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County Championship 2026 will be played in three blocks of matches starting in April, June and August

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2025

Player representatives have reiterated their fear of burnout in the wake of the full fixture release for the 2026 domestic season in England and Wales.Following the announcement of the County Championship and One-Day Cup schedules on Thursday, the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) was particularly critical of the period from late August to late September, which comprises six rounds of Championship fixtures and the 50-over final.The 2026 Rothesay County Championship will be played in three blocks of matches – with each side playing a total of 14 times after counties rejected a proposal earlier this year to cut the number of first-class games to 13, a decision which had already raised the ire of the players’ union.Related

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Each county will play six matches during the first seven-week block, with all matches during that period starting on a Friday. A mid-summer block will be staged in June with each county playing twice while the third block of matches begins on August 20 with each team playing six times. The final round begins on September 24.Daryl Mitchell, the PCA Chief Executive, said he “feared” for that latter part of the season.”Unfortunately, the County Championship schedule does raise concerns with player burnout with mental and physical dangers attached to an overly intense end to the season following the conclusion of The Hundred,” Mitchell said.”The reduction of just one game could have gone a long way to resolving a period that does not look manageable for the majority. I already fear this section of the season.”This is through no fault of the schedulers, but the decision by the county Chairs to not allow for sufficient minimum standards regarding time between games has meant we have a period of 12 days of Championship cricket in just over two weeks with some lengthy travel for the majority.”Nottinghamshire will open their County Championship title defence at Somerset while Leicestershire and Glamorgan, both back in Division One for the first time in more than two decades, host Sussex and Yorkshire respectively in the opening round from April 3.Nottinghamshire won their first Championship trophy for 15 years and seventh overall when their South African wicketkeeper, Kyle Verreynne, hit a six to secure a batting bonus point and top spot in Division One on the penultimate day of the 2025 season.Lancashire, winners of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women’s Competition and the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup, will begin their 50-over title defence away to Durham on April 11 ahead of a historic first professional Roses clash with Yorkshire at Emirates Old Trafford on April 25.Yorkshire, the 2025 Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women’s League 2 champions, begin life as a Tier 1 side away to Somerset after their elevation to the top flight was brought forward by one year following a restructure of the women’s domestic competition ahead of last season.Men’s One-Day Cup champions Worcestershire Rapids will begin their 2026 campaign at home to Derbyshire Falcons on July 24, with groups randomly drawn and each county playing once against every team in their group.Gloucestershire, Kent Spitfires, Lancashire, Leicestershire Foxes, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Notts Outlaws, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire make up Group A while Group B comprises Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Essex, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Middlesex, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids and Yorkshire.The One-Day Cup Women’s final will be played at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton on Saturday, September 19 followed by both the men’s final at Trent Bridge and the Women’s League 2 Final at Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol the following day.Ellie Threlkeld holds the One-Day Cup aloft•ECB via Getty Images

The second season of the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup will involve 37 counties vying for a place on finals day at Emirates Old Trafford on August 29, including inaugural champions Lancashire Thunder.The opening round, from April 26, features 28 counties before the nine Tier 1 counties – Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Warwickshire and Yorkshire – enter the competition in Round 3 from June 21.Two all-Tier 1 ties have been confirmed for Round 3 with The Blaze at home to Durham and Yorkshire hosting Somerset.The PCA noted favourably a significant reduction in back-to-back games across men’s and women’s T20 fixtures, announced on Tuesday, down from 54 in 2025 to just six next season.Olly Hannon-Dalby, the PCA Chair, believed that holding the men’s Blast Finals Day ahead of the Hundred along with an improved schedule and less travel represented significant progress.”For the first time in a number of years, I feel the men’s Blast will have the energy and priority within the schedule to show everybody just how great this competition is,” he said. “The Vitality Blast lining up on an equal platform with men’s and women’s teams is something I’m very passionate about and is absolutely the right way to grow the game. We’ve seen the success in The Hundred and double headers should be an opportunity to attract bigger crowds for all.”But he echoed Mitchell’s concern over the Championship schedule.”At a time when many counties have threadbare squads, to start six four-day games and a 50-over final in the space of five weeks is so far from optimum it is something that needs addressing,” Hannon-Dalby said.”We will actively be canvassing opinion on how we could avoid this congestion in the future with options such as starting the season slightly earlier or ending it later. Conversations need to continue to prioritise the wellbeing of its players.”

