Derbyshire
Previewed by: Nigel Gardner – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- 2025 place: eighth (Group A)
- 2025 most runs: Caleb Jewell (438)
- 2025 most wickets: Ben Aitchison (13)
Why they will win the competitors: Though they’ve misplaced white ball whirlwind Aneurin Donald and Matthew Montgomery to The Hundred, Derbyshire nonetheless have an skilled squad to select from with Wayne Madsen’s one-day expertise and nous bolstering a robust batting line-up.
Participant to look at: England’s Shoaib Bashir. The 22-year-old off-spinner is eager to play white-ball cricket and can carry worldwide pedigree to the bowling unit. On dry pitches, his capability to get bounce from a excessive motion makes him a possible match-winner.
Younger gun: Rory Haydon made his mark in final 12 months’s competitors and the right-arm tempo bowler has made spectacular progress this season in red-ball cricket. He challenges the batters along with his capability to mix a constant line with late motion.
Remaining thought: After an underwhelming Vitality T20 Blast marketing campaign, Derbyshire will probably be out to point out they are often contenders within the Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup format. However to show promise into prosperity, they must carry out higher in stress moments to recover from the road.
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Durham
Previewed by: Graham Hardcastle – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Kasey Aldridge
- 2025 Place: sixth (Group B)
- 2025 Most Runs: Will Rhodes (429)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Will Rhodes (14)
Why they will win the competitors: Durham haven’t hit the heights in limited-overs cricket in current seasons, the Vitality T20 Blast included, however they’re in such an excellent place on the high of Division Two within the Rothesay County Championship and may give this competitors the total monty.
Participant to look at: Former England Check captain Ben Stokes is accessible for this competitors having retired from worldwide cricket final month. All-rounder Stokes, a star of the 2019 50-over World Cup triumph, will probably be a useful studying software for Durham’s up and comers.
Younger gun: Presumably the time for left-arm fast James Minto to interrupt by way of in senior cricket. Restricted first-team publicity since debuting aged 16 in 2024 however has simply loved a productive five-wicket return for England U19s in an ODI collection win towards South Africa.
Remaining thought: South African batter David Bedingham is registered as an abroad however is unlikely to function. His compatriot quick bowler Duanne Olivier will fill that position. Emilio Homosexual is accessible previous to the beginning of subsequent month’s Rothesay Check collection towards Pakistan.
Essex
Previewed by: Martin Smith – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Tom Westley
- 2025 Place: 4th (Group A)
- 2025 Most Runs: Tom Westley (561)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Charlie Bennett & Matt Critchley (12)
Why they will win the competitors: Momentum. Essex gained their final 5 video games within the Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup final season, so are clearly on a roll, albeit after an interval of a 12 months. The squad is basically unchanged and has since added expertise and depth.
Participant to look at: Tom Westley – the skilled captain loved a purple patch within the competitors a 12 months in the past with two centuries and 561 runs at a median of 70. Having sat out the Vitality T20 Blast he will probably be recent and raring to go.
Younger gun: Mitchell Killeen – the 21-year-old seamer has not damaged into the primary crew but since his transfer from Durham. However the 50-over competitors might present him with the opening he requires to kickstart his Essex profession.
Remaining thought: It’s not only a improvement competitors for gamers. For the second 12 months, Essex entrust head-coach duties to batting coach Tom Huggins to boost his training. Final season he oversaw 5 victories at a time when Essex couldn’t purchase a win.
Previewed by: Blake Bint – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- 2025 Place: ninth (Group A)
- 2025 Most Runs: Asa Tribe (401)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Zain ul Hassan & Ned Leonard (6)
Why they will win the competitors: This can be a competitors that has introduced success for Glamorgan, with two titles up to now 5 years. With 5 gamers lacking, they are going to be hindered by The Hundred greater than ever earlier than, however their youthful abilities would possibly trigger a number of upsets.
Participant to look at: Andy Gorvin. Regardless of simply 79 profession matches, at 29 years of age Gorvin will probably be one of the vital skilled gamers within the facet. His white-ball, box-of-tricks skillset gives that unpredictable however dependable bowler you need in your facet.
Younger gun: Romano Franco. Glamorgan will seemingly have at the very least six under-23s taking part in however Franco is the more than likely to face out. With Mason Crane and Ben Kellaway absent, the 19-year-old slow-left-armer already has a 12 months of this event underneath his belt.
Remaining thought: Hopes won’t be too excessive for this 12 months’s version with Glamorgan at the moment coach and captain-less, however what it’s going to carry is an opportunity to see who announce themselves subsequent, as Asa Tribe and Tom Norton did final 12 months.
