The County Championship returns with fresh hope and fresh opportunities for talents established and new up and down the land.
Nottinghamshire will be looking for another strong season after ending Surrey’s run of titles in fabulous fashion last year as Peter Moores again proved himself one of the finest coaches in the county game.
Leicestershire, meanwhile, caught the eye with their entertaining and imaginative brand of cricket as they romped to Division Two success last season, and join Glamorgan as newbies to the top flight. Durham and Worcestershire, meanwhile, must bounce back from relegation, while Sussex’s hopes of a title challenge have been dented by a points deduction.
On individual matters, the review of England’s tough Ashes tour to Australia potentially leaves places up for grabs, with Rob Key urging international hopefuls to press their case in the opening weeks of the season amid a softening of stance on the county game.
Here’s our county-by-county guide to all 18 teams ahead of the new season.
DIVISION ONE
Nottinghamshire
Coach: Peter Moores
Captain: Haseeb Hameed
So impressive on their way to the title last season, defending their crown will be tough for Nottinghamshire but most of the pieces remain the same. The loss of Mohammad Abbas to Derbyshire is a blow compensated for, somewhat, by the return of Australian Fergus O’Neill after a standout short stint last year, while Ben Duckett’s availability as he looks to secure his Test spot by forgoing IPL riches is a boon. The battle between Liam Patterson-White and 18-year-old Farhan Ahmed for spin duties is a good headache for Peter Moores to have.
England hopeful to watch: Haseeb Hameed. History says that few players get three cracks at a Test career but Hameed looks a more complete batter now than in his two previous periods at the top of England’s XI. His 1258 runs last year came at an average of 66.21 – another season like that in a strong batting order and he won’t be far away from a recall.
Surrey
Coach: Gareth Batty
Captain: Rory Burns
Surrey will begin the year with a point to prove having relinquished their place at the top of the tree. Too many draws, not helped by some placid pitches at the Oval and (particularly) elsewhere, cost them in the end and it remains the most talented staff in the country. Alec Stewart’s return as a full-time director of cricket is welcome, and all of Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson will want to release some Ashes frustration.
England hopeful to watch: Tom Lawes. One could list four or five names here (this is Surrey, after all) and Lawes is far from a guaranteed first-pick, with Dan Worrall, Jordan Clark, Atkinson and Matthew Fisher perhaps the first-choice seam quartet, and Sean Abbott arriving too. But there is a Woakes-ian feel to the bowling all-rounder of orthodox stylings, and Lawes, at 23, has time on his side.
Somerset
Coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Still, somehow, having never won the County Championship, Somerset again shape as contenders. Their bowling unit has been picked apart by others in the winter but any attack with Craig Overton and Jack Leach in it is handy. Zippy left-armer Alfie Ogborne could be a seamer to watch, yet it is stability at the top of the order that is of greatest importance – Jason Kerr was forced to chop, change and experiment too much last year.
England hopeful to watch: James Rew. A brief dalliance with the Test squad last year indicated that Rew’s more sedate scoring style did not preclude him from England’s thoughts, and he is as prolific a run-maker as any against the red ball. His role could be fascinating, with younger brother Thomas to vie with for the wicket-keeping gloves – once Rew the younger is done with his A-Levels, of course. Both are top talents.
Sussex
Coach: Paul Farbrace
Captain: Ollie Robinson
A winter of discontent at Hove has seen Sussex placed into special measures by the ECB and handed a points deduction. It is a grand shame after a period of sustained growth under the steady head of Paul Farbrace, and there will be several suitors to a number of players of promise that the county may be forced to part with given its financial circumstances. Starting on -12 is far from ideal, and the new leadership structure is slightly strange: John Simpson remains as club captain but Ollie Robinson, looking to get himself back in the England mix, will lead the side when wearing whites.
England hopeful to watch: James Coles. After a James Coles summer last season, the young batting all-rounder is increasingly proving himself a man for all seasons and it seems a matter of when, rather than if, an England call comes – and, perhaps, in what format, after his recent Hundred payday. He and Jack Carson are a nice spinning pair for Sussex to have but it is his eight first-class hundreds by the age of 22 that most impress.