Australia’s batting order for the first Test is still some way from being confirmed, but Labuschagne is currently the favourite to go in at the top

AAP31-Oct-2025Marnus Labuschagne says he would have no issue opening for Australia in the Ashes, confident he is now much clearer in his own game than in recent summers.Labuschagne was denied another chance to bat in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield match with New South Wales on Friday, with the match ending in an early draw.Related

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After rain washed out the opening day, Jack Clayton’s 113 ensured Queensland would not have to follow on.Sam Konstas was then more patient with the bat, before attacking later in the innings and being caught charging Sam Skelly on 41, before a draw was called soon after.Konstas won’t be there come the first Test in Perth next month, with the 20-year-old almost certain to be given time in the Sheffield Shield to find his game.Labuschagne is favourite to take Konstas’s spot at the top, in a move that would allow allrounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster to both stay in the team.Labuschagne has said throughout this summer his preferred position is No.3, while insisting he would be willing to open to get back into the team. He has done so just twice at Test level, out for 17 and 22 in this year’s World Test Championship final against South Africa before being dropped from the side.But on Friday he declared he would more than welcome the challenge to open in Perth in three weeks’ time.”I’d say ‘great’,” Labuschagne responded when quizzed on what he would say if asked to open. “It honestly doesn’t concern me, I just want to be playing cricket at my best.Sam Konstas whips through the on side•Getty Images

“This year I’ve been in in the first few overs a few times. You’re used to it batting No. 3, and I’ve batted there probably 95 per cent of my career in both formats.”So I’m very used to being in early. If I have to open, great. If I bat three, great. Wherever there’s a spot for me I’ll take it and we’ll go from there.”Forced to watch on from the sidelines in the Caribbean last winter, Labuschagne has since adopted a less-is-more approach to his batting. The renowned cricket nuffie no longer bats in the nets on match days, admitting he was getting in his own head and thinking too much about his technique.Small changes have been made to his grip and stance, while he has also put pressure back on the bowlers in his four centuries for Queensland to start the summer.”Mentally I’m a lot clearer on my game and not getting too much deep thought into certain dismissals or methods,” Labuschagne said. “It’s not the actual training in the nets, I absolutely love that, I can do that all day.”But at times I feel like my technique gets in a space where I go home and I’m like ‘maybe I want to do this or maybe I want to go and try that’. Now I’m trying to stay out of my own way really and go out there and trust my skills when I get to the middle.”

Manchester United are now eyeing a move for another “brilliant” Wolverhampton Wanderers star, alongside their interest in midfielder Joao Gomes.

Man Utd looking to sign two Wolves stars

It could be viewed as questionable to be targeting players from Wolves, given that they have made a torrid start to the campaign, having only collected two points thus far, but Man United have recently set their sights on Gomes.

In fact, the Brazilian maestro has reportedly already said ‘yes’ to a move to Old Trafford, with INEOS now working on a deal, which could amount to £50m, with bringing in a new central midfielder of particular importance to Ruben Amorim & co.

Several targets have already been identified in midfield ahead of the January transfer window, including Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson, with journalist Andy Mitten revealing the Red Devils “would love” to sign the 23-year-old.

However, with a fee of over £100m being touted, potentially cheaper alternatives are also being targeted, and Man United are now eyeing a move for Wolves’ Andre, who has recently joined six other players on the list of midfield targets.

That is according to reliable reporter Rob Dawson, in a report for ESPN, with it being revealed United are looking to bring in at least one top midfielder next summer, while Amorim is also keen to bring in additional options at wing-back.

With United looking to get the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho off the books, INEOS feel as though they will have the financial muscle to make the necessary improvements to the squad, and moves could be made in January, although they would prefer to wait until the summer.

"Brilliant" Andre might not fit Man Utd's criteria

After signing for Wolves for £21m back in 2024, the Brazilian has gone on to establish himself as a key player for Wolves, and former player Dave Edwards has been impressed by the midfielder’s performances at times this season, lauding him as “brilliant”.

However, with United looking to sign a proven top-level midfielder, the 24-year-old might not be exactly what they’re looking for, given that he is yet to play in Europe, and has mainly been fighting at the bottom of the Premier League table since leaving Fluminense.

While the Wolves star is now experienced in the Premier League, having made 45 appearances over the past two seasons, there are a number of more exciting options on the shortlist, including Anderson, who is arguably a more rounded midfielder.

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The 23-year-old amassed eight goal contributions in the Premier League last season, during which time Andre failed to register a single goal or assist, while he is also solid from a defensive point of view, placing in the 91st percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, compared to other midfielders.

As such, Anderson should be Man United’s top target in midfield, but the £100m+ price tag could be prohibitive, and Forest are in a position to play hardball, as he remains under contract until 2029.

Celtic have now been told how long they’ll have to wait to appoint Kjetil Knutsen with their search for a new manager taking another frustrating blow.

