Rothesay County Championship Division One Preview (Part One)

With the 2026 season starting this week, let's take a look at the teams competing for the Rothesay Division One County Championship title, breaking down key players, ones to watch and new signings.

This Part One preview will focus on Essex, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire.

Part Two will showcase Surrey, Somerset, Sussex, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire. Click here to read Part Two.

Essex

Captain: Tom Westley

Director of Cricket: Chris Silverwood

2025 finish: 6th

2025 leading run-scorer: Paul Walter (914)

2025 leading wicket-taker: Jamie Porter (49)

Championship titles: 3 (most recent in 2013)

Key winter moves: Essex had already bagged the pacy Zaman Akhter from Gloucestershire and Durham rookie Mitchell Killeen before the end of last season to make rotation of their seam attack smoother. They have also added Wiaan Mulder for the first two months of the season to cover Jordan Cox’s absence at the IPL. The prolific South African accumulator will also provide a useful bowling option.

What we're looking forward to seeing: With some of the more senior players reaching the twilight of their careers, who will step up in their places? Charlie Allison enjoyed a breakthrough season with the bat in 2025 and has surely cemented his spot long-term. Another home-grown talent Charlie Bennett emerged late on in the campaign to suggest he could bolster a bowling unit often overstretched last year.

Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: With positions in England’s upper order looking up for grabs after the Ashes, a call-up for Jordan Cox may not be long coming. The combative right-hander, a man for all formats, fits the attacking England model but is capable of switching to more orthodox, conservative mode if circumstances demand.

Final thoughts: We’re looking forward to seeing far greater equality between bat and ball. Last season, Essex batters accumulated a remarkable combined total of 20 red-ball centuries. Not bad for a side who struggled alarmingly on admittedly unresponsive pitches. But at the same time the bowlers claimed all 20 wickets in a match on just five occasions. Altogether, it made for a glut of forgettable draws.

Glamorgan

Captain: Kiran Carlson

Head Coach: Richard Dawson

2025 finish: 2nd (Division Two - promoted)

2025 leading run-scorer: Colin Ingram (1,076)

2025 leading wicket-taker: Timm van der Gugten (34)

Championship titles: 3 (most recent in 1997)

Key winter moves: It has been a quiet winter despite promotion. Sean Dickson joins from Somerset, albeit at the expense of captain Sam Northeast returning to Kent. Academy success in 2025 has seen rookie contracts given to two while James Harris’ retirement and the fact that Asitha Fernando is not returning leaves bowler-shaped holes. Colin Ingram is the only season-long overseas although Australian quicks Ryan Hadley and Nathan McAndrew will be there, for the first six, and for two matches in June respectively.

What we're looking forward to seeing: Glamorgan are back in Division One for the first time since 2005, which is exciting on the surface. Then though, they had an England international as captain and another play a vital part in the Ashes win that summer; and yet they still recorded 14 losses from 16 games. Glamorgan will be hoping their top seven can offer stability, young though several may be, and be at the forefront of avoiding defeats if not picking up wins.

Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: Asa Tribe has overtaken Ben Kellaway as the most talked about Glamorgan youngster, but both have exceptional talent. The former had hundreds for Jersey at 19 and racked up 731 runs at 45.68 last season. Looking a traditional opening batter, he made a century on the England Lions’ tour to Australia and now has franchise recognition.

Final thoughts: Glamorgan have plenty to do to last more than one season in the top-flight this time round. More notable than on-field business, the club has kept the successful coaching combination of Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey, who also had success with Gloucestershire in 2015. To win first-class matches you need 20 wickets; with a shortage of seamers, leg-spinner Mason Crane should get more opportunities after claiming 23 scalps in just five red-ball games last year.

Hampshire

Captain: Ben Brown

Head Coach: Russell Domingo

2025 finish: 8th

2025 leading run-scorer: Ben Brown (758)

2025 leading wicket-taker: Kyle Abbott (56)

Championship titles: 2 (most recent in 1973)

Key winter moves: The biggest shake-up at Utilita Bowl has come off the field with Adi Birrell leaving after seven years, to be replaced as head coach by his protégé, Russell Domingo. Bowling coach Shane Burger has arrived from Somerset to take over from Graeme Welch. On the pitch, Keith Barker is the only major departure, with highly experienced batter Australian Jake Lehmann arriving as a domestic player.

