2 months ago
DIVISION ONE
Essex
Captain Tom Westley Coach Chris Silverwood Last season 6th Div One
Essex seemed to walk astir of past summertime chasing their tail. The bowling resources were stretched, pinch Sam Cook battling wounded arsenic good arsenic spending clip pinch England and Simon Harmer not romping done sides pinch rather nan gusto he erstwhile did. Some prudent signings person added ballast: zippy Zaman Akhter from Gloucestershire and young Mitchell Killeen, from Durham, tin supply screen for Cook and nan ever reliable Jamie Porter. Jordan Cox will miss nan early portion of nan play pinch nan IPL but young Charlie Allison has a chance to make a sanction for himself aft a fabulous 2025. Prediction 6th
Glamorgan
Captain Kiran Carlson Coach Richard Dawson Last season 2nd Div Two
After 20 years skulking astir Division Two, Glamorgan are yet backmost successful nan large time. Captain Carlson is assured that his young squad is up for nan challenge, though location is simply a Sam Northeast-shaped spread successful nan batting lineup. Ben Kellaway and Asa Tribe had breakout seasons past twelvemonth and some spent nan wintertime pinch nan Lions, Tribe hitting a large period against Australia A. Doing it again, up a division, will beryllium rather a test. Australian Ryan Hadley joins for nan first six Championship games, while James Harris has retired, and nan Gardens will person to do without Marnus Labuschagne this year. Prediction 8th
Hampshire
Captain Ben Brown Coach Russell Domingo Last season 8th Div One
Saved from nan driblet by Durham’s last time tumble down nan stairs, Hampshire participate 2026 craving stability. Domingo replaces nan long-serving Adi Birrell astatine nan apical and must glue together a squad of young blades yet to scope their potential, and weary bones. South Australia’s Jake Lehmann (son of Darren), who has signed a two-year contract, bolsters nan batting and South Africa’s Codi Yusuf is simply a last- infinitesimal 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Jayden Seales, refused an NOC by Cricket Trinidad and Tobago, who himself was a replacement for Michael Neser, who was withdrawn by Cricket Australia.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 connected 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 retired of nan blocks past spring, winning 5 games successful their first seven, and securing promotion pinch 2 matches to play. Things will beryllium trickier this year, nan precocious withdrawal of Peter Handscomb a immense blow, though Ashes debutant Jake Weatherald joins early season. A well-drilled broadside is boosted by Stephen Ezkinazi, Jonny Tattersall and Josh Davey, and Ben Green makes Grace Road his imperishable home. Rehan Ahmed will request to person different magical summer. Ajaz Patel is simply a precocious replacement for Keshav Maharaj. Prediction 10th
Nottinghamshire
Captain Haseeb Hameed Coach Peter Moores Last season 1st Div One
Popular and well-deserved champions, aft slipping done connected nan unsighted broadside and giving Surrey a bloody chemoreceptor astatine nan Oval successful nan penultimate crippled of nan season. The match-winner that thrilling day, Josh Tongue, is now centrally contracted, and Dillon Pennington successful nan reckoning, but nan fast-bowling stocks are boosted by nan return of Fergus O’Neill for nan first half of nan summer, and Pakistan’s Mohammad Ali for nan second. Notts will request calm skipper Hameed to beryllium successful nan runs again, while Kyle Verreynne’s return and Ben Duckett’s last-minute determination to move down his IPL gig are a immense fillip. Liam Patterson-White and Farhan Ahmed hold successful nan wings. Prediction 3rd
Somerset
Captain Lewis Gregory Coach Jason Kerr Last season 3rd Div One
They emotion their red-ball cricket down successful nan West Country, and Somerset person been circling nan apical of nan Championship for a mates of seasons. Their young batters – nan Rew brothers, who spent nan wintertime pinch nan Lions, Josh Thomas, Archie Vaughan – now person acquisition to spell pinch their talent, while Toms Banton and Lammonby deed their groove successful 2025. There’s a acquainted consciousness to nan broadside pinch Craig Overton and skipper Gregory starring nan seam attack, Jack Leach and Vaughan nan rotation duo and Migael Pretorius coming backmost to capable nan overseas slot. This could beryllium nan saccharine spot twelvemonth earlier England travel calling. Prediction 2nd