Gloucestershire
Previewed by: Richard Latham – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Jack Taylor
- 2025 Place: Quarter-finals
- 2025 Most Runs: James Bracey (572)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Matt Taylor (14)
Why they will win the competitors: Gloucestershire don’t lose any gamers to The Hundred so, excluding abroad signings Liam Scott and D’Arcy Quick, they’ll be capable of area the gamers who received to the quarters within the Vitality T20 Blast this summer season.
Participant to look at: Tommy Boorman has developed by way of Gloucestershire’s age teams and, at 21, has now represented the membership in all codecs of the home recreation. His unbeaten 33 noticed them to victory over Leicestershire in final season’s Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup.
Younger gun: Kamran Dhariwal smashed a 13-ball half-century within the current Vitality T20 Blast group recreation towards Worcestershire. The 21-year-old product of the South Asian Cricket Academy is learning drugs at Bristol College however appears to have a shiny future as a cricketer.
Remaining thought: Gloucestershire reeled off six group wins in succession at first of final summer season’s Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup earlier than shedding the following two and their quarter-final. They just like the format and are eager to construct on their Vitality T20 Blast type that noticed them attain the quarter-finals of that competitors.
Hampshire
Previewed by: Alex Smith – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Nick Gubbins
- 2025 Place: Runners-up
- 2025 Most Runs: Nick Gubbins (707)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Eddie Jack (13)
Why they will win the competitors: Hampshire have reached the knockout stage in every of the previous 4 years – shedding the ultimate twice. Their XI will probably be filled with reliable know-how, plus an thrilling Indian abroad in Ashutosh Sharma.
Participant to look at: Nick Gubbins was the competitors’s main run scorer final 12 months and will probably be focusing on an analogous return. He and Ali Orr persistently set the tone with the bat in 2025, whereas his captaincy has matured over the previous 4 campaigns.
Younger gun: Expertise is the secret for Hampshire, however 19-year-old Oliver Williams might get some recreation time. The suitable-arm fast is tall, skilful and has proven good promise within the Second XI this season.
Remaining thought: Will or not it’s the struggling Rothesay County Championship Hampshire or the persistently nice Vitality T20 Blast Hampshire that turns up within the Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup? After two silver medals in three years, expectations are excessive that it’ll be the latter.
Previewed by: Fred Atkins – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
- 2025 Place: seventh (Group B)
- 2025 Most Runs: Jaydn Denly (323)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Fred Klaassen (11)
Why they will win the competitors: Youth and expertise – 4 of the crew that gained the trophy in 2022: Ben Compton, Joey Evison, Harry Finch and Grant Stewart can be found, alongside England Lions’ Ben Dawkins and Ekansh Singh, plus U19 worldwide Jaydn Denly.
Participant to look at: “Dawkins goes to be big,” predicted Sam Billings final 12 months and he made his first Kent century within the win at Northampton. Bats with energy and endurance and lately starred for England U19s v South Africa.
Younger gun: Ekansh has damaged by way of in all three codecs within the final 12 months. A classy, elegant center order batter, his medium-pace can also be a helpful choice as a primary or second-change bowler.
Remaining thought: Kent have struggled to get the steadiness proper between competing and growing in 50-over cricket because the 2022 win and final 12 months’s crew was too uncooked to noticeably problem, however they give the impression of being a little bit extra streetwise this time round.
Previewed by: Graham Hardcastle – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: George Balderson
- 2025 Place: eighth (Group B)
- 2025 Most Runs: Marcus Harris (337)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Arav Shetty (9)
Why they will win the competitors: A younger Lancashire facet has solely gained three of 16 matches mixed throughout the previous two campaigns, with solely a kind of coming final season. Their squad had been decimated by Hundred call-ups however must be stronger by way of this marketing campaign.
Participant to look at: Josh Bohannon hasn’t had the season he would have hoped, however he’s loved this competitors lately with three centuries throughout 2024 and 2025. Fingers crossed, he can underpin a title problem alongside batting colleagues like Marcus Harris and Keaton Jennings.
Younger gun: Lancashire consider dynamic 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Joe Moores is a star of the long run. The England Underneath 19s left-hander made his senior debut in final 12 months’s Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup and has damaged into the opposite two codecs this summer season.
Remaining thought: Off the Rothesay County Championship promotion tempo, the Purple Rose simply failed to succeed in the quarter-finals of the Vitality T20 Blast, a stage of the competitors they’re regulars at. They desperately want a pick-me-up over the following few weeks.
