The County Championship Division One 2026 runs from 3 April to 27 September, featuring 10 teams competing across 70 four-day matches in England’s top first-class cricket competition.
Officially known as the Rothesay County Championship 2026, this is the 126th edition of the tournament.
Nottinghamshire are the defending champions after winning their first title in 15 years during the 2025 season.
Meanwhile, Leicestershire and Glamorgan return to Division One after earning promotion. Leicestershire haven’t played top-flight Championship cricket since 2003, and Glamorgan’s wait has been over two decades.
All 10 Teams in County Championship Division One 2026
Ten counties are fighting for the title this season. The lineup includes eight returning sides plus two promoted from Division Two.
Here is the full list of Division One teams with their home grounds, captains, and coaches:
| Team | 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 |
County Championship Division One 2026 Schedule
The tournament kicked off on 3 April 2026 with five simultaneous matches across England. The season wraps up on 27 September 2026.
Here’s an overview of the schedule blocks:
| Date | Match | Venue | Result / Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2026 | Surrey vs Warwickshire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | Match Drawn |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Essex vs Hampshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | Essex won by an innings & 137 runs |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Glamorgan vs Yorkshire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | Match Drawn |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Sussex vs Leicestershire | Grace Road, Leicester | Sussex won by 222 runs |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Somerset vs Nottinghamshire | Taunton | Match Drawn |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | Nottinghamshire won by 192 runs |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Surrey vs Leicestershire | Kennington Oval, London | Match Drawn |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Hampshire vs Yorkshire | Headingley, Leeds | Hampshire won by 214 runs |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Sussex | Hove | Sussex won by 5 wickets |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Essex vs Somerset | Chelmsford | Somerset won by 10 wickets |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Hampshire vs Somerset | Southampton | Somerset won by 2 wickets |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Essex | Edgbaston | Warwickshire won by 41 runs |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Glamorgan vs Leicestershire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | Match Drawn |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Essex vs Surrey | Kennington Oval, London | Match Drawn |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Sussex vs Yorkshire | Headingley, Leeds | Match Drawn |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Nottinghamshire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | Match Drawn |
| May 1, 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Leicestershire | Grace Road, Leicester | Nottinghamshire won by 10 wickets |
| May 1, 2026 | Yorkshire vs Somerset | Taunton | Yorkshire won by 75 runs |
| May 1, 2026 | Glamorgan vs Hampshire | Southampton | Glamorgan won by an innings & 69 runs |
| May 1, 2026 | Sussex vs Surrey | Kennington Oval, London | Surrey won by 8 wickets |
| May 8, 2026 | Hampshire vs Essex | Chelmsford | Essex won by 6 wickets |
| May 8, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Yorkshire | Edgbaston | Warwickshire won by 377 runs |
| May 8, 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Surrey | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | Match Drawn |
| May 8, 2026 | Somerset vs Glamorgan | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | Glamorgan won by 2 wickets |
| May 8, 2026 | Leicestershire vs Sussex | Hove | Sussex won by 7 wickets |
| May 15, 2026 | Essex vs Leicestershire | Chelmsford | 3:30 PM IST |
| May 15, 2026 | Hampshire vs Nottinghamshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 3:30 PM IST |
| May 15, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Glamorgan | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| May 15, 2026 | Yorkshire vs Surrey | Headingley, Leeds | 3:30 PM IST |
| May 15, 2026 | Somerset vs Sussex | Taunton | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 7, 2026 | Surrey vs Hampshire | Kennington Oval, London | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Yorkshire vs Warwickshire | Scarborough | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Leicestershire vs Essex | Grace Road, Leicester | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Sussex vs Glamorgan | Hove | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Somerset | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Essex vs Nottinghamshire | Chelmsford | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Leicestershire vs Yorkshire | Grace Road, Leicester | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Glamorgan vs Surrey | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Sussex vs Hampshire | Hove | 3:30 PM IST |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Somerset vs Warwickshire | Taunton | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Surrey vs Nottinghamshire | Kennington Oval, London | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Sussex | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Leicestershire vs Glamorgan | Grace Road, Leicester | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Somerset vs Essex | Taunton | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Hampshire vs Yorkshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Sussex vs Somerset | Hove | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Glamorgan vs Hampshire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Yorkshire vs Leicestershire | Scarborough | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Essex vs Surrey | Chelmsford | 3:30 PM IST |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Nottinghamshire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Essex vs Sussex | Chelmsford | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Surrey vs Yorkshire | Kennington Oval, London | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Leicestershire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Somerset vs Glamorgan | Taunton | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Hampshire vs Warwickshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Yorkshire vs Essex | Headingley, Leeds | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Glamorgan vs Warwickshire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Sussex vs Surrey | Hove | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Leicestershire vs Somerset | Grace Road, Leicester | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Essex vs Warwickshire | Chelmsford | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Leicestershire vs Hampshire | Grace Road, Leicester | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Yorkshire vs Somerset | Headingley, Leeds | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Surrey vs Glamorgan | Kennington Oval, London | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Sussex vs Nottinghamshire | Hove | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Warwickshire vs Leicestershire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Yorkshire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Hampshire vs Sussex | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Glamorgan vs Essex | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 3:30 PM IST |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Somerset vs Surrey | Taunton | 3:30 PM IST |
Round 1 headlines included Warwickshire vs Surrey at Edgbaston, Hampshire vs Essex at the Rose Bowl, and defending champions Nottinghamshire vs Somerset at Taunton.
