The County Championship returns tomorrow as we approach the final block of red ball cricket for the 2026 season.
Promotion will be the aim for Northamptonshire as they begin the run in with a trip to Old Trafford to face Lancashire.
With six crucial games left, we take a look at how the table lies, the season so far and take a closer look at our remaining opponents.
The Division Two Table:
Durham lead the way at the top on 149 points and look set for an immediate return to Division One.
Kent and Northamptonshire are next in line with 117 and 115 points respectively.
Third to fifth is only separated by four points with Middlesex, Derbyshire and Worcestershire but with only an 18-point gap to Kent promotion is still a possibility.
Lancashire sit on 81 points and will need a very strong end to the season whilst Gloucestershire are bottom on 38 points and with just one win, they’ll be looking to prepare for a stronger 2027 campaign.
That means promotion is a possibility for Northamptonshire for the first time since 2019.
Northamptonshire’s season so far:
Northamptonshire sit third in the table with 115 points after three wins, three draws and two defeats in the opening eight games.
The season started with three draws in a row which included a gutsy last-wicket partnership between George Bartlett and Ben Sanderson against Lancashire in the season opener.
That was followed by a comprehensive innings victory against Worcestershire in May in which Ricardo Vasconcelos, James Sales and Lewis McManus all achieved centuries plus Sanderson earning his career best first-class match figures with 11 for 109.
Lehmann’s side bounced back from an innings defeat in Derby to beat Gloucestershire on the road in the last game before the break for the first set of T20 Blast fixtures.
It was a mixed outcome for Northamptonshire in the two games in June with a seven-wicket victory achieved at home to Gloucestershire as Nathan McSweeney and Saif Zaib picked up first innings centuries, but the second fixture went Durham’s way in what was a high-scoring affair.
McSweeney leads the run-scoring for Lehmann’s side with 589 runs in 13 innings at an average of 49.08, whilst Sanderson sits fourth in the overall list for wickets with 39 at an average of 18.74.
Our remaining fixtures:
Lancashire (20-23 August, Emirates Old Trafford) : It has been a disappointing campaign for Lancashire so far in this year’s County Championship, one that mirrors the 2025 season, their first one back in Division Two after relegation.
With only two wins from their first eight games and a T20 Blast campaign in which they just missed out on the quarter-final stage, they will definitely feel they’ve got something to prove in the last six games.
Sir James Anderson is their top wicket taker of the campaign and fifth overall with 38 wickets at an average of 17.26.
Northamptonshire’s fixture at Emirates Old Trafford is part of Lancashire’s red ball festival, designed to celebrate first-class cricket. Northamptonshire fans are eligible for a discount on tickets, which can be purchased here.
Kent (27-30 August, cinch County Ground) : This clash may prove to be pivotal in deciding who likely joins Durham in Division One next season with Kent currently two points above Northamptonshire in the standings.
Our previous fixture saw Northamptonshire come close to a thrilling victory, but rain on the last day prevented the chance to claim the points. For the first time in Northamptonshire’s history, the top four batters (Ricardo Vasconcelos 127, Luke Procter 261*, Calvin Harrison 153 & Nathan McSweeney 101*) scored a century in the same innings.
Chris Benjamin sits third in the list of top scorers so far this campaign with 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a top score of 123.
Durham (2-5 September, cinch County Ground) : The current division leaders come to Northampton for the first fixture in September.
Durham have won five games and drawn the other three as they sit unbeaten through eight games.
Ben Stokes has returned to action for Durham since his international retirement. He scored 108*in his first game back against Derbyshire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
The Durham side includes the top scorer in Division Two in David Bedingham who has scored 794 from only 11 innings and holds an incredible average of 88.22, the highest in Division Two.
Durham also have the two players at the top of the wickets column as Ben Raine and Matthew Potts have both taken 41 wickets in the campaign.
Worcestershire (8-11 September, New Road) : There is still an opportunity for the Pears to make an impression on the promotion spots as they sit in sixth place with 95 points.
They had started the season strongly with two wins and one draw from the opening three games but then failed to pick up another win until their most recent game against bottom side Gloucestershire.
Derbyshire (15-19 September, cinch County Ground) : Like Worcestershire, Derbyshire could also make a play for promotion in the final six games of the season.
They sit tied with Middlesex on 99 points, 16 behind Northamptonshire.
Ben Aitchison has been their key player with the ball in this year’s County Championship and he has taken 40 wickets at an average of 21.05.
Middlesex (24-27 September, Lord’s) : A trip to Lord’s awaits Northamptonshire for the final fixture of the 2026 campaign.
It will be the first time since 2018 that Northamptonshire have played at the Home of Cricket, and if results go the right way, it could end up being a historic trip to the capital.
Middlesex could, like the other two teams, could still be in contention for promotion come the 24th September.
The side started the season with a comprehensive victory against Gloucestershire but have had a mixed season from that point onwards.