The County Championship Division Two 2026 Schedule spans 56 four-day matches across eight English counties, from 3 April to 24 September. Eight teams, 14 rounds each, and two promotion places up for grabs. D
erbyshire, Worcestershire, Middlesex, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Durham, and Kent are all competing. Finish in the top two, and you move up to Division One. Everyone else starts over next season.
This article covers the full 2026 fixtures, early-season batting and bowling numbers, all 14 venues hosting matches, and how to watch every game live.
Teams And Competition Format
Eight teams, one division, and a whole season riding on 14 matches each.
The format is a double-round robin. Each of the eight sides plays every other team twice across the season, adding up to 14 matches per team and 56 in total.
Points decide the final standings. No playoffs. No knockout rounds. The team sitting at the top at the end of September wins the Division Two title and earns automatic promotion to Division One. Second place goes to them. The remaining six counties stay in Division Two for 2027.
County Championship Division Two 2026 Schedule
Every fixture, venue, and date across the full 56-match season.
| Date | Match No. | Match | Venue | Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Apr 3 | 1st | Derbyshire vs Worcestershire | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 3 | 2nd | Middlesex vs Gloucestershire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 3 | 3rd | Northamptonshire vs Lancashire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 3 | 4th | Durham vs Kent | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 5th | Middlesex vs Worcestershire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 6th | Gloucestershire vs Durham | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 7th | Kent vs Northamptonshire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 8th | Lancashire vs Derbyshire | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 17 | 9th | Northamptonshire vs Middlesex | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 17 | 10th | Gloucestershire vs Lancashire | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 11th | Derbyshire vs Gloucestershire | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 12th | Durham vs Lancashire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 13th | Worcestershire vs Kent | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 1 | 14th | Kent vs Derbyshire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 1 | 15th | Northamptonshire vs Worcestershire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 1 | 16th | Middlesex vs Durham | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 17th | Derbyshire vs Northamptonshire | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 18th | Gloucestershire vs Kent | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 19th | Worcestershire vs Durham | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 20th | Lancashire vs Middlesex | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 21st | Kent vs Durham | Beckenham, Kent County Cricket Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 22nd | Gloucestershire vs Northamptonshire | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 23rd | Middlesex vs Derbyshire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 24th | Lancashire vs Worcestershire | Southport, Trafalgar Road Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 25th | Northamptonshire vs Gloucestershire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 26th | Lancashire vs Kent | Blackpool, Stanley Park | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 27th | Worcestershire vs Middlesex | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 28th | Durham vs Derbyshire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 29th | Kent vs Middlesex | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 30th | Derbyshire vs Lancashire | Chesterfield, Queen’s Park | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 31st | Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 32nd | Durham vs Northamptonshire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 33rd | Middlesex vs Kent | Northwood, Merchant Taylors’ School Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 34th | Derbyshire vs Durham | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 35th | Lancashire vs Northamptonshire | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 36th | Gloucestershire vs Worcestershire | Cheltenham, College Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 37th | Derbyshire vs Middlesex | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 38th | Northamptonshire vs Kent | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 39th | Worcestershire vs Lancashire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 40th | Durham vs Gloucestershire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 41st | Gloucestershire vs Derbyshire | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 42nd | Kent vs Worcestershire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 43rd | Northamptonshire vs Durham | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 44th | Middlesex vs Lancashire | Northwood, Merchant Taylors’ School Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 45th | Derbyshire vs Kent | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 46th | Worcestershire vs Northamptonshire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 47th | Durham vs Middlesex | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 48th | Lancashire vs Gloucestershire | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 49th | Durham vs Worcestershire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 50th | Northamptonshire vs Derbyshire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 51st | Gloucestershire vs Middlesex | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 52nd | Kent vs Lancashire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 53rd | Kent vs Gloucestershire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 54th | Middlesex vs Northamptonshire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 55th | Worcestershire vs Derbyshire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 56th | Lancashire vs Durham | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
Top Performers in County Division Two 2026
The batters are making the biggest impact through the early rounds, with the leading wicket takers keeping pace alongside them.
| Category | Player | Team | Stat | Innings | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batting | Martin Andersson | DER | 228 runs | 1 | 228.00 |
| Batting | Leus du Plooy | MID | 182 runs | 1 | 182.00 |
| Batting | Emilio Gay | DUR | 139 runs | 2 | 69.50 |
| Bowling | James Anderson | LAN | 8 wickets | 2 | 13.87 |
| Bowling | Keith Dudgeon | KEN | 7 wickets | 2 | 16.71 |
| Bowling | Toby Roland-Jones | MID | 6 wickets | 2 | 13.83 |
Martin Andersson has been the standout batter of the division so far. His 228 runs from a single innings put him well clear of the field. Leus du Plooy sits second for Middlesex with 182, and Durham’s Emilio Gay has contributed 139 across two innings at an average of 69.50.
With the ball, James Anderson leads Lancashire’s attack with 8 wickets from two innings at an average of 13.87. Kent’s Keith Dudgeon has taken 7 at 16.71, while Toby Roland-Jones of Middlesex has picked up 6 at 13.83.
Venues Across England
Fifteen venues are hosting matches from Derby to Canterbury this season.
| Venue | City | Home Team |
|---|---|---|
| County Ground | Derby | Derbyshire |
| Lord’s | London | Middlesex |
| County Ground | Northampton | Northamptonshire |
| Riverside Ground | Chester-le-Street | Durham |
| Emirates Old Trafford | Manchester | Lancashire |
| County Ground | Bristol | Gloucestershire |
| St Lawrence Ground | Canterbury | Kent |
| New Road | Worcester | Worcestershire |
| Kent County Cricket Ground | Beckenham | Kent |
| Trafalgar Road Ground | Southport | Lancashire |
| Stanley Park | Blackpool | Lancashire |
| Queen’s Park | Chesterfield | Derbyshire |
| Merchant Taylors’ School Ground | Northwood | Middlesex |
| College Ground | Cheltenham | Gloucestershire |
How to Watch County Championship Division Two 2026
How to Watch County Championship Division Two 2026: Live streams, scores, highlights, and TV coverage.
| Platform | Coverage | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Official County YouTube Channels | Live streams of selected home matches | Free |
| ECB Website | Live scores, results, and highlights | Free |
| Sky Sports | Selected matches and highlights | Paid |
Suggested Reads:
Conclusion: County Championship Division Two 2026
Eight teams will spend six months playing 14 matches each, all chasing two promotion places. The full schedule runs from 3 April to 24 September, spread across 14 grounds in England. Martin Andersson, Leus du Plooy, and Emilio Gay have made early starts with the bat, while James Anderson and Toby Roland-Jones are setting the pace with the ball.
Bookmark the schedule above and follow your county’s official channels for free live streams as the promotion race heats up through summer and into September.
FAQs
There are 56 matches in total. Each of the eight teams plays 14 four-day matches across the season.
The season runs from 3 April 2026 to 24 September 2026.
Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Middlesex, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Durham, and Kent.
The top two teams at the end of the season earn promotion to Division One for the following season.
Martin Andersson of Derbyshire leads with 228 runs from one innings, averaging 228.00.
James Anderson of Lancashire tops the chart with 8 wickets from two innings at an average of 13.87.
Yes. Many county teams stream home matches on their official YouTube channels at no cost. The ECB website also provides live scores and highlights throughout the season.