The Bhoys have been in no rush. After Brendan Rodgers’ shock exit, they know that they can’t afford to get their next appointment wrong and have handed Martin O’Neill the position on an interim basis to buy themselves some time.

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A boost for the Bhoys…

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 8, 2025

To the 73-year-old’s credit, he has so far rolled back the years in the dugout. A Champions League defeat at the hands of Midtjylland aside and victories over Old Firm rivals Rangers and Falkirk have represented a step in the right direction.

Even after those three games, however, O’Neill has continued to distance himself from the permanent job. In midweek, he told reporters that he’ll be at Celtic until they no longer need him, before revealing that he’d be “absolutely fine” if Sunday’s Kilmarnock clash is his final game.

Alas, as the search for the next Celtic manager has continued, so have the rumours that they could yet turn to O’Neill until at least the end of the season. And it’s easy to see why. The Northern Irishman is about as experienced as it gets, representing a safe option until the right candidate emerges.

A decision to keep their interim boss until at least next year would also allow Parkhead chiefs to play the long game and perhaps land a frontrunner for the job in the long-term.

Celtic handed fresh Knutsen problem

As Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Knutsen wants to finish his Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt before taking any job with Celtic. This means that the Bhoys could be forced to wait until next year with the Norwegian side’s last group game coming in 2026.

As things stand, they sit 29th and unlikely to qualify for the next stage. This means that their final Champions League game may well be against Atletico Madrid in January before Bodo take a break from football altogether until March. It’s then that it would make perfect sense for Knutsen to take the job.

What also helps Celtic’s pursuit is that the 57-year-old is reportedly keen to take the job if he gets his Champions League wish. So, the big question for Celtic will be whether he’s worth the wait.

A deeper dive into his history suggests that the Bodo/Glimt boss is certainly an interesting option. Having managed the club since 2018, Knutsen can boast four Norwegian league titles and showed his managerial expertise in full with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on the European stage this season.

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Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

Isak’s numbers this season

Stat

Isak

Games played

8

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Games missed through injury

5

Sourced by Transfermarkt

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

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With a 52-run lead and nine wickets in hand, the hosts ended day two at an enviable position

Mohammad Isam12-Nov-2025Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s career-best 169* headlined Bangladesh’s dominance on the second day of the Sylhet Test. The home side went to stumps on 338 for 1, leading Ireland by 52 runs after the visitors were bowled out for 286 on the second morning.Mahmudul’s dominant display made Ireland bowlers look increasingly clueless as the day went on. Mahmudul shared a 168-run opening stand with Shadman Islam, who made 80 off 104 balls with nine fours and a six.Mahmudul followed it up with 170 runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand with Mominul Haque. Mominul was unbeaten on 80 runs, having struck five fours and two sixes in his 124-ball stay.Related

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But it was Mahmudul’s strokeplay that particularly caught the eye. He drove with glee, and scored most of his boundaries through the offside. He also struck a few fours and four sixes down the ground, lofting the ball either over the bowler’s head or over midwicket.His opening partner Shadman also batted with the same energy, nurdling the ball around while also finding boundaries, mainly through covers and midwicket. Shadman’s only six was struck down the ground, over mid-off. Shadman’s strike rotation seemed particularly beneficial for Mahmudul, who was returning to the Test side after having been dropped.Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy put on a big stand•BCB

After reaching his century, Mahmudul looked more comfortable, and he went after Campher and part-timer Tector with consecutive fours and sixes. He finished the day with 14 fours and four sixes.The second day began with Ireland losing their two remaining wickets in the first 13 minutes. Ireland’s 286 was built around fifties from Paul Stirling and debutant Cade Carmichael along with forties from Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker.Ireland batters couldn’t quite kick on from good starts, as the Bangladesh bowlers kept their accuracy on a good batting track. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets while Hasan Murad, Hasan Mahmud, and Taijul Islam picked up two wickets each. But Bangladesh’s fielding let them down, as they dropped five catches on the first day.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is set to demand north of £53 million for one of Sean Dyche’s star players as Barcelona eye up a move, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest turn corner under Sean Dyche

It’s been 42 days since Ange Postecoglou became the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history after a nightmare stint at the City Ground, with Forest since appointing Dyche to steady the ship.

The Englishman arrived at Forest with skepticism surrounding his controversial appointment, but so far, Dyche has seriously impressed.

His debut in the dugout saw Forest secure a 2-0 Europa League victory over FC Porto, their first in Europe, establishing early momentum before Forest defeated fellow strugglers Leeds United 3-1 at the City Ground — ending a nine-match winless domestic streak that went all the way back to the opening weekend under Nuno Espírito Santo.