Warwickshire
Coach: Ian Westwood
Captain: Ed Barnard
Warwickshire should be upwardly mobile after strengthening the seam department with Jordan Thompson, Nathan Gilchrist, Keith Barker and, after his Test retirement, the prospect of a full season of Chris Woakes. They may not see much of budding megastar Jacob Bethell, though new skipper Ed Barnard, Olly Hannon-Dalby and Sam Hain are reliable stalwarts, and Alex Davies should return to form having let go of the captaincy.
England hopeful to watch: Nathan Gilchrist. There are perhaps a few Kent fans who have questioned Nathan Gilchrist’s place in a few wider England squads over the years, but the right-arm quick has the pace and height to worry good batters. He seemed to enjoy a loan at Warwickshire last season and could thrive in a freer role around plenty of senior seam heads.
Essex
Coach: Chris Silverwood
Captain: Tom Westley
A dip down the table came as a slight surprise last season, though Essex finished level on points with the two teams above them. One would back a side of such experience to bounce back, and Chris Silverwood will be looking for batter Charlie Allison to continue his development after a sterling end to 2025. Zaman Akhter could add a different dimension behind Jamie Porter and Sam Cook; Simon Harmer is sure to add at least a few more to his 1029 first-class wickets.
England hopeful to watch: Sam Cook. This would have been Jordan Cox’s spot had the middle-order keeper-batter not picked up an IPL gig. Instead, let’s look to Cook, surely too good to be a one-Test wonder after a mixed debut outing against Zimbabwe last year.
Yorkshire
Coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Jonny Bairstow
Three wins in their final seven games showed the potential lurking within the Yorkshire ranks at the end of 2025, and Aussie speedster Jhye Richardson could make a significant impact in the opening block of county action. Around more familiar faces like skipper Jonny Bairstow and Adam Lyth, all of Will Luxton, Finlay Bean, James Wharton, Matthew Revis and George Hill are gifted youngsters.
England hopeful to watch: Matthew Revis. Revis and Hill are seam all-rounders of contrasting types who enjoyed contrasting seasons last year, with the former outstanding with the bat (average 63.86) and the latter with the ball (16.72). The perception, it seems, is that it is Revis who has the higher ceiling but either could emerge as a real all-round force.
Hampshire
Coach: Russell Domingo
Captain: Ben Brown
Only Durham’s disastrous final-day collapse at Headingley saved Hampshire from relegation last year, and Russell Domingo replaces close chum Adi Birrell tasked with avoiding a repeat. Their preparations have been hit by a pair of overseas blows: Codi Yusuf is the replacement for the replacement, a useful third seam option to add after announced deals for Michael Neser and Jayden Seales fell through. More is needed from the top order; Ben Brown and Liam Dawson are outstanding county pros but too often forced to firefight.
England hopeful to watch: Eddie Jack. Hampshire are in a strange state of having five seamers on England’s radar and not yet necessarily knowing if they can fully rely on any of them with a red-ball in hand. We could easily pick out Sonny Baker, John Turner, Dom Kelly or Scott Currie here, but Eddie Jack toured with the Lions in the winter and is said to be a favourite of Andrew Flintoff – though he bears the middle name Vaughan having been born during the fifth Ashes Test of 2005.
Leicestershire
Coach: Alfonso Thomas
Captain: Ian Holland
In many ways the story of last season, free-wheeling and free-thinking Leicestershire built around an adaptable army of all-rounders to career to the Division Two title. Losing club captain Peter Handscomb due to family commitments is a shame, and the bowling attack may need another seamer to really come through if Leicestershire are to grow again: look out for Josh Hull and Alex Green, who wouldn’t be out of place locked together in the second row down at Welford Road.
England hopeful to watch: Rehan Ahmed. A top-order batter who scored five first-class hundreds at a strike rate of nigh on 76 last summer would be interesting enough; that he is considered the most promising leggie in the country only makes Ahmed a figure of greater fascination. England don’t quite seem sure what to do with him, though that could well change this year.
