Can Nottinghamshire go back-to-back or will Surrey reclaim their crown? How might Leicestershire and Glamorgan go after long absences from Division One? The Rothesay County Championship season begins on Friday and we have run the rule over the contenders. You can read our Division Two preview here.
Essex
Last season: 6th
Director of cricket: Chris Silverwood
Captain:Tom Westley
Overseas: Simon Harmer, Wiaan Mulder (April-June)
Ins: Mitchell Killeen (Durham), Zaman Akhter (Gloucestershire) Outs: Nick Browne (retired), Adam Rossington, Jamal Richards (both released)
As they enter their 150th anniversary year, Essex do so with the lessons of a nerve-jangling 2025 to spur them back to greater things. Their decade-long stint in the top flight was in peril right up until the final days of the season, after a campaign that faltered through a combination of unresponsive home pitches and a bowling attack that lacked the all-round penetration of seasons gone by.
In part this could be explained by Sam Cook's extended absences from Championship action. After four consecutive seasons of 40 wickets at sub-20, he claimed just 16 at 35 in six appearances while making his overdue but under-fulfilled Test bow with England. Chris Silverwood had stated on his return to Chelmsford last year that a reboot of Essex's seam stocks was a priority. The signing of Gloucestershire's Zaman Akhter could be a coup in that regard, but so too could a refreshed Cook with a point to prove.
On the batting front, Essex did at least have a hyper-motivated Jordan Cox to lead the line last summer. This time round, he'll be missing for the opening rounds of the season on IPL duty, and if his form and fitness can finally align, then he too might find England's selectors taking note. Wiaan Mulder's arrival from Leicestershire, via the small matter of the World Test Championship final and a world-record-threatening 367 not out against Zimbabwe, could prove pivotal to their season, as part of a strong South African core that also features Dean Elgar and Essex's long-term spin lock, Simon Harmer.
One to watch: It's hard not to get excited about a genuine fast bowler, and Zaman Akhter is certainly one of those. He owed his second chance in county cricket to the South Asian Cricket Academy, but it's one he is in the process of seizing, including with a number of fiery displays for England Lions in recent times. Given Silverwood's prior success as a coach of quick bowling, he should believe he's in the right hands. Andrew Miller
Bet365: 13/2
Glamorgan
Last season: 2nd in Division Two
Director of cricket: Mark Wallace
Head coach: Richard Dawson
Captain: Kiran Carlson
Overseas: Colin Ingram, Ryan Hadley (April-May), Nathan McAndrew (June)
Ins: Sean Dickson (Somerset)
Outs: Sam Northeast (Kent), Tom Bevan (released), James Harris (retired)
The aim for Glamorgan in 2026 could not be clearer: stay up. A return to the top-flight brings with it reminders of 2001 and 2005, when that status was short-lived, met as it was with immediate relegation. Now debt free following the sale of Welsh Fire - Sanjay Govil paying around £40m for a 50% stake in the Hundred franchise - the pitfalls this time around are not as deep.
The dearth of seam bowlers looks a problem from the outset, one which the club has sought to rectify with a brace of Australians. New South Welshman Ryan Hadley has pace that captain Kiran Carlson believes "could ruffle some feathers", while Nathan McAndrew , plucked from Sussex, is on a high having delivered South Australia their second consecutive Sheffield Shield, though will only play red-ball cricket in June.
At the very least, Carlson leads a sprightly batting group, of which Asa Tribe comes into the season as the most high profile, having shot to prominence last year and seeking now thrust to the front of the Test queue after a productive winter with England Lions. Should the call come, he will leave Glamorgan lacking, but that would at least mean a fruitful start to his first foray into Division One.
Ben Kellaway's all-round brilliance (813 runs at 54.20, 25 wickets at 32.12) will accompany Mason Crane's legspin (23 at 26.73), with the hopes that Sophia Gardens will once again be a haven for their slow-bowling, X-factor ways.
Sean Dickson's acquisition is a savvy bit of business, not just to replace Sam Northeast's red-ball runs but adding nous against the white ball, too. Now onto his fourth county, this will undoubtedly be a season when more is asked of Dickson than ever before.
