSweeney (Australia), Harry Conway (Australia - first two months of the season), Yuzvendra Chahal (India - second half of the season), Chris Lynn (Australia - Vitality Blast)

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Ins: Benny Howell (Hampshire - Vitality Blast contract), George Munsey (Vitality Blast contract)

Outs: Matt Montgomery (Derbyshire), Calvin Harrison (Northamptonshire), Sammy King, Dane Schadendorf (both released)

Overseas players: Kyle Verreynne (South Africa - County Championship only), Fergus O'Neill (Australia - April-June), Mohammad Ali (Pakistan - August-September), George Linde (South Africa - Vitality Blast), Peter Siddle (Australia - Vitality Blast)

SOMERSET

Ins: Josh Shaw (Gloucestershire)

Outs: Kasey Aldridge (Durham), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Sean Dickson (Glamorgan), Josh Davey, Ben Green (both Leicestershire), Andy Umeed (released)

Overseas players: Migael Pretorius (South Africa), Riley Meredith (Australia - Vitality Blast), Daniel Sams (Australia - Vitality Blast)

SURREY

Ins: TBC

Outs: TBC

Overseas players: Sean Abbott (Australia - first eight County Championship matches and whole of Vitality Blast), Rahul Chahar (India - final eight County Championship matches)

SUSSEX

Ins: Danny Briggs (Warwickshire), Dom Goodman, Tom Price (both Gloucestershire), Jack Leaning (Kent)

Outs: Ari Karvelas, Bertie Foreman, Archie Lenham, Zach Lion-Cachet, Henry Rogers (all released)

Overseas players: Daniel Hughes (Australia), Jaydev Unadkat (India - June-September)

WARWICKSHIRE

Ins: Jordan Thompson (Yorkshire), Nathan Gilchrist (Kent), Keith Barker (Hampshire)

Outs: Moeen Ali (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Sussex), Craig Miles (Gloucestershire), Olly Hannon-Dalby (Worcestershire - loan deal), Chris Rushworth (retired)

Overseas players: Beau Webster (Australia - for first half of the season)

WORCESTERSHIRE

Ins: Olly Hannon-Dalby (Warwickshire - loan deal)

Outs: Yadvinder Singh (Leicestershire), Tom Hinley (released)

Overseas players: Beyers Swanepoel (South Africa - County Championship), Usama Mir (Pakistan - Vitality Blast), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe - Vitality Blast)

YORKSHIRE

Ins: Moeen Ali (Vitality Blast only), Andrew Tye (Vitality Blast only), Sam Whiteman

Outs: Dawid Malan (Gloucestershire), Jonny Tattersall (Leicestershire), Jordan Thompson (Warwickshire), Matt Milnes (Kent)

Overseas players: Logan van Beek (Netherlands - first eight County Championship matches and Vitality Blast), Jhye Richardson (Australia - first block of County Championship matches), Will Sutherland (Australia - Vitality Blast and two County Championship matches in June), Naveen Ul-Haq (Afghanistan - Vitality Blast)

County cricket ins and outs - all the signings, departures and overseas arrivals ahead of the 2026 season

See which players have signed for your county for 2026, which players have moved on, and the overseas cricketers who will feature on the domestic scene across England and Wales next summer

www.skysports.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

County Championship Division One 2026

• Somerset vs Nottinghamshire, 5th Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL
• Leicestershire vs Sussex, 4th Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL
• Glamorgan vs Yorkshire, 3rd Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL
• Hampshire vs Essex, 2nd Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL
• Warwickshire vs Surrey, 1st Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL

County Championship Division Two 2026

• Durham vs Kent, 4th Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL
• Northamptonshire vs Lancashire, 3rd Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL
• Middlesex vs Gloucestershire, 2nd Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL
• Derbyshire vs Worcestershire, 1st Match, Day 1 — 3:00 PM (Today) / 10:00 AM GMT / 11:00 AM LOCAL

 

[BouncerGuy]