Surrey
Captain Rory Burns Coach Gareth Batty Last season 2nd Div One
Alec Stewart is backmost successful station astatine nan Oval, wherever past year’s runners-up want their crown back. A torrid Ashes wintertime intends Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith person early play activity to do to unafraid their England spots, while nan emergence of Jacob Bethell leaves Ollie Pope to return retired his frustrations connected nan remainder of Division One. Sean Abbott returns for a 4th stint and Rahul Chahar, who took 10 wickets against Hampshire successful his only lucifer past September, will fizz done nan past 8 games of nan season. Another logic for nan much than 80,000 who watched Championship cricket astatine nan Oval past twelvemonth to rotation done nan turnstiles again. Prediction 1st
Sussex
Captain Ollie Robinson Coach Paul Farbrace Last season 4th Div One
Robinson, nan caller captain, has his oculus connected 50 wickets and winning his England spot back, but location is simply a batch sitting successful his inbox. Sussex were put successful typical measures early this year, pursuing financial mismanagement, and commencement nan play connected minus 12. They person 2 cracking overseas players successful Daniel Hughes and Jaydev Unadkat, but immoderate further signings must beryllium approved by nan ECB, and agents are circling for their bully young players. The all-rounder James Coles, nan taxable of a immense bidding warfare successful nan Hundred, is nan astir salient and has a constituent to prove. Tom Haines and John Simpson rotation up their sleeves again. Prediction 9th
Warwickshire
Captain Ed Barnard Coach Ian Westwood Last season 5th Div One
After a career-best play successful 2025, Barnard takes complete from Alex Davies arsenic captain. He will person wise counsel from Chris Woakes, free to play a afloat play astatine Edgbaston for nan first clip successful years. The bowling stocks are further boosted pinch nan return of Keith Barker for 1 past hurrah, Jordan Thompson from Yorkshire and Kent’s Nathan Gilchrist, plus, for nan first half of nan season, nan all-round talents of Beau Webster. With nan bowling looking healthy, Warwickshire conscionable request to prize much runs from a batting lineup that relied heavy connected Sam Hain and Barnard past year. Prediction 4th
Yorkshire
Captain Jonny Bairstow Coach Anthony McGrath Last season 7th Div One
If Yorkshire conscionable astir navigated their first twelvemonth backmost successful Division One, it wasn’t ever easy. They person stocked up nan larder complete nan winter: Australian speedy bowler Jhye Richardson joins for nan first six Championship matches, Netherlands workhorse Logan van Beek is astir for nan first eight, and left-handed Western Australia batter Sam Whiteman will walk nan summertime astatine Headingley courtesy of his British passport. Throw successful George Hill and Jack White and nan bowling looks healthy, while Matthew Revis and James Wharton are nan astir eye-catching of nan young batters. Joe Root to sprinkle immoderate magic early season. Prediction 5th
DIVISION TWO
Derbyshire
Captain Wayne Madsen Coach Mickey Arthur Last season 3rd Div Two
Derby jumped from eighth to 3rd past year, and Arthur has added immoderate sparkle to nan squad during nan winter. They person a thoroughbred successful Mohammad Abbas, lured eastbound aft winning nan Championship pinch Notts; while Shoaib Bashir has a chance to relaunch his profession astatine nan County Ground – which wasn’t connected anyone’s bingo paper a twelvemonth ago. Caleb Jewell returns aft 1,000 handsome runs past twelvemonth and Madsen, who besides passed a 1000 successful 2025, joins Jimmy Anderson successful nan Ancient Mariner role. Prediction 3rd
Durham
Captain Alex Lees Coach Ryan Campbell Last season 9th Div One
Durham’s encephalon fart connected nan last day of nan season, was nan astir seismic of galore past summer, and dumped them backmost down successful Division Two. A talented squad, they request to rediscover their mojo and could do pinch David Bedingham uncovering his “walking connected h2o ways” quickly. Surrey prima Kemar Roach is simply a astonishment signing for nan first half nan play and brings professionalism and prima power. Spectre of Old Trafford, Dale Benkenstein, returns arsenic a batting coach astatine his aged club. Prediction 2nd
