Counties reject plan to cut Championship fixtures

The Rothesay County Championship will remain a 14-match competition next season after counties rejected a proposal to cut the number first-class games to 13.

The decision to retain the existing structure, with 10 and eight teams in Division One and Two respectively, came after the alternative option failed to receive the two-thirds majority backing from the 18 Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCs) required for change. Voting opened on Friday and concluded on Tuesday, prior to the final round of the 2025 campaign.

The conclusion comes at the end of a county-led review into the domestic structure which the England and Wales Cricket Broad (ECB) announced on the eve of the Championship season. Several parties within the game, namely the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA), felt the schedule was asking too much of players, and urged counties to reassess a packed fixture list.

In an earlier vote in July, counties agreed to cut the Vitality Blast men's competition to a 12-match group stage (currently 14), moving to three regional groups of six teams each. However, the PCA have lamented the lack of meaningful change, believing their concerns about player welfare have not been heeded.

"Unfortunately, the decision-makers have failed to ensure our premiere red-ball competition remains a standout in world cricket by evolving," said chief executive Daryl Mitchell in a statement released by the PCA. "Not just to meet the needs of modern professionals, but to provide a product that captures the imagination for all.

"Players appreciate the small tweak to the Vitality Blast schedule, however, we are yet to see a fixture list. At the very least, we expect to see a significant reduction in back-to-back fixtures.

"With the continuation of a 14-game Championship season, an indicative schedule for 2026 we have seen suggests there will be two games in nine days following The Hundred, this cannot be acceptable. We now need to ensure the best possible schedule can be created in a structure that remains not fit for purpose."

PCA chair and Warwickshire seamer Oliver Hannon-Dalby added: "The players' voice must be heard and while we recognise scheduling concerns go well beyond county cricket with a cluttered international calendar and similar issues in other sports, we cannot relent in our ambition to create minimum standards to allow for a safer schedule."

This week's second, final, vote featured a 13-match County Championship proposal which would have split the 18-clubs into a top tier "Championship" of 12 teams divided into two conferences. The top three of each conference would then be pooled to compete for the title, with the bottom six determining the two sides relegated to a "Championship Two" made up of the remaining six counties. That option also included increasing the One-Day Cup to 10 group-stage matches.

The retention of the existing structure does at least mean players, staff and supporters know what is at stake in the final round of the season, which began on Wednesday.

Yorkshire, Durham and Hampshire are fighting against joining Worcestershire, whose relegation from Division One was confirmed last week. Leicestershire and Glamorgan have already secured promotion from Division Two.