County Championship Division One 2026:​

Somerset vs Nottinghamshire, 5th Match, Day 1

Nottinghamshire have won the toss and have opted to field

Leicestershire vs Sussex, 4th Match, Day 1

Leicestershire have won the toss and have opted to field

Glamorgan vs Yorkshire, 3rd Match, Day 1

Day 1: Toss delayed due to rain

Hampshire vs Essex, 2nd Match, Day 1

Day 1: Toss delayed due to wet outfield

Warwickshire vs Surrey, 1st Match, Day 1

Warwickshire have won the toss and have opted to field

County Championship Division Two 2026​

Durham vs Kent, 4th Match, Day 1

Kent have won the toss and have opted to field

Northamptonshire vs Lancashire, 3rd Match, Day 1

Lancashire have won the toss and have opted to bat

Middlesex vs Gloucestershire, 2nd Match, Day 1

Gloucestershire have won the toss and have opted to field

(Zafar Gohar is in action here for Middlesex)


Derbyshire vs Worcestershire, 1st Match, Day 1

Worcestershire have won the toss and have opted to field

(Muhammad Abbas and Kashif Ali will be in action here)

 

[The Bald Eagle]

County Championship Division One 2026:​

Somerset vs Nottinghamshire, 5th Match, Day 1

Nottinghamshire have won the toss and have opted to field

Leicestershire vs Sussex, 4th Match, Day 1

Leicestershire have won the toss and have opted to field

Glamorgan vs Yorkshire, 3rd Match, Day 1

Day 1: Toss delayed due to rain

Hampshire vs Essex, 2nd Match, Day 1

Day 1: Toss delayed due to wet outfield

Warwickshire vs Surrey, 1st Match, Day 1

Warwickshire have won the toss and have opted to field

County Championship Division Two 2026​

Durham vs Kent, 4th Match, Day 1

Kent have won the toss and have opted to field

Northamptonshire vs Lancashire, 3rd Match, Day 1

Lancashire have won the toss and have opted to bat

Middlesex vs Gloucestershire, 2nd Match, Day 1

Gloucestershire have won the toss and have opted to field

(Zafar Gohar is in action here for Middlesex)


Derbyshire vs Worcestershire, 1st Match, Day 1

Worcestershire have won the toss and have opted to field

(Muhammad Abbas and Kashif Ali will be in action here)

 

[BouncerGuy]

Following Storm Dave hitting the North East in the early hours of Sunday morning, damage has been caused within the venue – therefore there will be no spectators permitted into the ground until further notice.

The Club have been in discussions with the match officials and venue staff this morning and following the impact on the pitch and structures within the ground – it is confirmed that play will not commence on time, and a further update will be provided in due course.

Until further assessment have taken place our ground safety team have decided it is unsafe to allow spectators into the venue.
The ground will remain closed to members and spectators until further notice. Please do not travel to Banks Homes Riverside for today’s play.

As the safety of all players, staff and spectators is the Club’s number one priority spectators are requested not to travel to the ground and the Club will provide an update in due course.

The safety of all in attendance is our number one priority in any decisions we make.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Critchley stars as Essex wrap up big win at Hants

All-rounder Matt Critchley led Essex to a three-day innings victory over to give new Hampshire head coach Russell Domingo a bad start in the County Championship.

Stand-in captain Sam Cook had picked up three first-innings scalps as Hampshire were rolled for 156. And after being asked to follow-on, the hosts could only manage 168 to lose by an innings and 137 runs, with Critchley picking up 5-9 after scoring a century earlier in the match.

Essex, who only won three times in a disappointing 2025, become the first team to win in 2026 as they claimed 22 points, with Hampshire securing just two.

No one had fewer batting points than Hampshire in the 2025 County Championship, which almost led to them getting relegated.

Adi Birrell had departed after the season and was replaced by former South Africa chief Domingo. And if he didn't know the depth of his challenge, he does now.

The challenge of Porter, Cook and Snater was too much for them in the day two gloom as they slipped to 48-3 in less than 15 overs – after Essex had been able to breeze to 461-7 declared.

The morning continued in the same vein, albeit under far bluer skies, as Hampshire lost four wickets for 17 runs.

Jake Lehmann only faced seven more deliveries, and added only a swished boundary to his overnight 30, before he attempted to cut a ball to close to him to give Porter his first wicket of the season.

