The opening round of the 2026 County Championship wrapped up on Easter Monday, with plenty of names in the mix for England selection making their mark.
Jamie Smith - 9 & 132
Smith was the standout of all the England incumbents from the opening round. With a slight question mark over his place in the side, he scored a battling second-innings century – his first in the Championship since his England call-up in 2024. That came after a surprise promotion to No.3, with Ben Foakes taking the gloves as normal.
Ollie Pope - 20 & 16
Looking set for a longer spell at Surrey than he's had over the last few years after losing his place to Jacob Bethell over the winter, Pope showed more of the same in his first outing since the end of the Ashes. He got starts in both innings without making a real impact. His move down to No.4, away from his regular England position at first-drop, is also worthy of note.
Matt Fisher - 2-104
Fisher was added to England's Ashes squad for the final three Tests of the series as cover, but didn't play. Opening the bowling for Surrey at Edgbaston, he struggled as Warwickshire's top order made hay on a run-filled surface. He ended the innings with figures of 2-104, having trapped Sam Hain lbw and picked up the wicket of Ed Barnard.
Sam Cook - 3-33 & 1-23
Cook was effective with the new ball for Essex in their dominant win over Hampshire in Southampton. He took two wickets in his first three overs of the season, reducing Hampshire to 5-2, and finished with match figures of 4-56.
Liam Dawson - 0-98, 1 & 14
The position of England's first-choice spinner is as wide open as it has been in years, but Dawson showed the difficulties slow bowlers have making an impact early in the season. He went wicketless in Essex's first innings as they racked up 461-7, and was out for one as Hampshire collapsed with the bat. After they were asked to follow on, Dawson made 14 as Hampshire slumped to an innings defeat.
Sonny Baker - 2-68
Baker was England's hottest new speed prospect at the beginning of last season, but his stock fell after struggling on white-ball debut at the end of the summer. He took two wickets in Essex's only innings, but bowled sharply and got decent seam movement off the surface. The ball he got Paul Walter with snaked away before being caught behind, and he broke Tom Westley's finger, leading to county cricket's first injury substitution.
Asa Tribe - 11 & 19
Tribe's stock rose massively after a successful winter with the Lions, as well as an impressive end to the 2025 season. Playing his first match in Division One, he lasted 10 overs before he was caught behind off Jack White, and was trapped lbw for 19 by Dom Bess in the second innings.
James Coles - 28 & 26, 2-58
After his coming-of-age winter, Coles had a sedate start for Sussex. He scored 28 in the first innings and 26 in the second, but came into play with the ball on the final day. He dismissed a dangerous-looking Rehan Ahmed on 34 off 40, before chipping in with the wicket of Tom Scriven at the end. As a slightly sour note, Coles badly dropped Ben Cox, which would have looked worse had Leicestershire hung on for the draw.
Tom Haines - 56 & 13
Haines saw Sussex off to a decent start, as the competition to be an England Test opener for the first series of the summer got underway. He saw the side past 100, before chasing a wide delivery which had him caught behind for 56 off 61.
Ollie Robinson - 5-42 & 0-20
In his first match as Sussex captain, Robinson came out of the blocks laying down a marker. He took 5-42 in Leicestershire's first innings, combining with Henry Crocombe to secure Sussex a three-figure first-innings lead. He was less effective in the second innings however, as the pitch started to turn, bowling himself for only six overs before handing over to his spinners.
Rehan Ahmed - 11 & 34, 1-41 & 3-61
Occupying another new role in Leicestershire's middle order after spending most of last year at No.3, Rehan threatened some fireworks but ultimately fell short. He whacked a couple of boundaries before getting out in his first innings before doing largely the same in the second. He took three wickets in Sussex's second innings, finding some purchase in a pitch which had something in it for spinners.
James Rew - 64 & 122
Rew started the season in typically prolific fashion. He scored his 12th first-class hundred in Somerset's second innings against defending champions Nottinghamshire, having already scored 64 in the first. As well as boosting his place in England's selection race, he's also successfully secured more breathing space in his tussle with younger brother Thomas for the gloves at Taunton.
Jack Leach - 0-32 & 2-62
Leach bowled tidily without reward in the first innings and was miserly in the second as Nottinghamshire ambled towards a draw. He took the only two Notts wickets to fall on the final day of play.
Haseeb Hameed - 33 & 27
After a prolific 2025, Hameed managed a pair of starts in his first match leading Nottinghamshire's title defence. He was victim to a brilliant low catch by Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the first innings, having middled a drive, and was trapped lbw by Leach having hit him for six earlier in the second innings.
Shoaib Bashir - 1-27 & 1-55
Finally starting the season as the senior spinner in a Championship side, Bashir's Derbyshire debut was overshadowed by a five-run fake fielding penalty against him. After he mimed throwing the ball into the middle despite it actually having been fielded by Anuj Dal, Derbyshire were penalised. Having taken his first wicket for his new county in the first innings, Bashir got through a long spell on the final day after Worcestershire followed on. He bowled 26 overs and went at less than two runs an over as the Pears battled through to a draw.
Alex Lees - 29 & 6
Lees was out for 29 on day one, his innings contrasting to the rest of Durham's top order who looked to score quickly, as has been Durham's approach over the last few seasons. After Kent were bowled out for 197, Lees scored just six in Durham's second innings.
Ben McKinney - 8 & 38
McKinney became Durham's first wicket of the season after he was trapped by Glenton Stuurman for eight on day one. He also dropped Tawanda Mueyeye late on the opening day, which proved not to be too costly the following morning. After no play on day three, McKinney made 38 before his off stump was taken out by Matt Milnes.
Emilio Gay - 128 & 11
A century from Gay underpinned Durham's first-innings effort. He notched 128 off 141 balls, scoring fluently to reach his 11th first-class hundred, and becoming the first centurion of the 2026 season.
Matthew Potts - 3-45 & 2-42
Potts led Durham's attack along with marquee overseas signing Kemar Roach fresh from a long stint at Surrey. Between them they tore through Kent's top order, Potts returning figures of 3-45, and found decent bounce. He was unlucky not to have a fourth, after Emilio Gay dropped Matt Milnes in the slips. He was similarly impressive in Kent's second innings, taking 2-42, but Durham couldn't force a result after losing all play on Day Three.
Zak Crawley - 9 & 20
Crawley was dismissed twice by Potts at Chester-le-Street. Having taken four catches at slip in Durham's first innings, he was trapped lbw for nine after Kent had to bat out 15 overs in the evening session of day one. He was trapped on his pads again in the second innings, having scored 20 off 36.
Other notable performances
Among others who had impressive opening rounds but are further away from England contention than the names above, Ben Foakes and Dan Lawrence both tonned up for Surrey at Edgbaston – Foakes as part of a rear-guard in the first innings and Lawrence in partnership with Jamie Smith in the second. Dan Mousley also recorded his maiden first-class hundred in that match.
Matt Critchley recorded the highest individual score of the round with 173 at Utilita Bowl, coming in after Essex were reduced to 67-3 in the first innings of the game and also claimed five wickets. Mason Crane took eight wickets for Glamorgan, which put them in with a brief chance of victory against Yorkshire. At 43 years old and captaining Lancashire, James Anderson claimed his 56th first-class five-wicket-haul, as well as reaching his 400th first-class wickets for Lancashire, but Northamptonshire held on for a nine-down draw in the game of the round.
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