Leicestershire Foxes
Previewed by: Jon Culley – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Stephen Eskinazi
- 2025 Place: seventh (Group A)
- 2025 Most Runs: Shan Masood (400)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Alex Inexperienced (18)
Why they will win the competitors: Leicestershire followers have endured a dismal season to date however the Foxes have carried out nicely within the 50-over format in current seasons, winners of this competitors in 2023 and semi-finalists in 2024. There’s a confidence they will problem once more.
Participant to look at: Younger tempo bowler Alex Inexperienced was a sensation within the 2025 competitors, taking 5 wickets in an innings thrice. Nonetheless solely 19, and with extra expertise within the locker, he’ll once more be a harmful opponent.
Younger gun: Former Surrey academy participant Sheridan Gumbs impressed along with his high quality and composure on his first-class debut for Leicestershire final month. The 22-year-old left-hand batter has an opportunity to construct on that promise after signing a brand new deal.
Remaining thought: Leicestershire’s season feels prefer it would possibly profit from a reset and putting in skilled former Middlesex white-ball captain Eskinazi as 50-overs skipper appears a wise transfer. The 32-year-old additionally has an impressive file in Record A cricket, with six centuries in simply 29 innings. The addition of well-credentialed younger batter Hamza Shaikh on the eve of the event is thrilling after he agreed a three-year deal.
Middlesex
Previewed by: Jon Batham – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Ben Geddes
- 2025 Place: Quarter-finals
- 2025 Most Runs: Sam Robson (502)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Henry Brookes (17)
Why they will win the competitors: Middlesex made big strides on this competitors final 12 months successful six group matches to make the knockout levels, demonstrating a capability to win video games from unfavourable positions. They’re a unique beast in 50-over cricket in comparison with the Vitality T20 Blast.
Participant to look at: Luke Hollman – the leg-spinning allrounder, Middlesex’s high performer within the Blast, lately expressed his disappointment at lacking out on choice for The Hundred. Don’t be stunned if this combative cricketer takes the chance to showcase himself to the franchise market.
Younger gun: Naavya Sharma – the 20-year-old seamer constructed on his Lions’ call-up with spectacular performances on the again finish of the VitalityT20 Blast. If he can switch the powerplay and dying overs expertise he flaunted to the longer white-ball format, he’ll be a match-winner.
Remaining thought: Even with younger stars Caleb Falconer and Sebastian Morgan on The Hundred obligation there’s purpose for optimism. Middlesex could be a batter gentle but when the highest 5 hearth, the bowling assets are there to spearhead a problem.
Northamptonshire
Previewed by: Jeremy Blackmore – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Nathan McSweeney
- 2025 Place: ninth (Group B)
- 2025 Most Runs: James Gross sales (268)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Liam Guthrie (9)
Why they will win the competitors: Northamptonshire underwhelmed in final 12 months’s Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup, however there are actual indicators of optimism this 12 months, not least momentum from their run to Vitality T20 Blast Finals Day. Though they lose seven gamers to The Hundred, the membership can name on a number of skilled gamers in addition to the kids they blooded in final 12 months’s competitors.
Participant to look at: Australia worldwide Nathan McSweeney has been handed the captaincy. Not solely in wonderful type within the Rothesay County Championship and Vitality T20 Blast, McSweeney brings appreciable captaincy expertise, being simply the second skipper to carry all three trophies in Australian home cricket.
Younger gun: All-rounder Gus Miller performed a key position in Northamptonshire’s run to Second XI Finals Day this 12 months and confirmed his temperament with a maiden Championship half-century after an emergency call-up towards Durham. He’ll hope to make use of the Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup to determine himself within the senior facet after solely that includes as soon as within the Blast.
Remaining thought: With so many Northamptonshire gamers that includes in The Hundred, this 12 months’s Metro Financial institution One-Day Cup gives alternatives for a number of gifted kids to stake their claims. They are going to be bolstered by veteran India worldwide leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who returns for his third stint with the Steelbacks.
Notts Outlaws
Previewed by: Jon Culley – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Haseeb Hameed
- 2025 Place: fifth (Group A)
- 2025 Most Runs: Jack Haynes (473)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Rob Lord (12)
Why they will win the competitors: Having been in wonderful type in each the Rothesay County Championship and the Blast, there may be loads of confidence within the Trent Bridge dressing room and sufficient depth within the squad to mount a severe problem for silverware on all fronts.