One to watch: The noise from the last couple of weeks is that Eddie Byrom looks a man in form. Since moving to Wales from Somerset at the end of the 2021 season, Byrom has managed a respectable first-class average of 35.70 but just three centuries in 51 innings. A hundred at Taunton in pre-season is a promising sign that he could enjoy a fruitful campaign at the top of the order. Vithushan Ehantharajah
Bet365: 25/1
Hampshire
Last season: 8th
Director of cricket: Giles White
Head coach: Russell Domingo
Captain: Ben Brown
Overseas: Kyle Abbott, Codi Yusuf (April-May)
Ins: Jake Lehmann (UK passport)
Outs: Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Benny Howell (Nottinghamshire), Joseph Eckland (released)
After avoiding relegation by the barest of margins and with Durham to thank, 2026 looms as a redemption season for Hampshire.
There has been no shortage of off-field drama, however. Michael Neser had his deal as an overseas player blocked by Cricket Australia only for his replacement, Jayden Seales, to be pulled by Cricket Trinidad and Tobago. Hampshire finally settled on South Africa's Codi Yusuf to accompany his long-serving countryman Kyle Abbott in the seam department following the departure of Keith Barker.
New coach Russell Domingo keeps the South African theme strong as Adi Birrell's replacement. He is tasked with getting the most from a squad boasting plenty of talent with the likes of England fringe-dwellers Liam Dawson, Sonny Baker and John Turner, opener Ali Orr, in his third season after moving from Sussex, and Scott Currie, the former Scotland seamer now making his mark with England Lions.
They will be hoping that the pitch issues which blighted their season last year - ultimately leading to an eight-point penalty - are behind them. Plenty of hope will also rest on the shoulders of Jake Lehmann, signed to fill the James Vince-sized hole left by the former captain's decision before the start of last season to opt out of red-ball cricket.
One to watch: Having just secured a second consecutive Sheffield Shield title with South Australia, Jake Lehmann, son of former Australia batter Darren, arrives as a local on a British passport to bolster a Hampshire line-up which managed to secure just 12 batting points last season. At 33, Lehmann Jr has plenty of experience and, with coaching aspirations, his younger team-mates at Hampshire stand to prosper. Valkerie Baynes
Bet365: 12/1
Leicestershire
Last season: 1st in Division Two
Head coach: Alfonso Thomas
Captain: Ian Holland
Overseas: Ajaz Patel, Jake Weatherald
Ins: Stephen Eskinazi (Middlesex), Jonny Tattersall (Yorkshire), Josh Davey (Somerset), Ben Green (Somerset), Yadvinder Singh (Worcestershire)
Outs: Louis Kimber (Northamptonshire), Chris Wright, Harry Swindells (both retired), Matt Salisbury, Roman Walker (both released)
The Foxes are back in the top flight for the first time in 22 years. It's an unthinkable achievement given the depths the club has plunged in between whiles - including the 992 days between Championship victories that spanned the entirety of the 2013 and 2014 seasons, and another barren campaign, their fourth in a decade, as recently as 2022.
But Leicestershire's uptick in fortunes has been substantial and lasting. It began with that emotional One-Day Cup victory in 2023 - an achievement that imbued new value into a competition that had been spurned by the domestic mainstream. Now, the onus shifts to Division One survival, but teams that perfect that winning habit often find it hard to break, no matter how stiff the challenge in the interim.
They've worked hard to shore up their squad, with a series of canny signings, not least Steve Eskinazi who has converted his loan from Middlesex into a permanent deal, while Jonny Tattersall - surplus behind the stumps at Yorkshire thanks to the return of his first-namesake Bairstow - is another hugely experienced signing. The absence of club captain Peter Handscomb, for personal reasons, is a big blow, but Ian Holland stepped into his shoes with aplomb at the sharp end of last season, while Ashes debutant Jake Weatherald could be a shrewd acquisition for the early season.
On the bowling front, Josh Hull now has the top-flight stage on which to live up to his England Test fast-tracking in 2024, while the Somerset duo of Ben Green and Josh Davey know what it takes to compete in the top half of the table. Keshav Maharaj would have been a fine addition, had CSA not kiboshed his deal for workload reasons, but New Zealand's Ajaz Patel is a more-than-handy replacement.