Glamorgan
Coach: Richard Dawson
Captain: Kiran Carlson
Back in the top flight for the first time in 21 years, Glamorgan’s challenge is now to sustain that status. Their two previous flirts with Division One have been over in a single season and one worries they may be a little short with both bat and ball. Nathan McAndrew is a very tidy bit of business after Sussex let the Australian seamer go, though is only in Cardiff for two red-ball matches; compatriot Ryan Hadley may have to step up in the early season games.
England hopeful to watch: Asa Tribe. What Glamorgan do have is a couple of lovely, lively batting talents in Asa Tribe and Ben Kellaway, who adds some ambidextrous spin, too. It is about Tribe that most are talking, though, including Kevin Pietersen after a couple of eye-catching innings at the SA20. Pietersen’s praise was followed by a leaner spell for the Jersey international, but he was an England Lions standout after an outstanding first full season in the County Championship last year. If a vacancy does appear at the top of the England order, he might be best placed to take it.
DIVISION TWO
Durham
Coach: Ryan Campbell
Captain: Alex Lees
Durham’s squad looks much too good to stay in Division Two, even if Ben Stokes, Mark Wood and Brydon Carse are seldom sighted. Head coach Ryan Campbell felt his side capitulated too often under pressure last season, and a proactive, positive approach that had served them well was abandoned too regularly – expect, maybe, the batters to go back to backing themselves. David Bedingham and Ollie Robinson, particularly, will want to return to better touch, and Ben Raine needs more support from a stocked seam cupboard that includes overseas Kemar Roach. Teenage left-armer James Minto could emerge.
England hopeful to watch: Ben McKinney. There is no shortage of talent up at the Riverside, and a decision must be made on how to configure a top three of southpaws all on England’s radar. Alex Lees’s time may have been and gone, though both Emilio Gay and Ben McKinney should fancy themselves if they can string scores together. There is a touch of Marcus Trescothick about the latter, who is imposing and developing an ever-broader range of strokes,
Worcestershire
Coach: Alan Richardson
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Such a likeable county, another winter of flooding at New Road has placed fresh emphasis on Worcestershire’s search for an alternative home, while a preseason trip to Oman was cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East. Still, they have shown in the past an ability to adapt and overcome: getting Adam Hose back after a nasty injury will bolster the middle order and Tom Taylor (58 wickets last year) has the nagging consistency and high skill to again top the charts.
England hopeful to watch: Ethan Brookes. No player hit more sixes in Division One last season than Brookes, aided by 15 in one match against Warwickshire which illustrated the cleanliness of the all-rounder’s hitting and his potential. Can he become more of a consistent performer with bat and ball?
Derbyshire
Coach: Mickey Arthur
Captain: Wayne Madsen
There are plenty of reasons for optimism at Derby, where Mickey Arthur is assembling a side primed for a promotion push. A struggle to force results last season should be allayed by the addition of Mohammad Abbas from Hampshire, and Shoaib Bashir, while a work in progress, could be canny business to deepen the spin stocks. Ben Aitchison – the brother of Rugby World Cup winner Holly – came on nicely and Wayne Madsen, Luis Reece and Aneurin Donald are a stable, settled spine.
England hopeful to watch: Shoaib Bashir. The curious case of Bashir got even stranger as Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes suddenly turned away from the spinner they had backed to the hilt when the Ashes came. Hopefully he can find himself again – the tools remain enticing.
Middlesex
Coach: Peter Fulton
Captain: Leus du Plooy
Like Sussex, and another county to come, Middlesex are facing a revolt from past professionals unhappy about the club’s direction. Still mired in a degree of uncertainty over their place at Lord’s, budgetary requirements mean there is limited turnover to the playing staff, though the former New Zealand opener Peter Fulton brings a sizeable presence as the new head coach. Caleb Falconer and Sebastian Morgan are a couple of teenage talents to look out for.
