Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Ex-England Test bowling partners James Anderson and Ollie Robinson will both captain Lancashire and Sussex respectively in 2026
All 18 teams will be in action in Friday's curtain-raiser, but what does this campaign have in store?
BBC local radio county cricket commentators take a look at each club's prospects.
County Championship 2026: Clean slate for the domestic game?
Dave Fletcher – BBC Radio Derby
I began my look ahead to the 2025 campaign by suggesting things could only improve for Derbyshire in the County Championship – and boy, did they improve.
Last season was the team's best since 2014, climbing from bottom of the second division to third in the table and only missing out on promotion by five points.
The task head of cricket Mickey Arthur has is to improve on that – and he has had a strong off-season.
Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas has joined from neighbours Nottinghamshire on a two-year deal and ought to be a key man in the quest for wickets. After all, he took 32 of them at just 21.46 in nine first division matches in 2025.
England spinner Shoaib Bashir has arrived from Somerset looking for more game time to relaunch his career after what must have been a frustrating winter. Still only 22 years old, he will surely get plenty of opportunities.
And there is also Matt Montgomery, who had a loan spell with Derbyshire in the One-Day Cup last season when he scored two centuries in six innings.
He has joined permanently on a three-year deal to further strengthen an already-impressive batting line-up which includes Australian Caleb Jewell, who returns after reaching 1,000 Championship runs last year, and skipper Wayne Madsen who also hit that mark.
Luis Reece will be looking to build on a campaign in which he was the leading wicket-taker in Division Two with 50 at just 19 in addition to scoring more than 600 first-class runs.
Expectations have been raised. It will be fascinating to see how they deliver.
Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Luis Reece took more wickets (50) than any other bowler in Division Two in the County Championship in 2025
2025 season: Ninth in Division One (relegated)
Martin Emmerson - BBC Radio Newcastle
Durham find themselves in Division Two once again, just a couple of years after going up.
The last time they were relegated – due to poor form – they won only two Championship games. That was in the summer of 2000.
After beating (eventual title winners) Notts in May last year, they appeared to be heading in the right direction, but as it turned out, that was it. They did not win another match and were relegated after a disastrous final day in Leeds.
Knowing Hampshire had already lost to Surrey, Durham only had to bat out the day to survive. Yorkshire were already safe. The visitors did not even make tea.
Coach Ryan Campbell signed a new two-year contract a few weeks earlier. It seems relegation came as a shock and he said he had lots of sleepless nights after it.
For me, it had been coming for months. The inability to win games was apparent by July as draws started to turn into defeats. It was yet another season where they struggled to keep bowlers fit and too many batters struggled.
In 2024, David Bedingham was the leading batter in the country, but a toe injury early in 2025 saw him sidelined for weeks. He was then on international duty and when he did return to Durham, he had little form to speak of. Bedingham is back for a seventh season this year and I hope he can re-discover his spark.
We saw little of Sam Conners, with the bowler injured when the campaign began, while fellow new signing Will Rhodes struggled with the bat.
As for this season, West Indian bowler Kemar Roach has signed for the first part of the campaign.
He has won three county titles. He is now 37 and I am keeping my fingers crossed he does not suffer the curse of the overseas bowler in Chester-le-Street. It strikes frequently.
Kasey Aldridge agreed a three-year deal last summer, following a successful spell on loan from Somerset in the T20 Blast. No doubt when he signed he would have been expecting to play Division One cricket this year.
Durham also signed 20-year-old quick Archie Bailey from Gloucestershire. I have heard good reports about him but he has only played five first-class matches to date.
After relegation in his first season as skipper, Alex Lees remains in the role which has surprised a few people.
He has certainly got his work cut out if Durham are to become a winning team again. Of their two wins last season, one was against fellow relegation side Worcestershire.
I remain sceptical about Durham's chances of promotion. I would be more than happy to see them go up.
But, while some fans expect a quick return to Division One, there are others who point to the experiences of Kent and Lancashire last season instead.
It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Victoria Polley - BBC Radio Essex
Essex enter the 2026 County Championship with ambitions of looking up the Division One table rather than anxiously over their shoulders, as was too often the case in 2025.
