The County Championship Division Two 2026 is England’s second-tier red-ball cricket competition, running from 3 April to 27 September 2026. It will feature eight teams: Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Middlesex, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Durham, and Kent.
Each team will play 14 four-day matches in 6 months. This tournament plays a crucial role in English domestic cricket, as strong performances can earn teams promotion to Division One next season. Stay updated with all fixtures, points table changes, and key highlights. Read our blog to know its full schedule and all details.
County Championship Division Two 2026 Schedule
All 8 participating teams will play 56 matches in the 2026 County Championship Division Two. The clash between Derbyshire and Worcestershire will start the tournament on April 3. The top 2 teams of the tournament will advance to Division One for the next season.
| Date and Day | Match No. | Match | Venue | Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Apr 3 | 1st Match | Derbyshire vs Worcestershire | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 3 | 2nd Match | Middlesex vs Gloucestershire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 3 | 3rd Match | Northamptonshire vs Lancashire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 3 | 4th Match | Durham vs Kent | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 5th Match | Middlesex vs Worcestershire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 6th Match | Gloucestershire vs Durham | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 7th Match | Kent vs Northamptonshire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 10 | 8th Match | Lancashire vs Derbyshire | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 17 | 9th Match | Northamptonshire vs Middlesex | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 17 | 10th Match | Gloucestershire vs Lancashire | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 11th Match | Derbyshire vs Gloucestershire | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 12th Match | Durham vs Lancashire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Apr 24 | 13th Match | Worcestershire vs Kent | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 1 | 14th Match | Kent vs Derbyshire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 1 | 15th Match | Northamptonshire vs Worcestershire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 1 | 16th Match | Middlesex vs Durham | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 17th Match | Derbyshire vs Northamptonshire | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 18th Match | Gloucestershire vs Kent | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 19th Match | Worcestershire vs Durham | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 8 | 20th Match | Lancashire vs Middlesex | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 21st Match | Kent vs Durham | Beckenham, Kent County Cricket Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 22nd Match | Gloucestershire vs Northamptonshire | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 23rd Match | Middlesex vs Derbyshire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, May 15 | 24th Match | Lancashire vs Worcestershire | Southport, Trafalgar Road Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 25th Match | Northamptonshire vs Gloucestershire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 26th Match | Lancashire vs Kent | Blackpool, Stanley Park | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 27th Match | Worcestershire vs Middlesex | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 28th Match | Durham vs Derbyshire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 29th Match | Kent vs Middlesex | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 30th Match | Derbyshire vs Lancashire | Chesterfield, Queen’s Park | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 31st Match | Worcestershire vs Gloucestershire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 32nd Match | Durham vs Northamptonshire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 33rd Match | Middlesex vs Kent | Northwood, Merchant Taylors’ School Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 34th Match | Derbyshire vs Durham | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 35th Match | Lancashire vs Northamptonshire | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 20 | 36th Match | Gloucestershire vs Worcestershire | Cheltenham, College Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 37th Match | Derbyshire vs Middlesex | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 38th Match | Northamptonshire vs Kent | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 39th Match | Worcestershire vs Lancashire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 40th Match | Durham vs Gloucestershire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 41st Match | Gloucestershire vs Derbyshire | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 42nd Match | Kent vs Worcestershire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 43rd Match | Northamptonshire vs Durham | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 44th Match | Middlesex vs Lancashire | Northwood, Merchant Taylors’ School Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 45th Match | Derbyshire vs Kent | Derby, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 46th Match | Worcestershire vs Northamptonshire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 47th Match | Durham vs Middlesex | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 48th Match | Lancashire vs Gloucestershire | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 49th Match | Durham vs Worcestershire | Chester-le-Street, Riverside Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 50th Match | Northamptonshire vs Derbyshire | Northampton, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 51st Match | Gloucestershire vs Middlesex | Bristol, County Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 52nd Match | Kent vs Lancashire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 53rd Match | Kent vs Gloucestershire | Canterbury, St Lawrence Ground | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 54th Match | Middlesex vs Northamptonshire | London, Lord’s | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 55th Match | Worcestershire vs Derbyshire | Worcester, New Road | 11:00 AM |
| Thu, Sep 24 | 56th Match | Lancashire vs Durham | Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford | 11:00 AM |
County Championship Division Two 2026 Format
The 2nd Division of County Championship 2026 will follow a double-round robin format, with each team playing a total of 14 matches.
All 56 matches in this phase will be played on 15 different days, maintaining a consistent schedule for the start of the season.
In Division Two, the team with the most points at the end of the season finishes first and is crowned Division Two champion. The top two teams in Division Two are also promoted to Division One for the next season.
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Where to Watch County Championship Division Two 2026
County Championship matches are available to watch on a few different platforms. Many county teams stream their games live on their official YouTube channels, so fans can watch for free.
The official ECB website also provides live scores, updates, highlights, and links to live streams. Some matches and highlights are also shown on Sky Sports in the UK, which is a paid service. These options make it easy for fans to follow the County Championship all season.