Gloucestershire
Captain Cameron Bancroft Coach Mark Alleyne Last season 6th Div Two
A expansive exodus astatine nan extremity of nan play near Gloucestershire without six of their seamers. Into that bare larder walks Will Williams, Lancashire’s ever reliable pro, who whitethorn person to vessel from some ends. He gets support for nan first six games from 6ft 4in Australian Gabe Bell whose steepling bounce mightiness pep up Nevil Road. The batting looks comparatively strong, Bancroft returns, to subordinate Miles Hammond, Ben Charlesworth, Ollie Price and James Bracey, while Ed Joyce is simply a batting consultant. Prediction 8th
Kent
Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond Coach Adam Hollioake Last season 8th Div Two
Hollioake’s first occupation is to support everyone connected nan parkland aft Kent limped crossed finishing statement past September. Keith Dudgeon was 1 of nan stepping wounded, 7 for 36 connected debut earlier injuring his knee and flying home. He’s back, alongside all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy and accelerated bowler Glenton Stuurman, who divided nan season. After Rob Key’s musings complete “a deficiency of consequence for mediocre performance” each eyes will beryllium connected Zak Crawley, and nan batting looks successful decent style arsenic Sam Northeast returns. Prediction 7th
Lancashire
Captain Jimmy Anderson Coach Steven Croft Last season 5th Div Two
It’s been getting spicy astatine Old Trafford, Special General Meetings sprouting everywhere, conscionable successful clip for nan commencement of nan season. The chaotic aerial belies a much settled playing squad, led by Croft and Anderson (44 successful July) who turned astir Lancashire’s play past year. The prolific Marcus Harris flies successful from Australia (though accelerated bowler Mitch Perry is simply a past infinitesimal cancellation) to subordinate a group besides boosted by Ajeet Singh Dale, while Rocky Flintoff is fresh astatine last. After past year’s debacle, each eyes are connected promotion. Prediction 1st
Middlesex
Captain Leus du Plooy Coach Peter Fulton Last season 4th Div Two
A nine successful perennial crisis, pinch a financial albatross, nary main exec, nary recruitment and nary overseas player. But each is not lost. The indefatigable Toby Roland-Jones will proceed to transportation nan attack, ably supported by Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar, and location are promising young players coming through. All-rounder Caleb Falconer and seamer Sebastian Morgan some played successful nan U19 World Cup, while near armer Noah Cornwell is fancied. Interesting times for caller coach Fulton, who came recommended by Kane Williamson. Prediction 4th
Northamptonshire
Captain Luke Procter Coach Darren Lehmann Last season 7th Div Two
Could things beryllium looking up for Northants? Good things are expected from caller enlistee and Australia A skipper Nathan McSweeney, who made an unbeaten 226 against nan Lions during nan winter. He joins Harry Conway and Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal successful nan overseas slots. Much relies connected Calvin Harrison, whose happy indebtedness from Trent Bridge becomes permanent, and Saif Zaib, who some had thrilling seasons successful 2025. Eyes excessively connected Stuart van der Merwe, who wowed pinch a period connected his first-class debut. Prediction 6th
Worcestershire
Captain Brett D’Oliveira Coach Alan Richardson Last season 10th Div One
Supporting Worcestershire is for illustration being stuck successful a misfiring elevator, and they are erstwhile much chasing promotion. Jake Libby remains nan linchpin nan squad bat around, and deserves a typical badge for making complete a 1000 runs past twelvemonth connected New Road’s capricious pitches. The groundstaff person had six much floods to mop up this winter, fingers crossed for nan first location crippled owed connected 24 April. Seamer Beyers Swanepoel arrives from South Africa (in somewhat arguable circumstances) to thief Tom Taylor, past year’s starring wicket-taker. Prediction 5th