One to watch: Increasingly it feels as though Rehan Ahmed's legspin is a bonus string to his bow. Last summer, the ebullience of his top-order batting epitomized the optimism of Leicestershire's title bid, and having carried that gung-ho attitude into his T20 World Cup cameo, it's fair to expect more of the same for 2026. Who knows where it could lead if he hits the campaign running. AM
Bet365: 16/1
Nottinghamshire
Last season: 1st
Director of cricket: Mick Newell
Head coach: Peter Moores
Captain: Haseeb Hameed
Overseas: Kyle Verreynne, Fergus O'Neill (April to June), Mohammad Ali (from August), Peter Siddle (T20), George Linde (T20)
Ins: Benny Howell (Hampshire, T20), George Munsey (T20)
Outs: Matt Montgomery (Derbyshire), Calvin Harrison (Northamptonshire), Sammy King, Dane Schadendorf (released)
The defending champions that no one saw coming, certainly at this time last year. Having danced with relegation in 2024, Nottinghamshire two-stepped to the County Championship, all-but sealing it with a thrilling victory over four-peat attempters Surrey in the penultimate round.
It was a fine awakening for a talented yet previously erratic group of players. Peter Moores told them in pre-season that they were no longer in transition, and they believed him... Eventually, once they occupied top spot with some insurance after a home victory against Sussex at the end of April.
There were no shortages of contributors with bat or ball. Haseeb Hameed and Jack Haynes both struck four centuries each, but were two of eight batters to reach three figures at some point last summer. Similarly, seven different bowlers notched 20 or more dismissals, led by 38 from Brett Hutton, who looks noticeably leaner in pre-season.
The return of Fergus O'Neill is a huge boost considering he managed 21 wickets from just four appearances. Provided Cricket Australia don't call their usual audible, he should get six full matches in his early summer stint. That would make up for the fact Notts will be lucky to see six games from Josh Tongue again, after he emerged as the only seamer in credit off the back of the Ashes. Test series against New Zealand and Pakistan will see centrally contracted talented ring-fenced in the middle and end of the season.
With the squad largely the same and hungry to go again, back-to-back titles cannot be ruled out.
One to watch: A strapping fast bowler who can bat a bit - what's not to like? But Rob Lord has so far had limited chances to impress. Having come through at Lancashire without making a first-team appearance, he joined Notts in 2024 to bolster their One-Day Cup squad. His contract runs until the end of the summer and, like others, he may find consistent opportunities away from Trent Bridge. But he certainly has it in him to make a strong impression should he find a way up a crowded seam pecking order. VE
Bet365: 11/2
Somerset
Last season: 3rd
Director of cricket: Andy Hurry
Head coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas: Migael Pretorius
Ins: Josh Shaw (Gloucestershire)
Outs: Kasey Aldridge (Durham), Sean Dickson (Glamorgan), Josh Davey, Ben Green (Leicestershire), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Andy Umeed (released)
Somerset's points tally was closer to relegated Durham's than champions Nottinghamshire's last season. Their second successive third-placed finish reflected both the form of their middle order - led by Tom Abell and James Rew - and the consistency of Jack Leach. Leach's 52 wickets last summer were not enough to persuade England that he was worth a spot in their Ashes squad, perhaps in part because 41 of them came in his seven home games. But Somerset believe he is the outstanding bowler in the division, with head coach Jason Kerr describing him as "world class".
The squad has thinned out over the winter, with several players moving on. Tom Banton is likely to miss much of the Championship season due to IPL and England commitments, while young keeper-batter Thomas Rew is revising for his A-Level exams, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore is available after opting to skip the PSL. Somerset's seam attack looks heavily reliant on Craig Overton and South African overseas signing Migael Pretorius, though young left-armer Alfie Ogborne has been tipped for a breakthrough season. Archie Vaughan - son of former England captain Michael - was ever-present last year and will continue to develop his spin-bowling partnership with Leach, while targeting a more productive season with the bat.