Director of cricket Chris Silverwood has moved decisively in the winter market after last season exposed a lack of depth in the bowling department.
South African all‑rounder Wiaan Mulder looks an astute signing, available for the opening months while Jordan Cox is away at the IPL. He is joined by Zaman Akhter from Gloucestershire and Durham seamer Mitchell Killeen, further bolstering the attack.
When Cox does return, attention will inevitably turn to whether he can maintain the superb form he has shown since arriving at Chelmsford two years ago - and whether those performances finally force the England selectors to take notice.
It is now seven years since Essex completed the double and several members of that era remain central to the first team, but they cannot go on forever.
Around them, a new generation is emerging. Charlie Allison enjoyed a breakout Championship campaign last summer, while teenage quicks Mackenzie Jones and Charlie Bennett continue to develop.
With that blend of experience and youthful promise, Essex should expect to be competing at the right end of the table once again this season.
2025 season: Second in Division Two (promoted)
Nick Webb - BBC Radio Wales Sport
Glamorgan exceeded most expectations in 2025 as they moved up the ladder from sixth in Division Two to earn promotion in second with a match to spare.
But they will need to repeat the feat and more if they are to earn consecutive seasons in the top flight for the first time ever.
Much of the pre-season focus has been on young guns Asa Tribe and Ben Kellaway, with the opener and the spin-bowling all-rounder both gaining England Lions honours in Australia - Tribe hitting a ton in the junior Test before also featuring in the curtailed series against Pakistan's second string.
Tribe could be in the mix for senior recognition if he can get early runs in Division One, but any absences for the talented pair would leave Glamorgan with more holes to fill after a quiet winter of recruitment.
Former Somerset, Durham and Kent batter Sean Dickson is the only domestic signing after the return of previous Championship captain Sam Northeast to Canterbury, but may bring more punch to the white-ball side and is keen to emphasise he is not a like-for-like replacement.
The effervescent Kiran Carlson will hope to lead by example with the bat after taking over the four-day role to add to limited-overs responsibilities, and has a decade of county experience after a youthful start to his career.
Carlson and head coach Richard Dawson have to find effective opening partnerships with both bat and ball, and supporters are again concerned about seam-bowling resources especially after the unexpected retirement of James Harris.
While Timm van der Gugten continues to roll out consistent spells, tall New South Wales seamer Ryan Hadley will have to hit the ground running while Ned Leonard could get more chances.
Glamorgan set for battle to retain top-flight status
Ed Seabourne - BBC Radio Bristol
Fears of a seam bowling exodus in 2025 were realised as the young attack Gloucestershire were building has now scattered to all corners. They will hope that the trimmed down 2026 version can stay injury free.
New signing Will Williams and returnee Craig Miles will be joined for the first block of games by Tasmanian Gabe Bell. Behind them and club stalwart Matt Taylor though, the remaining three seamers on the books for Championship cricket possess only four first-class appearances between them.
By contrast, last year's unit that produced the second most batting points behind Division Two champions Leicestershire remains intact, with James Bracey reaching 1,000 runs in consecutive seasons, and Ben Charlesworth continuing his exciting development.
Gloucestershire have won two Championship matches in each of the past two seasons, and beating that number would be a first target.
The club now has five players who figure only to play T20 cricket for them this campaign.
D'Arcy Short and BBL breakout star Liam Scott will form the overseas duo. Dawid Malan brings his wealth of experience and David Payne recently capped off a sensational winter with his first IPL appearance.
With Marchant de Lange also brought back on a T20 contract, the Blast looks to have been made a serious priority by a leadership group that includes freshly appointed director of cricket Jon Lewis, and they will surely be targeting the knockout stages.
Malan aims to boost Gloucestershire on and off field
Kevan James - BBC Radio Solent
Hampshire only stayed in Division One thanks to an amazing capitulation by Durham on the final day against Yorkshire. Just one point the difference between relegation and competing once more in the top flight.
It was a wake-up call, and the county have put their squad through their paces since Christmas with no less than three overseas trips.
Just 12 batting bonus points was the equal fewest in the division and it is hoped that Australian domestic player of the year Jake Lehmann, who has signed as a homegrown player, will help push those numbers up.
