The 2026 County Championship Division One runs from April to September. Ten teams chase the title while fighting to avoid relegation. Expect England hopefuls pushing for selection, swing on early-season pitches, and late-summer drama as both races go to the wire.
County Championship Schedule
Division One features ten teams, each playing fourteen matches between April and September around a mid-summer white-ball break. All games are four-day matches starting at 11:00 local time.
| Match & Date | Fixture | Venue | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st, Fri 3 Apr 2026 | Surrey vs Warwickshire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 2nd, Fri 3 Apr 2026 | Essex vs Hampshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 (Local) | Essex won by an innings and 137 runs |
| 3rd, Fri 3 Apr 2026 | Glamorgan vs Yorkshire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 4th, Fri 3 Apr 2026 | Sussex vs Leicestershire | Grace Road, Leicester | 11:00 (Local) | Sussex won by 222 runs |
| 5th, Fri 3 Apr 2026 | Somerset vs Nottinghamshire | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 6th, Fri 10 Apr 2026 | Essex vs Somerset | County Ground, Chelmsford | 11:00 (Local) | Somerset won by 10 wkts |
| 7th, Fri 10 Apr 2026 | Warwickshire vs Sussex | County Ground, Hove | 11:00 (Local) | Sussex won by 5 wkts |
| 8th, Fri 10 Apr 2026 | Hampshire vs Yorkshire | Headingley, Leeds | 11:00 (Local) | Hampshire won by 214 runs |
| 9th, Fri 10 Apr 2026 | Surrey vs Leicestershire | Kennington Oval, London | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 10th, Fri 10 Apr 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 11:00 (Local) | Nottinghamshire won by 192 runs |
| 11th, Fri 17 Apr 2026 | Hampshire vs Somerset | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 (Local) | Somerset won by 2 wkts |
| 12th, Fri 17 Apr 2026 | Warwickshire vs Essex | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 (Local) | Warwickshire won by 41 runs |
| 13th, Fri 24 Apr 2026 | Warwickshire vs Nottinghamshire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 14th, Fri 24 Apr 2026 | Sussex vs Yorkshire | Headingley, Leeds | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 15th, Fri 24 Apr 2026 | Essex vs Surrey | Kennington Oval, London | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 16th, Fri 24 Apr 2026 | Glamorgan vs Leicestershire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 17th, Fri 1 May 2026 | Sussex vs Surrey | Kennington Oval, London | 11:00 (Local) | Surrey won by 8 wkts |
| 18th, Fri 1 May 2026 | Glamorgan vs Hampshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 (Local) | Glamorgan won by an innings and 69 runs |
| 19th, Fri 1 May 2026 | Yorkshire vs Somerset | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 11:00 (Local) | Yorkshire won by 75 runs |
| 20th, Fri 1 May 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Leicestershire | Grace Road, Leicester | 11:00 (Local) | Nottinghamshire won by 10 wkts |
| 21st, Fri 8 May 2026 | Hampshire vs Essex | County Ground, Chelmsford | 11:00 (Local) | Essex won by 6 wkts |
| 22nd, Fri 8 May 2026 | Warwickshire vs Yorkshire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 (Local) | Warwickshire won by 377 runs |
| 23rd, Fri 8 May 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Surrey | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 24th, Fri 8 May 2026 | Somerset vs Glamorgan | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 (Local) | Glamorgan won by 2 wkts |
| 25th, Fri 8 May 2026 | Leicestershire vs Sussex | County Ground, Hove | 11:00 (Local) | Sussex won by 7 wkts |
| 26th, Fri 15 May 2026 | Leicestershire vs Essex | County Ground, Chelmsford | 11:00 (Local) | Essex won by 7 wkts |
| 27th, Fri 15 May 2026 | Hampshire vs Nottinghamshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 28th, Fri 15 May 2026 | Glamorgan vs Warwickshire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 29th, Fri 15 May 2026 | Yorkshire vs Surrey | Headingley, Leeds | 11:00 (Local) | Yorkshire won by an innings and 127 runs |
| 30th, Fri 15 May 2026 | Somerset vs Sussex | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 31st, Sun 7 Jun 2026 | Surrey vs Hampshire | Kennington Oval, London | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 32nd, Fri 12 Jun 2026 | Yorkshire vs Warwickshire | North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough | 11:00 (Local) | Match drawn |
| 33rd, Fri 12 Jun 2026 | Essex vs Leicestershire | Grace Road, Leicester | 11:00 (Local) | Essex won by 6 wkts |
| 34th, Fri 12 Jun 2026 | Glamorgan vs Sussex | County Ground, Hove | 11:00 (Local) | Sussex won by an innings and 98 runs |
| 35th, Fri 12 Jun 2026 | Somerset vs Nottinghamshire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 11:00 (Local) | Somerset won by 306 runs |