England hopeful to watch: Max Holden. With something of the look of a folk troubadour, Holden can elegantly strum a tune against ball red or white. There were more downs than up in his early years in first-class cricket but the last two summers have been highly productive and there could well be more to come.
Lancashire
Coach: Steven Croft
Captain: James Anderson
The third of the so-called crisis clubs, David Lloyd and Paul Allott are among the leading grumblers among the Lancashire legends unhappy with the board’s running of the county, suggesting that it has lost its identity in a sporting sense. Things could hardly have gone much worse on the field in the County Championship last season with coach and captain gone before the end of May. Picking up the pieces are Steven Croft and James Anderson, a unique pair in the fact that the coach is younger than the captain – promotion must be the aim with Ajeet Singh Dale and Paul Coughlin in to add to the bowling group, though a stress fracture to overseas Mitchell Perry discovered in a routine scan after the Sheffield Shield final is ill-timed.
England hopeful to watch: Rocky Flintoff. After a remarkable innings for the England Lions seemed to leave him primed for a breakthrough summer, Flintoff felt injury’s bite in 2025 and did not make an appearance for Lancashire’s first team. After signing a new deal, the soon-to-be 18-year-old will be cautiously managed and may not bowl yet could earn a middle-order spot.
Gloucestershire
Coach: Mark Alleyne
Captain: Cameron Bancroft
Poor Gloucestershire have found their bowling attack gutted over the winter, losing all of Ajeet Singh Dale, Dom Goodman, Tom Price, Zaman Akhter and Josh Shaw to other counties. Back at a place he knows well, new director of cricket Jon Lewis will have work to do with the seamers that remain. The batting looks better equipped, with Ollie Price and Ben Charlesworth each coming along nicely and offering useful options with the ball.
England hopeful to watch: James Bracey. It will be five years this June since Bracey earned his only two England Tests against New Zealand, where, in truth, he looked out of place in a role different to that which he had occupied for his county. Having averaged north of 50 last season, Bracey will look to go again.
Northamptonshire
Coach: Darren Lehmann
Captain: Luke Procter
A second-from-bottom finish last year felt peculiar in a season where it felt like Northants made such strides, and Darren Lehmann’s side could well challenge toward the upper reaches of Division Two. Lehmann’s leaning on his links with South Australia to sign Nathan McSweeney is a shrewd move, with the back-to-back Sheffield Shield winning skipper a prolific domestic scorer. Keeping the metronomic Ben Sanderson fit after winter shoulder surgery and knee troubles will be key, and there will be excitement around what Calvin Harrison does next – so impressive on loan last season, the tall, skiddy leggie has joined from Nottinghamshire on a permanent deal.
England hopeful to watch: Saif Zaib. Lehmann has implored his batters to be more ruthless this season and follow the lead of Zaib, a compact and classy left-hander who finished last summer as the County Championship’s top run-scorer. It was a surprise not to see him included in the England Lions squad but the 27-year-old may recognise a need to get up into the top four and prove himself again against pace bowling to earn higher honours.
Kent
Coach: Adam Hollioake
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
Kent were visited this winter by a “non-denominational geopathic surveyor” – or, in the words of head coach Adam Hollioake, a “faith healer” – as they sought to address the injuries that bedevilled them last season. Greater consistency with bat, the resolute Ben Compton aside, and particularly ball will be required – Matt Milnes has been brought back from Yorkshire and it is hoped that Sam Northeast might enjoy an Indian summer to his career after eight seasons away from Canterbury. Keeping the stylish Tawanda Muyeye is good business, and in Ben Dawkins, Ekansh Singh and Jaydn Denly there are other young batters coming through the pipeline.
England hopeful to watch: Zak Crawley. Picking a player with 64 Tests to his name perhaps feels peculiar but Crawley’s England place has clearly been put under pressure by the comments made by Rob Key recently. Indeed, it feels more likely that the opener starts the summer out of the Test side than in it unless he can become a consistent county run-scorer for the first time. A run of games for Kent could be the chance he needs.