Hampshire, though, will still rely on young homegrown talent and it's hoped that at least one of those pushes through this summer.
Ben Mayes, 18, who made a name for himself during the winter when hitting 191 - the highest score by an England youth player in their under-19 World Cup match against Scotland - will surely get a chance.
The pace bowling will once more rely on the evergreen Kyle Abbott. The South African, who will turn 39 during the summer, is looking to take 50-plus wickets for the fourth time in five years.
There is no doubt Hampshire have some fine promising pace bowlers in the likes of Sonny Baker, Eddie Jack and John Turner but they have yet to show the consistency needed at this level.
Watch out for 17-year-old Manny Lumsden who put in some impressive performances for the England Under-19s again in the winter.
2025 season: Eighth in Division Two
Ben Watts - BBC Radio Kent
Having been relegated into Division Two the previous year, Kent's downward spiral continued in the four-day format as they finished bottom of the County Championship for the first time in 30 years.
Despite a change of head coach with former Surrey skipper Adam Hollioake replacing Matt Walker, after two early victories, old problems resurfaced as wickets were hard to come by and injuries hit the bowling stocks hard once more.
There are reasons for optimism however, with the return of former captain Sam Northeast to bolster the batting. Seamer Matt Milnes is back from Yorkshire and alongside South African overseas Keith Dudgeon will spearhead the bowling attack.
Opener Ben Compton, who averaged 60 last summer, will be integral in the red-ball format. Alongside him, Zak Crawley must prove his doubters wrong to keep his England Test spot.
A better season in the Championship is a must, while Hollioake will also look to translate his limited-overs captaincy expertise into white-ball coaching success.
Scott Read - BBC Radio Lancashire
James Anderson will lead Lancashire on the field this season, his appointment as captain for the 2026 campaign a reflection both on his determination to keep on playing and perhaps Lancashire's hopes he will help drive standards.
Relegation in 2024, and bottom of Division Two halfway through the 2025 season -it has been a brutal couple of years for the Red Rose.
However, nothing says we are on the eve of a new season quite like pre-season optimism and in Lancashire's case it should not be misplaced.
The Red Rose will start as one of the favourites for promotion, just like last season. Steven Croft, now in a permanent position as head coach, certainly had the team playing in promotion form when in interim charge last year.
The return of Marcus Harris should hopefully provide the backbone to the middle order, both Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings will be hoping for another season which they break the 1,000-run barrier.
And, if Josh Bohannon, Matty Hurst and George Balderson can match or improve on last season's return they should have plenty of runs.
The addition of bowler Ajeet Singh Dale looks a very smart one, he was the club's number one recruitment target.
He played 11 of Gloucestershire's 14 games last season and ended with 40 wickets. His extra pace, and robustness, could be just what Lancashire need, especially on Emirates Old Trafford pitches.
Lancashire carry a big squad, with plenty of competition and expectations to compete in all three formats and this season will be no different.
Lancashire plan to play first games at new Farington hub
2025 season: First in Division Two (promoted)
Adam Whitty - BBC Radio Leicester
It will be an historic moment for Leicestershire when they host Sussex on the opening weekend, their first match back in the top flight for 23 years. The question therefore is, can they stay up?
The Foxes themselves are ambitious - Alfonso Thomas, their head coach, bullish about "not wanting to make up the numbers".
They have a good squad, with talented England players Josh Hull and Rehan Ahmed, mixed in with tried and tested county fare like Lewis Hill, Ben Green and Ian Holland.
Pete Handscomb's late withdrawal for the season looked to be a major blow – and his leadership with consistency will definitely be missed – but finding fellow Aussie and Ashes opener Jake Weatherald as a replacement has settled nerves. Ajaz Patel should be a solid spinner too.
I sensed quiet confidence among the Foxes' camp when speaking to them. They know it will be a huge challenge, but believe they have the ability to spring a few shocks this year.
They have a smaller, settled squad that works well together. They are greater than the sum of their parts, and may have to continue to be if they want to stay in the division.
