County Championship to Preserve Traditional Format

The County Championship’s format will remain unchanged after a vote by the Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCs). A proposal to change to a 13-match format was not approved, lacking majority support among the counties.

Following a busy summer in England, with clashes between international, domestic, and The Hundred matches, a county-led review of scheduling and structure was conducted in coordination with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA). The structure for white-ball competitions will be revised, with the T20 Blast group stage reduced from 14 to 12 games and scheduled before The Hundred, as approved in a July vote.

A recent vote on transitioning to a 13-match County Championship, which would include a ‘Championship’ for 12 teams and a ‘Championship Two’ for six counties, did not pass. The plan also proposed increasing the One-Day Cup group stage from eight to 10 matches.

Thus, the current County Championship format with 14 matches, 10 teams in Division One, and eight in Division Two will persist through the 2026 season, without changes to promotion and relegation rules.

Daryl Mitchell, PCA’s chief executive, expressed his disappointment, stating, “The findings from the men’s domestic structure review do not meet the expectations for elite professional cricketers in 2026 and beyond.”

“At the review’s start, there was a collective agreement that change was necessary as the current structure was not suitable. The decision to maintain the status quo for the County Championship, despite detailed consultations that included player feedback, is concerning.”

“Regrettably, the decision-makers did not adapt our premier red-ball competition to fulfill modern professionals’ needs or make it engaging enough globally,” he added.

“The players’ perspectives must be acknowledged. Recognizing that scheduling challenges extend beyond county cricket, given the busy international schedule and similar issues in other sports, we strive to establish minimum standards for a safer schedule,” remarked PCA Chair Olly Hannon-Dalby.