One to watch: Tom Lammonby burst onto England's radar when, aged 20, he hit three consecutive hundreds in the Bob Willis Trophy, including one in the final at Lord's against Essex, but he averaged under 30 for the next three seasons. A stylish left-hander who bats at No. 3, Lammonby has started to rediscover his form in the last two years; at 25, now is the time to truly kick on. Matt Roller
Bet365: 9/2
Surrey
Last season: 2nd
Director of cricket: Alec Stewart
Head coach: Gareth Batty
Captain: Rory Burns
Overseas: Sean Abbott (April-July), Rahul Chahar (from June 7)
Ins:
Outs:
After three years of entering the season as defending champions, Surrey have the dishonour of being part of the chasing pack.
To say they are using it as fuel would be an understatement. Indeed, this is a squad not lacking for motivation. The likes of Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson have their Test spots to push for once more after a dispiriting winter. Those on the periphery like Dom Sibley, Dan Lawrence, Tom Lawes and Matt Fisher (an unused squad member at the backend of the Ashes) will also have eyes on displacing them.
That competition for higher honours in the same dressing room is nothing new at the Kia Oval, and it will likely lead to a less disjointed summer than the last one, when early-season IPL commitments bled into England call-ups left Surrey without a settled core. Only two batters made multiple centuries (Sibley with four, Lawrence with two) and their pace attack lacked its usual incisiveness.
Dan Worrall had his least productive campaign in south London so far, yet still managed 32 dismissals at 26.65. A calf injury means he will not make the opener against Warwickshire. Sean Abbott's availability from the get-go - having missed last summer - is a huge boost. Wristspinner Rahul Chahar's presence for the last eight rounds after a 10-for in his one and only appearance in the final round against Hampshire is as close to a statement signing as you can get.
Head coach Gareth Batty and skipper Rory Burns have been plotting over the winter as to how best to reclaim their throne from Nottinghamshire, along with Alec Stewart back full-time. That there have been no domestic additions to the playing group hints at Surrey's belief they should have made it four titles in a row. They'll settle for four in five.
One to watch: Grandson of snooker legend Jimmy White, 18-year-old Ralphie Albert is making his own way in professional sport. Handy across formats, the spinning allrounder (left-arm orthodox) is an outside chance to start the season for Surrey. A first-class debut at the end of last season - notching a maiden half-century - led into a full winter with England U19s, finishing the World Cup with 10 dismissals, the second-most for them. Made 92 in a intra-squad match last week at The Oval. VE
Bet365: 7/4
Sussex
Last season: 4th
Head coach: Paul Farbrace
Captain: Ollie Robinson
Overseas: Daniel Hughes, Jaydev Unadkat (June-Sept)
Ins: Tom Price (Gloucestershire), Dom Goodman (Gloucestershire), Jack Leaning (Kent)
Outs: Ari Karvelas, Bertie Foreman, Archie Lenham, Zach Lion-Cachet, Henry Rogers (all released)
In what might be billed as a cross between Ocean's Eleven and Armageddon, Paul Farbrace will reunite the old gang at Hove - with a few additions - for one last caper before reality catches up with them. Can Farby's XI challenge for honours beneath the shadow of special measures, and maybe even pull off a Division One heist?
After a turbulent winter at Sussex, Farbrace's determination that the club focus on winning some silverware should at least lift spirits. In a sense, the meteor has already hit, with Sussex braced for a tough three-year period in which the ECB will oversee their budgets. Success on the field likely won't prevent the squad from being broken up as spending restrictions take effect - so the onus is on Ollie Robinson, John Simpson and co to deliver "something special" while they can. (Farbrace has already signalled that he will be off.)
Sussex achieved a fourth-place finish on their long-awaited return to Division One and it is not outlandish to think they could go better. James Coles stole the headlines at the Hundred auction, but made 1000 first-class runs last summer; Tom Haines and Jack Carson are potential England contenders; Robinson, now the red-ball captain, is fit and hoping to fire his own chances of a recall. If Farbrace can cajole his charges to a first Championship pennant since 2007 before walking off into the sunset, he will secure his spot in Hove history.
