Notts to start title defence against Somerset

Nottinghamshire will play a game against Somerset in Taunton to begin their campaign for the County Championship.

They won the title for the first time since 2010, defeating Surrey by seven of their 14 games, finishing 16 points clear of them after winning seven of their previous three.

Surrey will begin its campaign against Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Friday, April 3, while promoted Leicestershire and Glamorgan will travel to Sussex and Yorkshire on home turf.

After the 18 top-class clubs voted to reject a proposal that would have reduced the number of games played to 13, the County Championship will continue to run the same format as it did the previous summer.

Since 2016, when the competition was cut from 16 to 16, the 10 Division One teams and the 8 in Division Two will each play 14 games.

At the time of the review of the men’s domestic structure, Professional Cricketers’ Association CEO Daryl Mitchell stated that the results did not support the demands placed on elite professional cricketers.

The decision-makers have made it impossible for our premier red-ball competition to excel in international cricket by evolving in order to satisfy both the needs of contemporary professionals and the creation of a product that will inspire everyone.

However, the Kookaburra ball experiment will be discontinued for the mid-summer rounds of matches. The Dukes’ ball will be utilized throughout the season instead.

In the first seven-week block, which starts on Fridays, each team will play six games, with two more each coming up in June.

The women’s One-Day Cup will undergo a notable change starting in Yorkshire, who will join the eight teams that have been granted tier one status for the 2025 season.

The return game will take place on September 12th, with the first fully professional women’s 50-over Roses game taking place against Lancashire, who are currently ranked 4-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday, April 25.

Erin Thomas hit an unbeaten 62 while Yorkshire defeated Glamorgan by nine wickets at Worcester to claim the League Two title last year.

Only Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Notts and Surrey are currently in Group A in the men’s competition, with Durham, Middlesex, Sussex, and Yorkshire remaining in Group B due to a draw.

This means there won’t be a men’s Roses game in the County Championship or the One-Day Cup’s group stages in the future.

Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Northants, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey, Warwickshire, and Men’s Group A 2026 are represented by these counties.

Derbyshire, Durham, Essex, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Middlesex, Sussex, Worcestershire, Yorkshire, and men’s group B 2026.

On Friday, April 3, the matches will begin.

Division One

Cardiff: Glamorgan vs.

Hampshire vs. Essex: Utilita Bowl

Leicestershire vs. Sussex:

Somerset vs. Nottinghamshire: Taunton

Warwickshire v. Surrey in Edgbaston

Division Two

Derbyshire vs. Worcestershire

Durham v. Kent: Riverside

Lord’s: Gloucestershire v. Middlesex

On Tuesday, July 21.

Derbyshire Falcons vs. Durham

Sedbergh: Surrey v. Lancashire

Middlesex vs. Essex TBC

Northampton: Warwickshire vs. Northants Steelbacks

Scarborough: Hampshire vs. Yorkshire

Notts Outlaws v. Somerset: Sookholme

Wednesday, July 22

Sussex Sharks vs. Glamorgan

Leicestershire Foxes vs. Gloucestershire: Kibworth

Thursday, July 23

Saturday, April 11th,

Durham v. Lancashire

Hampshire vs. Essex: Utilita Bowl

Somerset vs. Yorkshire: Taunton