County Championship Division One 2026: Home Grounds And Venues
Each county plays seven home matches at their primary ground, with some counties using outgrounds for select fixtures.
Here are the main venues:
- Edgbaston, Birmingham (Warwickshire) Known for seam-friendly conditions early season and spin later.
- Trent Bridge, Nottingham (Nottinghamshire) One of England’s finest cricket grounds. Generally batting-friendly with some swing for the new ball.
- The Oval, London (Surrey) The most iconic county ground. Flat batting surfaces, but spinners enjoy it as the match progresses.
- County Ground, Taunton (Somerset) A run-scoring paradise. Expect big totals and drawn games here.
- Rose Bowl, Southampton (Hampshire) Tends to assist seamers, especially in overcast conditions.
- County Ground, Hove (Sussex) A balanced venue that has something for both batters and bowlers.
- Grace Road, Leicester (Leicestershire) Back hosting Division One cricket for the first time since 2003.
- Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (Glamorgan) Wales’ cricket headquarters. Green-tinged pitches suit seam bowling.
- Headingley, Leeds (Yorkshire) Famous for lateral movement and unpredictable results. Never a dull match here.
- County Ground, Chelmsford (Essex) A bowler-friendly venue where Sam Cook has already taken 21 wickets this season.
How to Watch County Championship Division One 2026 Live
Good news for cricket fans: you can watch every single County Championship 2026 match for free. Here’s how:
Free Live Streaming
ECB Match Centre: Every match is streamed live at ecb.co.uk/championship-live. You can also sync BBC Radio commentary with the video stream.
England Cricket App: The same live streams are available on the official England Cricket app for mobile viewers.
County YouTube Channels: All 18 counties stream their home matches on their official YouTube channels. Completely free.
TV Coverage and Radio
Sky Sports broadcasts selected matches and highlights. This is a paid service in the UK.
BBC Radio: Every ball of the season is broadcast across local radio stations and the BBC Sport website. Visit bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket on matchdays for commentary links.
Social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) for the County Championship also carry highlights and updates throughout the season.
County Championship Past Winners (2015–2025)
For context, here are the recent County Championship winners. Notice Surrey’s dominant three-year streak and Nottinghamshire’s comeback in 2025:
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Nottinghamshire |
| 2024 | Surrey |
| 2023 | Surrey |
| 2022 | Surrey |
| 2021 | Warwickshire |
| 2019 | Essex |
| 2018 | Surrey |
| 2017 | Essex |
| 2016 | Middlesex |
| 2015 | Yorkshire |
Yorkshire hold the all-time record with 32 outright titles (plus one shared). Surrey are second with 22 outright wins.
Three current counties have never won the official title: Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, and Somerset. Somerset are making a strong push in 2026, currently sitting second.
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Final Word: County Championship Division One 2026
The County Championship Division One 2026 is shaping up to be a cracker. Warwickshire lead early, Somerset are breathing down their necks, and the defending champions Nottinghamshire are quietly building.
With promoted sides like Glamorgan already winning games and Sussex fighting through a points penalty, this season has all the ingredients for drama right up to September.
Bookmark this page and keep checking back for updated standings, stats, and match results throughout the season.