Ibrahim Sangare’s first Forest goal kickstarted the comeback after Lukas Nmecha’s early strike, before Morgan Gibbs-White’s header and Elliot Anderson’s stoppage-time penalty completed the turnaround.

Even more impressive came Forest’s stunning 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield.

Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Gibbs-White scored as Dyche put on a tactical masterclass against the Merseysiders, who are in catastrophic form right now amid reports that Arne Slot could lose his job.

The Tricky Trees have also shut up shop, conceding just once in their last four games across all competitions, and that is testament to the performances of Murillo, who also put in a Man of the Match display against Liverpool last weekend.

The Brazilian is attracting serious interest from elite clubs, including Arsenal, and we can now add the La Liga champions to his growing list of admirers.

Barcelona identify top target Murillo as Nottingham Forest demand £53 million

According to reports from Spain, Murillo has now ‘become Barcelona’s top target’ to reinforce Hansi Flick’s defence.

Forest are clear, they want north of £53 million for the centre-back and are in a very strong position to demand good money considering he’s contracted until 2029.

Good news for Dyche is that Barça are currently unable to meet this price tag due to their constraints around the La Liga salary cap and well-documented financial difficulties.

The prospect of Murillo leaving in January is unlikely at best as well, despite the admiration from top clubs, with journalist Pete O’Rourke telling Football Insider that Forest will block any winter move.

The 23-year-old finished last campaign as Forest’s best performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored, in what was a fairytale campaign where they nearly qualified for the Champions League under Nuno.

Forest have scope to demand even more money for their prized asset, and we could even see a potential bidding war next summer.

Freed from the burden of expectations, the Hyderabad opener is eager to continue his excellent form in the upcoming domestic season

Deivarayan Muthu31-Aug-2025No opener has scored more runs than Tanmay Agarwal’s 1699, at an average of nearly 85, across the previous two Ranji Trophy seasons. However, when Hyderabad were part of the Plate Group in 2023-24, his numbers, which included a record triple-century, were often seen with an asterisk next to them.Then, in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, he showed that he could dominate attacks in the Elite Group as well, tallying 934 runs in 12 innings. It culminated in a maiden Duleep Trophy call-up for Agarwal.”I just want to make plans and be relentless and stick to my plans for my first Duleep Trophy,” Agarwal said on the sidelines of the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. “If things go my way, good. If it doesn’t go my way, he [points skywards, suggesting God] has better plans for me.”Related

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Agarwal, 30, is a diminutive left-handed batter who is strong against both spin and pace. He has established himself as one of the mainstays in Hyderabad’s batting line-up along with Tilak Varma. Agarwal attributed his recent run spree to avoiding overthinking and going easy on himself.”A bit of luck and a change in my mindset – the way I approach the game, I feel, has made a difference,” he said. “I feel the approach and the mindset played a major role in the way I see things on the field. Before, I used to be very serious, as in if I was not getting the desired result, I would be very harsh on myself.”But nowadays I have started taking it easy because cricket is a game ultimately. It is not life and death for me. I used to take it as life and death. But now it is eased out and [understand] it’s just a game. [If] I make a mistake, I try not to repeat it. I go to the next game with better planning and better understanding of what cricket is. It has helped me in the last two years, and it has worked for me.”Tanmay Agarwal came away as the top run-getter in the league phase of the Buchi Babu tournament•Deivarayan Muthu/ESPNcricinfoAgarwal was particularly dejected when he had gone unsold in the IPL 2022 auction despite scoring a chart-topping 334 runs in seven innings at an average of 55.66 and strike rate of 148.44 in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has not made an IPL appearance yet. A conversation with VVS Laxman helped him stay motivated.”VVS Laxman helped me a lot and gave me clarity,” Agarwal recalled. “After that, I figured out what to do and what not to do. What works for me and what does not work for me. When I told him what I was going through, he said it was pretty normal.”[At the time], I was 27 and a half, I think. He gave me confidence and gave me a [road]map and even suggested [to] me a book by Tony Robbins [an author and motivational speaker]. After that, I haven’t thought about the IPL. If it has to come, it will come.”Agarwal has built a strong body of work in red-ball cricket, especially over the past two seasons, and developed the endurance to bat for long periods. Five of his last six first-class hundreds have been scores of 150 or more.”[Earlier], all my hundreds were 120s and 130s,” Agarwal said. “I had it in mind to make it into big hundreds. I worked on my fitness really hard for the last two years so that I don’t get tired after just scoring a hundred. That played a good part in the reason for me scoring big hundreds.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();