County Championship
The County Championship is England and Wales's first-class competition and one of the oldest domestic competitions in the sport. Live scores appear here during the season, which runs through the English summer.
April to late September.
Teams
- Derbyshire (County Ground, Derby)
- Durham (Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street)
- Essex (County Ground, Chelmsford)
- Glamorgan (Sophia Gardens, Cardiff)
- Gloucestershire (County Ground, Bristol)
- Hampshire (Utilita Bowl, Southampton)
- Kent (St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury)
- Lancashire (Old Trafford, Manchester)
- Leicestershire (Grace Road, Leicester)
- Middlesex (Lord's, London)
- Northamptonshire (County Ground, Northampton)
- Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge, Nottingham)
- Somerset (County Ground, Taunton)
- Surrey (The Oval, London)
- Sussex (County Ground, Hove)
- Warwickshire (Edgbaston, Birmingham)
- Worcestershire (New Road, Worcester)
- Yorkshire (Headingley, Leeds)
How the Championship works
The 18 first-class counties are split into two divisions, ten in Division One and eight in Division Two in 2026, with two counties promoted and two relegated each season. Matches last four days and are played with a red ball. Points are awarded for results and for first-innings performance: a win is worth 16 points, a draw 8 and a tie 8, and up to five batting bonus points and three bowling bonus points are available based on runs scored and wickets taken in the first 110 overs of each side's first innings. That bonus system is why a drawn match can still be worth very different amounts to the two sides.
The season is split around the white-ball competitions, with blocks of Championship cricket in April and May and again in late summer. Our guide to Test cricket's follow-on and declarations covers the tactics that apply to four-day cricket too.
History
The Championship was formally constituted in 1890, though counties had played each other for decades before that. The two-division structure dates from 2000. Yorkshire have won the title more often than any other county. Brian Lara's 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994 is still the highest individual score in all first-class cricket.
Frequently asked questions
How many counties are in the County Championship?
Eighteen: ten in Division One and eight in Division Two in 2026, with two counties promoted and two relegated each season.
How are County Championship points scored?
Sixteen for a win, eight for a draw or tie, plus up to five batting and three bowling bonus points from the first 110 overs of each first innings.
Facts on this page were last checked on 24 October 2026. If something is out of date, tell us.