| 36th, Fri 19 Jun 2026 | Essex vs Nottinghamshire | County Ground, Chelmsford | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 37th, Fri 19 Jun 2026 | Leicestershire vs Yorkshire | Grace Road, Leicester | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 38th, Fri 19 Jun 2026 | Glamorgan vs Surrey | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 39th, Fri 19 Jun 2026 | Sussex vs Hampshire | County Ground, Hove | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 40th, Fri 19 Jun 2026 | Somerset vs Warwickshire | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 41st, Thu 20 Aug 2026 | Surrey vs Nottinghamshire | Kennington Oval, London | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 42nd, Thu 20 Aug 2026 | Warwickshire vs Sussex | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 43rd, Thu 20 Aug 2026 | Leicestershire vs Glamorgan | Grace Road, Leicester | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 44th, Thu 20 Aug 2026 | Somerset vs Essex | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 45th, Thu 20 Aug 2026 | Hampshire vs Yorkshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 46th, Thu 27 Aug 2026 | Warwickshire vs Nottinghamshire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 47th, Thu 27 Aug 2026 | Essex vs Surrey | County Ground, Chelmsford | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 48th, Thu 27 Aug 2026 | Yorkshire vs Leicestershire | North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 49th, Thu 27 Aug 2026 | Glamorgan vs Hampshire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 50th, Thu 27 Aug 2026 | Sussex vs Somerset | County Ground, Hove | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 51st, Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Essex vs Sussex | County Ground, Chelmsford | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 52nd, Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Surrey vs Yorkshire | Kennington Oval, London | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 53rd, Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Leicestershire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 54th, Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Somerset vs Glamorgan | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 55th, Wed 2 Sep 2026 | Hampshire vs Warwickshire | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 56th, Tue 8 Sep 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 57th, Tue 8 Sep 2026 | Yorkshire vs Essex | Headingley, Leeds | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 58th, Tue 8 Sep 2026 | Glamorgan vs Warwickshire | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 59th, Tue 8 Sep 2026 | Sussex vs Surrey | County Ground, Hove | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 60th, Tue 8 Sep 2026 | Leicestershire vs Somerset | Grace Road, Leicester | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 61st, Tue 15 Sep 2026 | Essex vs Warwickshire | County Ground, Chelmsford | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 62nd, Tue 15 Sep 2026 | Leicestershire vs Hampshire | Grace Road, Leicester | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 63rd, Tue 15 Sep 2026 | Yorkshire vs Somerset | Headingley, Leeds | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 64th, Tue 15 Sep 2026 | Surrey vs Glamorgan | Kennington Oval, London | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 65th, Tue 15 Sep 2026 | Sussex vs Nottinghamshire | County Ground, Hove | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 66th, Thu 24 Sep 2026 | Warwickshire vs Leicestershire | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 67th, Thu 24 Sep 2026 | Nottinghamshire vs Yorkshire | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 68th, Thu 24 Sep 2026 | Hampshire vs Sussex | The Rose Bowl, Southampton | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 69th, Thu 24 Sep 2026 | Glamorgan vs Essex | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
| 70th, Thu 24 Sep 2026 | Somerset vs Surrey | The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton | 11:00 (Local) | Upcoming |
(Source: ECB)
County Championship Live Streaming
Every Division One match is streamed live and free in 2026, with radio commentary available on the BBC. The table below shows where to watch and listen, and the regions each option covers.
| Platform | Coverage | Region |
|---|---|---|
| ECB Match Centre and England Cricket app | Live video stream | UK and most overseas |
| County YouTube channels and club sites | Live video stream | Global |
| BBC Sport, BBC local radio and Radio Wales | Radio commentary | UK |
ECB Match Centre and England Cricket App
The ECB streams every County Championship match free through its online Match Centre and the England Cricket app.
- Free to watch, with no subscription required.
- Available at ecb.co.uk and on iOS and Android through the England Cricket app.
- Option to sync BBC Radio commentary over the live video.
County YouTube Channels and Club Sites
Each of the eighteen first-class counties streams its own home fixtures free via club YouTube channels and websites.
- Free on each county’s official YouTube channel or website.
- Home matches only, so follow your county for their fixtures.
- Accessible worldwide, with no geo-blocking on most county streams.
BBC Sport and Local Radio
The BBC carries ball-by-ball radio commentary on every match via local stations, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sounds.
- Free audio commentary on every Division One fixture.
- Available through BBC Sounds, BBC local radio and BBC Radio Wales.
- UK-focused, and can be played over the ECB and app video streams.
Nottinghamshire Defend Their County Championship Crown Against Nine Division One Rivals in 2026
The 2026 County Championship offers four months of red-ball cricket, from April’s seaming pitches to September’s run-in. Nottinghamshire defend the crown they won in 2025. Newly promoted Glamorgan and Leicestershire add fresh faces to Division One, with England selection battles running alongside the county race. Every match is streamed free on ecb.co.uk and the England Cricket app, with radio commentary on the BBC. Following all ten teams has never been easier.
