Nottinghamshire to Begin County Championship Title Defence at Somerset

Nottinghamshire to Begin County Championship Title Defence at Somerset

Nottinghamshire will launch their defence of the County Championship crown with an away fixture against Somerset in early April, as part of the first block of matches announced by the ECB on Thursday.

Leicestershire and Glamorgan — both returning to Division One for the first time in more than 20 years — will host Sussex and Yorkshire respectively in the opening round beginning April 3.

Nottinghamshire secured their seventh Championship title, and first in 15 years, in dramatic fashion last season when wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne struck a crucial six to clinch a batting bonus point that sealed top spot on the penultimate day of the 2025 campaign.

Three-Block Structure Retained for 2026 Season

The 2026 Rothesay County Championship will again be played across three blocks after counties rejected a proposal earlier this year to cut the number of fixtures from 14 to 13.

  • First block: Six matches per county over seven weeks, with all games beginning on Fridays.

  • Mid-summer block: Two rounds in June.

  • Final block: Begins August 20, with the last round starting September 24.

Women's Domestic Competitions Set for Landmark Season

Lancashire, winners of both the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women’s Competition and the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup, open their 50-over title defence away to Durham on April 11. They will also host a historic first professional Roses match against Yorkshire at Emirates Old Trafford on April 25.

Yorkshire, promoted to Tier 1 one year earlier than planned following a domestic restructure, begin their top-flight campaign away to Somerset.

One-Day Cup Groups Confirmed

Men’s One-Day Cup champions Worcestershire Rapids will start their 2026 campaign at home to Derbyshire Falcons on July 24. The groups, drawn at random, are as follows:

Group A: Gloucestershire, Kent Spitfires, Lancashire, Leicestershire Foxes, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Notts Outlaws, Somerset, Surrey, Warwickshire.
Group B: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Essex, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Middlesex, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids, Yorkshire.

The Women’s One-Day Cup final will take place at the Utilita Bowl on September 19, followed by the men’s final at Trent Bridge and the Women’s League 2 final at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium on September 20.

Expanded T20 Women’s County Cup

The second edition of the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup will feature 37 counties competing for a place at Finals Day at Emirates Old Trafford on August 29, with defending champions Lancashire Thunder among the contenders.

The opening round on April 26 includes 28 counties, with the nine Tier 1 sides — Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Warwickshire and Yorkshire — entering in Round 3 on June 21. Two all-Tier 1 clashes have already been confirmed: The Blaze hosting Durham, and Yorkshire welcoming Somerset.