Ben Brown left a straight ball from Cook, before Liam Dawson edged Porter behind when grappling with a delivery outside the off stump.

Teenage debutant Ben Mayes struck a pair of eye-catching boundaries before Snater pinned him in front, and Codi Yusuf followed after fellow South African Wiaan Mulder snuck a ball into middle stump.

The tail vaguely wagged with top-scorer Kyle Abbott and Eddie Jack reach 30s in a 48-run partnership for the ninth wicket. But the spinners ended things either side of lunch.

Simon Harmer and Critchley had Abbott and Sonny Baker, respectively, leg before to end a dismal batting performance. The follow-on was enforced with a lead of 305.

Hampshire were careering towards a three-day defeat when Joe Weatherley edged the fourth ball of the second dig behind.

But Gubbins and Prest provided some respite from the wickets with an 81-run stand, which was amassed serenely as Essex's new ball didn't zip around.

Prest was positive – as he shook off his poor 2025 – with 10 confident boundaries to collect a half-century.

But there was the looming presence of Harmer, on a pitch which was moving for subtle spin to dangerous turn.

The South African, in his 10th season at Essex, had been introduced in the ninth over but it wasn't until after tea in the 24th that he began to become a major threat.

Prest fell for 55 as he was lbw to the off-spinner when shuffling across his stumps.

Cook paused the Harmer domination when Lehmann was strangled down the legside, before Brown was undone by a floaty delivery and chopped on.

Mayes was bowled through the gate and while Harmer was switching ends after 21 overs, Critchley's drag-down was dragged on Dawson.

Critchley, who scored 173 with the bat, then had Yusuf lbw. Gubbins had soaked up 161-balls of pressure over almost two hours before turning Critchley to short leg with four overs left in the day.

Critchley rounded things off on a successful trip from Chelmsford when Jack was bowled and Baker skied to mid-on.

County Championship: Essex wrap up innings victory at Hampshire

Essex wrap up an innings and 137 run victory at Hampshire as Matt Critchley takes 5-9 to go with his knock of 173.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Updated points table (6-4-2026)

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Rothesay County Championship Division 1 Table​

 

[hassan918]

County replacements rule could be changed in May​

Rules allowing replacement players in the County Championship could be changed at the end of the first block of fixtures.

The England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to permit replacements for injury, illness and significant life events has come under scrutiny after two weeks of the season.

Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores said the regulations need "tightening", while Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson said they need to be "ironed out".

Each of the 18 counties plays six fixtures and has a bye week in the Championship by the middle of May, at which point the competition breaks for the T20 Blast.

The ECB sees this as the fairest and earliest time to make changes if they are required.

The implementation of replacements is being trialled across the 2026 season, and the trial will not be scrapped midway through the year.

There have been nine instances of players being replaced across 18 matches so far, though one of those - Adam Finch of Worcestershire - was for a concussion, for which replacement rules were already in place.

Announcing the changes at the beginning of the season, the ECB estimated replacements would be required in about 25% of fixtures.

After only two rounds of matches, the remaining games in the run-up to the break will give more opportunity to see how replacements have affected the Championship.

The ECB has not received any official complaints over the replacements that have been used so far this season.

What has happened so far?
The trial follows similar experiments in domestic cricket in India, Australia and South Africa after the International Cricket Council asked members to test the use of fully participating substitutes with a view to an introduction in Tests, something previously only allowed for concussion and Covid-19.

The ECB has taken the trial a step further than those countries by allowing replacements for significant life events, such as bereavements or the birth of a child, as well as injury and illness.

Replacements can come into the match at any point from after the first ball to before the last.

In the case of injuries, replacements must be signed off by the match referee in conjunction with the club medical staff. Replacements for life events - not used so far - have to be agreed by the county chief executives of the two teams.

Replacements have been used in five of 18 matches so far, although in three of those matches the rule was used twice.

Substitutes in cricket: ECB's new County Championship rule could be changed

Rules allowing replacement players in the County Championship could be changed at the end of the first block of fixtures.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

 

[The Bald Eagle]

 

[The Bald Eagle]

 

[The Bald Eagle]