How crushing defeats turned into 'tears of joy' for Leics
Kevin Hand - BBC Radio London
Middlesex's failure to challenge for a promotion last year cost Richard Johnson his job and, perhaps similarly harshly, Dane Vilas his elevation from interim head coach thereafter.
The blame can hardly be placed at either with a county that has had to operate under such strict ECB financial guidelines for some time and will continue to given their ongoing difficulties on that front.
Peter Fulton comes in, therefore, with a task of rallying the same squad that didn't quite meet the expectations they would have individually placed on themselves last season.
Toby Roland-Jones continues to be the spearhead of the attack and is well supported by Ryan Higgins, but ultimately regular wicket-takers at the other end have been difficult to find since the retirement of Tim Murtagh and the departure of Ethan Bamber.
Of the group collected behind those are a good mix of pros coming into their professional career with a great deal of promise.
Whether any can step up to support the two senior pros in the bowling ranks is likely to be the main difference between a challenge at very least for promotion or not.
The batting misfired in the first half of the summer, again something which is hard to place the blame upon Johnson for, but ultimately that was the area Middlesex took too long to get going last year.
The calibre of player they have in their top order bodes well for it to be a blip but it will be the area that Middlesex will be expected to correct quickly this season.
Perhaps therein lies Fulton's chief area of expertise as a former New Zealand batting coach, but ultimately bringing through the next crop of seamers without the resources to support their development with significant overseas pros or experienced county level bowlers will be the greatest challenge.
Gatting leads group asking Middlesex chair to resign
Andrew Radd - BBC Radio Northampton
Any coach – even one with the international pedigree of Darren Lehmann – needs time to assess properly what a squad has, what it needs and what it can probably do without.
Last season, Lehmann's first in charge at Wantage Road, saw Northamptonshire make a welcome return to T20 finals day after a nine-year absence.
Although Championship and 50-over results suggested marking time at best, there were clear signs of a cultural change across the club (driven by both the head coach and chairman Gary Hoffman) with fewer excuses and a more positive 'can do' attitude on and off the field.
Australian batter Nathan McSweeney – already elevated to the red-ball vice-captaincy under Luke Procter – should strengthen the top-order this year, while the signing of leg-spinning all-rounder Calvin Harrison (an England Lions choice during the winter) from Nottinghamshire following a lengthy loan spell at Northampton in 2025 represented a notable coup.
Like Harrison, another newcomer, Louis Kimber from Leicestershire, is keen to play a significant role in all formats.
The same is true of both Saif Zaib, inexplicably ignored by the pre-Ashes-review England set-up despite enjoying the season of his life with the bat last year, and Justin Broad, appointed David Willey's deputy in the Blast.
Supporters will also hope that opener Ricardo Vasconcelos, in fluent form during the pre-season trip to South Africa, can translate that into 'business' runs this summer, and that 37-year-old seamer Ben Sanderson (on the threshold of 600 wickets for the club) stays fit throughout.
2025 season: Division One champions
Dave Bracegirdle - BBC Radio Nottingham
Last season will live long in the memory for Nottinghamshire's players and supporters.
To win a County Championship is tough at the best of times but to do it in the modern era and topple a Surrey side that have been the dominant force for several summers was a triumph that few saw coming.
The element of surprise certainly played into Notts' hands at the start of last year.
After narrowly avoiding the drop in 2024, few outside Trent Bridge towers were predicting a title challenge but thanks to the diligent preparation of the backroom staff and immaculate execution from those on the field, they ran out worthy winners in the end.
The squad looks very similar to that of last year, although there will be no Mo Abbas but more Fergus O'Neill this time around and the world's best wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne is again available all summer.
Ben Duckett's decision not to go to the IPL should guarantee some additional early season runs but the occasional availability of England team-mate Josh Tongue might be even more valuable.
Few would argue that Tongue's 'X-factor' played a pivotal role in securing the title, with the pace ace claiming 31 wickets from just six outings.
Unless his country comes calling for a third time then championship-winning captain Haseeb Hameed will again churn out over 1,000 runs and once more the wickets will be shared around, with Brett Hutton and Dillon Pennington each likely to stake a claim for leading wicket-taker.