What we're looking forward to seeing: Players stepping up. The likes of Fletcha Middleton, Toby Albert, Ali Orr, and Scott Currie have been given opportunities and now they need to come of age and support the experienced core of Ben Brown, Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Nick Gubbins. The recruitment of Jake Lehmann should ease some of the batting pressure, while Ben Mayes’ emergence is one to keep a close eye on – especially after a run-filled winter at the Under 19 World Cup.

Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: Sonny Baker. His international debuts last summer might have been ones to forget but his first injury-free Rothesay County Championship season should be deemed a success. His pace speaks for itself, but he is picking up skills and smarts all the time. He is a knowledge sponge, and having Kyle Abbott nearby will only fast-track his development.

Final thoughts: From early-season overseas chaos to points deductions, and double white ball final heartache to almost relegation – but for Durham’s catastrophic final day Hampshire would be in Division Two. 2025 was a year to forget. Simply, 2026 has to be better. The talent is in the squad, but they lack the experience and reliability to be considered title challengers. Improving home form, where they won once last year on largely lifeless pitches, must be a priority.

Leicestershire

Captain: Peter Handscomb

Head Coach: Alfonso Thomas

2025 finish: 1st (Division Two - winners)

2025 leading run-scorer: Lewis Hill (917)

2025 leading wicket-taker: Ian Holland (38)

Championship titles: 3 (most recent in 1998)

Key winter moves: Skipper Peter Handscomb returns for a fourth season, working around his Victoria commitments while Stephen Ezkinazi (Middlesex) and Jonny Tattersall (Yorkshire) were added to the batting resources last season. Somerset all-rounder Ben Green moves permanently after several loan spells, to be joined by Taunton colleague Josh Davey. Restrictions imposed by Cricket South Africa scuppered the signing of left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, although the loss is softened by the recruitment of New Zealand left-armer Ajaz Patel.

What we're looking forward to seeing: Pace bowling prospect Alex Green was a sensation in last season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, when his 18 wickets included three five-fors. Genuinely quick, and 6ft 7ins tall, the 19-year-old academy graduate impressed again in the winter, taking wickets during England's run to the Under-19 World Cup final. He will be pushing for inclusion in the red-ball side.

Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: After an exceptional county summer that brought five hundreds in 16 Rothesay County Championship innings, not to mention 13 wickets in a match against Derbyshire, it baffled many judges that leg-spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed was not part of England’s Ashes squad. If he can maintain that form against Division One opponents, the 21-year-old’s case will surely be irresistible.

Final thoughts: Leicestershire, who finished bottom of Division Two as recently as 2022, romped to the 2025 title to end a 22-year exile from Division One. Staying there will be tough, given that historically one in three promoted teams are relegated after just one season, and almost half within two. With Chris Wright retired and Logan Van Beek joining Yorkshire, the pace attack needs Josh Hull to mature into a consistent spearhead but the Foxes will fight for every point.

Nottinghamshire

Captain: Haseeb Hameed

Head Coach: Peter Moores

2025 finish: 1st

2025 leading run-scorer: Haseeb Hameed (1,258)

2025 leading wicket-taker: Brett Hutton (38)

Championship titles: 7 (most recent in 2025)

Key winter moves: The loss of Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas to Derbyshire was an unexpected blow. ln his place, Mohammad Ali, another experienced Pakistan quick, is set to play in the last six Rothesay County Championship rounds; Australian seamer Fergus O’Neill, who took 21 wickets in four appearances at the start of 2025, could play in the first eight. The impressive South African wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne returns and the early availability of England's Ben Duckett after cancelling his IPL deal is a real boost.

What we're looking forward to seeing: The battle to be the county’s No 1 spinner. After his sensational end to the 2024 season, teenage off-spinner Farhan Ahmed was in pole position last April before Liam Patterson-White, the left-armer whose career had lost direction a little, was handed a recall and subsequently made himself impossible to leave out. Leg-spinner Calvin Harrison has moved to Northamptonshire but another left-armer, Joe Pocklington, who impressed in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, adds to the competition.

Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: Haseeb Hameed has had a fragmented international career so far but after 2,349 first-class runs at 58.72 over the last two seasons, including seven centuries, three of them doubles, two carrying his bat, he's surely worth another look. A pretty good player when last selected, he remains technically sound but scores at a markedly quicker tempo.

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