One to watch: At New Road in 2023, Tom Price became only the second player in the history of first-class cricket to take a hat-trick and score 100-plus runs in the same day. That provides a snapshot of the 26-year-old's potential, as does a career record of 94 wickets at 31.11. Newly arrived from Gloucestershire, he adds depth in the allrounder spot alongside Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Danny Lamb. Alan Gardner
Bet365: 16/1
Warwickshire
Last season: 5th
Performance director: James Thomas
Head coach: Ian Westwood
Captain: Ed Barnard
Overseas: Beau Webster (April-June)
Ins: Jordan Thompson (Yorkshire), Nathan Gilchrist (Kent), Keith Barker (Hampshire)
Outs: Moeen Ali (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Sussex), Craig Miles (Gloucestershire), Chris Rushworth (retired)
Warwickshire have underachieved in recent seasons but are dark horses for the title this year. They have recruited well and now boast one of the deepest seam attacks in the country, not least with Chris Woakes available for the full season after his international retirement. Bowling coach Graeme Welch has returned from Hampshire and brought Keith Barker with him, while Ethan Bamber led the attack last year and Olly Hannon-Dalby remains a reliable workhorse.
Jordan Thompson, one of the best uncapped players in the country, was a statement signing last summer and gives Warwickshire enviable all-round depth, along with newly-appointed captain Ed Barnard. Barnard takes over from Alex Davies, while Beau Webster - due to be available for the first half of the Championship season - is among the top handful of overseas players in the division.
The biggest challenge will be finding more consistency with the bat: Barnard was the only player to reach 750 runs last summer, as Davies, Rob Yates and Dan Mousley had quiet Championship seasons. Warwickshire will see precious little of Jacob Bethell, who is in India with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which should create opportunities for young batters Kai Smith and Hamza Shaikh. "We've recruited really well and we've got a lot of good players to choose from who are raring to go," says Sam Hain, who should be entering his prime at 30.
One to watch: Nathan Gilchrist arrived on loan from Kent late last season ahead of his permanent move, and dismissed Harry Brook, Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett in England's now infamous Ashes warm-up match against the Lions at Lilac Hill in November. At 6ft 5in, his extra bounce could provide Warwickshire's experienced attack with a point of difference. MR
Bet365: 12/1
Yorkshire
Last season: 7th
General Manager of cricket: Gavin Hamilton
Head coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Jonny Bairstow
Overseas: Logan van Beek (Apr-Jul), Jhye Richardson (Apr-May), Will Sutherland (T20 and June Championship fixtures), Naveen Ul-Haq (T20),
Ins: Sam Whiteman, Andrew Tye, Moeen Ali (T20)
Outs: Jonny Tattersall (Leicestershire), Jordan Thompson (Warwickshire), Matt Milnes (Kent), Dawid Malan (Gloucestershire)
After consolidating their Division One status in 2025, could this year bring a title tilt for the White Rose?
A scorned Jonny Bairstow at the helm, and Adam Lyth still churning big - last year's 1173 runs at 51.00 was his third four-figure season on the bounce - the batting order has its usual touchstones, supplemented by James Wharton and Matthew Revis. That's before we even get into how much they will see of Joe Root and Harry Brook with seven rounds before the summer's first Test. This could also be the year that 22-year-old Will Luxton cracks the longer format, after a few flourishes in the Blast.
George Hill, Jack White and Ben Coad will share the bowling load once more, enhanced by Australians Jhye Richardson and Will Sutherland, and Netherlands' Logan Van Beek, offering extra international oomph across the first three months of the season.
Anthony McGrath knows what modern-day Championship winners look like from his time at Essex, and it is hard not to see a similar mix of established pros, smart acquisitions and domineering local talent in that Headingley dressing room.
One to watch: Matthew Revis topped Yorkshire's batting averages last season but, over the winter, England's management were intrigued by what they could unlock in his bowling. Five dismissals at an eye-watering average of 96.20 was his record in 2025, but hours, days and months were put into a man whose stature - tall, broad-shouldered, thick of trunk - drew obvious comparisons with Lions coach Andrew Flintoff. Revis cites Flintoff as a sporting idol, and their work together could prove a catalyst for new levels from the 24-year-old. VE
Bet365: 10/1