Durham 2026 County Championship Full Season Preview
- Mar 28
- 4 min read
by Ronan Alexander & The Cricket Draft
With the cricket season fast approaching, now is the time to ensure you and your club are covered! Don’t risk the season with under insurance & outdated valuations; contact ASI, the specialist sports broker and PCA partner, to get your club or your own policy sorted before the first ball is bowled.
County Championship Values for 2026
Banker, Wildcard, Young Gun & England Watch
Banker: David Bedingham (BAT) £8.2m
He has been a brilliant overseas signing for Durham in recent years and will be hoping for more of the same in 2026. Last summer saw him feature in only six matches, but in 2024 he was the leading run-scorer in Division One with 1,331 runs at an average of 78.29. 2023 also saw him break the 1,000-run barrier, and there’s no doubt that is what he will be striving for again.
Wildcard: Emilio Gay (BAT) £6.9m
At least one of Durham’s batters looks essential given their strong performances in Division One before dropping to the league below. They now bat on a pitch where the average first-innings score is 355. Gay was the “middle value” option last year at £6.9m; while Lees, Bedingham, and Ackerman were all more expensive, McKinney was the cheapest. Gay remains on England’s radar and has also played international cricket for Italy.
Young Gun: Ben McKinney (BAT) £5.7m
The 21-year-old featured in 10 games last summer, scoring 565 runs at an average of 31.38 and recording two centuries with a top score of 153. His form led to selection for the England Lions as well as The Hundred. Following a consistent run of games in 2025, he’ll be looking to make 2026 a breakout year as he aims to help his side make an immediate return to the top flight.
England Watch: Matthew Potts (BWL) £8.4m
Despite taking 36 wickets in 11 Tests, Potts seems to have slipped down the pecking order without doing much wrong in an England jersey. After struggling upon his recall for the fifth Test in Sydney, Potts will be looking for a strong start to the county summer to force his way back into the squad. He took 29 wickets with a best of 4/84 last summer, a tally he will certainly be looking to improve upon.
Potential Starting XI for GW 1
2025 Review
It was a pretty disappointing year for Ryan Campbell’s side as they slipped into the drop zone and ultimately missed out on survival by a single point. After a solid first year back in the top flight in 2024, they showed promise to kick on after putting together a squad which on paper was both balanced and oozing quality, however, they unfortunately failed to deliver in 2025 and paid the price last summer.
Having star batter David Bedingham for only six matches was a significant blow, although they do have excellent depth within their batting unit. Similarly, Brydon Carse featured only once. The team will be hoping to see more of both this summer.
Home matches saw an average first-innings score of 355, with seam bowling being the main threat, accounting for 77% of the overs and taking 81% of the wickets. With an attack including Carse, Matthew Potts, Ben Raine, Mark Wood, and Sam Conners, along with new signings Archie Bailey and Kasey Aldridge (plus youngsters James Minto and Daniel Hogg), they certainly have this base covered. Emilio Gay and Alex Lees both made 950 runs last summer, so they will be looking to build a solid foundation again, allowing a strong middle order of Bedingham, Ackerman, Robinson, and Clark to flourish.
2025 Stat Attack
Ben Raine was ranked as the 10th highest scorer overall with 2,040 total points, averaging 156.92 per game.
Raine contributed 44 wickets (8th highest overall) and 468 runs, including a century.
Drissell led all bowlers priced at £5.0m or less in both total points (joint most) and runs scored.
Drissell averaged 27 with the bat and took 17 wickets, making him a top choice for spin-friendly conditions.
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Player Ins & Outs
Durham have been quite busy during the off-season with several new signings and departures. Kasey Aldridge and Archie Bailey, who both spent time on loan last summer, have made their deals permanent from Somerset and Gloucestershire respectively. Shafiqullah Ghafari, who featured in two matches at the end of last season, has extended his deal in the North; since he counts as a domestic player, he gives them a strong spin department alongside Callum Parkinson and George Drissell.
Regarding departures, Bas de Leede has left the club to focus on international cricket with the Netherlands, and Stanley McAlindon has been released. As two seamers joined, two have left: Paul Coughlin has moved to Lancashire and Mitchell Killeen has signed for Essex. Durham still has one overseas slot available to use, which is something to keep an eye on.
2026 Fixtures
Durham begin life back in Division Two with a home fixture against Kent before travelling to Gloucestershire. They then host Lancashire before making a trip to Lord’s in Gameweek 5, following a free week in Gameweek 3. June sees consecutive home matches against Derbyshire and Northants. It is at this point of the season that will prove crucial, as there are a number of games that Durham will feel they are firm favourites to win, and if they do, it will provide a very firm footing for an assault on the promotion places. They round off the season playing two of their final three fixtures at Chester-le-Street, hosting Middlesex and Worcestershire before travelling to Lancashire for what could be a crucial final day of the campaign.
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