Winning a title is tough, defending it can be even harder. But while Notts will certainly have a target on their back, there is no reason to suggest they cannot replicate the qualities that got them over the line last year.
Anthony Gibson - BBC Radio Somerset
Somerset celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2025 with one of the best all-round seasons in their history, winning the T20 Blast, coming third in the County Championship and reaching the semi-final of the One-Day Cup.
Can they go one better this time and finally land that oh-so elusive first County Championship? Well, they have certainly got the talent, the experience, the leadership and the team spirit to do it.
The Rew brothers, James and Thomas, both of them very much on England's radar, will be closely watched in all formats, with further batting firepower from the four Toms - Lammonby, Abell, Kohler-Cadmore and Banton - although the latter won't be available until after the IPL.
However, two big question marks hang over their chances in the Championship.
Can they find a reliable opening partnership, after seven different combinations were tried last time, with only occasional success, and do they have the seam-bowling strength in depth to sustain a challenge throughout a long season?
Two youngsters, Archie Vaughan and Josh Thomas, will probably be given first shot as openers. Infinitely promising yes, but it is asking a lot of them, especially on early season pitches.
As for the seam attack, unless director of cricket Andy Hurry has an overseas quick up his sleeve, Somerset will be relying on a mixture of youth, in the shape of the two left-armers Alfie Ogborne and JT Langridge, and 30-something experience from Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton and Jake Ball.
How many games their aches and pains allow those last three to play may well be crucial.
Jack Leach will, of course, again be a huge factor. But with spin-friendly pitches frowned upon and the Championship fixtures concentrated at the beginning and end of the season, he cannot be expected to do it on his own.
With the two Australians, Riley Meredith and Daniel Sams in their ranks, Somerset will once again be among the favourites for the Blast, while the youngsters can be guaranteed to put on a good showing in the One-Day Cup.
But it's the Championship that Somerset so desperately covet. To win it this year would certainly be a surprise, but with cricket you never know.
Somerset's James Rew signs new three-year deal
2025 season: Division One runners-up
Mark Church - BBC Radio London
A reset and a new hunger for Surrey after losing their Championship title last season.
Other than Sean Abbott re-signing, there are no changes to a squad that will go back to what they do best.
The batting is formidable and the bowling unit can take 20 wickets and they have put their hands up and said they were not at their best last summer but hung in there.
They will be chasing Nottinghamshire from the first ball of the season and will hopefully have their England players made available for the opening weeks of the season because they want to play.
Last year I said one to keep an eye on is Tom Lawes and it's the same this season. Gareth Batty has compared him to a young Chris Woakes and challenged him to step up this season. He has so much talent and this could be his summer.
Surrey will be striving for a fourth Championship title in five years. Nottinghamshire did the business last year, especially in the one game between the two sides.
Thankfully they play each other twice this season and Surrey know they will have to be at their best all summer. That is their challenge and it is one they are relishing.
Adrian Harms - BBC Radio Sussex
Having finished fourth in their first season back in Division One, there was much optimism that Sussex could kick on further this summer, and they still might.
However, the news the club had gone cap in hand to the ECB this winter after announcing a huge operating loss has cast a shadow over preparations for the new season.
Then it was announced that head coach Paul Farbrace will be leaving at the end of the season which has further deepened the gloom surrounding the club, and finding a replacement of his calibre and pedigree will be extremely challenging, given the financial constraints imposed on the club by the ECB
There is every chance the players will be galvanised by events totally out of their control, but a 12-point deduction in the County Championship - as well as a one-point deduction in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup - means Sussex are starting the season very much on the back foot.
Tight controls over budgets and player contracts mean that Sussex will only have two overseas players: Daniel Hughes for the whole season and Jadev Unadkat for a limited amount of Championship games, and fingers will be firmly crossed that these two key players avoid injury.
Ollie Robinson has taken over the captaincy for Championship games and will lead the attack.
He will be keen to prove he still has a future with England and that it was a mistake to omit him from the Ashes in the winter.
As for the rest of the squad, much will be expected of James Coles after his exceptional winter and big price in The Hundred, but it should be remembered that he only turns 22 the day before the season starts.
Tom Haines made a good impression with the Lions in Australia and a good start to the season could see him pushing for an England place, as could Jack Carson given the lack of off-spinning options around the country.
With huge uncertainty around the futures of many of the players beyond this season and budget cuts set to bite, the future looks very uncertain at Hove.
All concerned will just be pleased to start playing cricket again on 3 April.
Sussex have a chance to make history, says Robinson
2025 season: Fifth in Division One
Mike Taylor - BBC Radio WM
There were quite a few good days for Warwickshire in 2025, in all three competitions.
You could envisage them going on to challenge for any of those trophies, but there was never quite enough to get them close, and good opportunities in the white-ball tournaments were fumbled at key moments.
Given frequent difficulties with injuries and unexpected international call-ups, as well as a change of coach shortly before the season started, it was still a solid enough year.
This year's late pre-season change – Ed Barnard replacing Alex Davies as captain in all competitions – may prove less disruptive.
Barnard has already done the job in the One-Day Cup and has been vice-captain in the red-ball game.
His outstanding long-term form since arriving from Worcester will ensure him of instant respect.
He will have no shortage of experienced advisers, a helpful by-product of the Bears' attempt to address a regular structural weakness.
Since their last Championship five years ago, Warwickshire have too often run short of fit seamers.
After adding Jordan Thompson and Nathan Gilchrist, they re-signed Keith Barker, a craftsman of swing who led their previous title run in 2012.
Chris Woakes, a devoted Bear, was always going to come back to his roots one day.
Beau Webster, two bowlers in one man, will be around until July too. Their array of options should surely allow them to be ready for almost anything. An extended challenge in at least one tournament ought to be within their range.
Frank Watson - BBC Hereford and Worcester
After a sixth-place Division One finish in 2024, a campaign which ended in relegation and produced only one Championship victory was clearly disappointing - but winning the One-Day Cup in dramatic fashion last September certainly softened the blow.
The winter floods which made the job of the ground staff nearly impossible in 2025 have once again been a problem, but it looks likely nonetheless that this year's home programme will begin at New Road and not at Kidderminster as was feared.
The search for an additional venue is under way and there can be few who question its necessity.
Head coach Alan Richardson is keen for his tight-knit squad to compete on all fronts and though pre-season plans were wrecked when war caused the cancellation of a trip to Oman, the mood in the camp is positive.
Jake Libby managed 1,060 runs last season and will again be a key figure, while the recovery from injury of Adam Hose and skipper Brett D'Oliveira is welcome. Young batters Dan Lategan and Isaac Mohammed might well make an impact.
Tom Taylor was the country's leading wicket-taker last season with 58 and will again lead the seam attack, which has been bolstered by the arrival of South African all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel, who will be available all season.
Look out, too, for home-grown quickie Jack Home, who could feature.
2025 season: Seventh in Division One
Jonathan Doidge - BBC Radio Leeds
After a year to re-establish themselves as a Division One county, Yorkshire want to kick on this season and begin to challenge for what would be a first championship since 2015.
Much has happened at the club since then, including relegation, and after a shaky first half to last season in red ball cricket, they came home strongly.
As we know, the key to success in the long form of the game is the ability to take 20 wickets and the Tykes' bowling squad looks healthy.
Aussie Test star Jhye Richardson is the headline signing and they will be hoping he makes a big impact in the four or five games he'll play.
Logan van Beek adds international depth in the seam department and while the ever-dependable Ben Coad will lead the line again, Jack White will want to back up after making a significant impact in 2025.
George Hill was a revelation and has set the bar high with what he produced, while Ben Cliff should also receive more championship game time.
Dom Bess is the county's staple spinner and his lower order runs should again prove useful, while Adam Lyth will be aiming to tick the 1,000-run box yet again at the top of the order, alongside Finlay Bean.
Yorkshire-born Sam Whiteman returns 'home' from Australia to bolster the top order and his presence for the entire season will be a boon.
James Wharton and Matthew Revis should be full of confidence after their 2025 campaigns, while Jonny Bairstow skippers and takes both the batting and keeping gloves, and if he gets going then you wouldn't fancy being an opposing bowler.
With a better start than last year, anything is possible.