Participant to look at: Jack Haynes, who amassed nearly 500 runs in final season’s competitors, has proven his high quality in each pink and white-ball cricket to this point this season, averaging 51.63 within the Rothesay County Championship. He will probably be a key participant for the Outlaws.
Younger gun: Nearly two years on from his sensational 10-wicket debut within the Championship, teenage off-spin sensation Farhan Ahmed has discovered first-team alternatives restricted of late. This competitors presents an opportunity to remind the senior facet what they’ve been lacking.
Remaining thought: Though their senior bowling assets take successful due to The Hundred, Notts have stable back-up within the likes of Brett Hutton, Rob Lord, James Hayes, Lyndon James and Joe Pocklington. They need to at the very least progress to the knock-out levels.
Somerset
Previewed by: Richard Latham – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- 2025 Place: Semi-Finals
- 2025 Most Runs: James Rew (438)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Ben Inexperienced (16)
Why they will win the competitors: Regardless of shedding their standard excessive quota of gamers to The Hundred, Somerset will be capable of name on a comparatively skilled bowling assault together with Jake Ball and Josh Shaw, supported by younger left-armer Alfie Ogborne and spinner Jack Leach.
Participant to look at: Archie Vaughan has proven promise for Somerset within the Rothesay County Championship with out securing an everyday place within the batting order. This competitors presents a super likelihood for the gifted all-rounder to construct some confidence.
Younger gun: Ben Church could also be an unfamiliar title to Somerset supporters. However, with 5 wicketkeepers absent due to harm or call-ups to The Hundred, the 18-year-old Academy top-order batter and gloveman, from Tub, might be referred to as upon for his senior debut.
Remaining thought: With their T20 big-hitters having been snapped up for The Hundred, Somerset might want to depend on regular accumulators like Archie Vaughan and Lewis Goldsworthy to be the spine of what’s positive to be youthful batting line-up.
Surrey
Previewed by: Mark Baldwin – ECB Reporters Community, supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Rory Burns
- 2025 Place: sixth (Group A)
- 2025 Most Runs: Ollie Sykes (338)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Yousef Majid (9)
Why they will win the competitors: In all honesty it will likely be tough for Surrey to carry the trophy – with no fewer than 17 gamers contracted in The Hundred they merely shouldn’t have the assets left to mount a severe problem. However Surrey nonetheless worth the competitors massively because it presents alternatives for his or her upcoming cricketers to showcase their expertise within the first crew.
Participant to look at: Adam Thomas has already made 100 on his Rothesay County Championship debut this summer season, a superb and mature innings towards Sussex on the Kia Oval, and the 20-year-old will probably be a key man within the bid to submit massive totals.
Younger gun: Ralphie Albert, a real all-rounder who bats within the center order and bowls left-arm spin, is extremely rated past Surrey and was chosen by England Younger Lions coach Mike Yardy to captain England U19s towards South Africa U19s up to now month.
Remaining thought: Surrey will probably be on the lookout for the likes of Thomas, Albert, Yousef Majid, their main wicket-taker within the competitors final 12 months, and skilled seamer James Taylor, who is about to maneuver to Yorkshire on the finish of the season.
Sussex
Previewed by: Bruce Talbot – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Jack Carson
- 2025 Place: fifth (Group B)
- 2025 Most Runs: Tom Clark (339)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Henry Crocombe (11)
Why they will win the competitors: If what will probably be a predominantly younger squad comply with the lead of latest skipper Jack Carson and skilled gamers carry out, like as Tom Haines and Tom Clark – who ought to return after a spell out with a knee harm – Sussex might get on a roll to the ultimate.
Participant to look at: Charlie Tear is an rising keeper-batter who has worldwide expertise with Scotland and scored 159 on this competitors towards Northants final season. The 22-year-old performed within the second half of the Vitality T20 Blast and formed up nicely.
Younger gun: Nantes Oosthuizen is a 20-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler developed underneath former Sussex captain Chris Adams at Seaford Faculty. Bowling coach James Kirtley describes him as “uncooked, however with big potential who can bowl deliveries that may get anybody out”.
Remaining thought: With no abroad, a number of gamers at The Hundred and a brand new captain Sussex will take into account attending to the knockout levels as progress having added three gamers from their Academy – right-armer Ollie Kirtley (son of James), all-rounder Freddie Worth and left-armer Toby Munt – to their squad.
Warwickshire
Previewed by: Brian Halford – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Sam Hain
- 2025 Place: 4th (Group B)
- 2025 Most Runs: Ed Barnard (358)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Tazeem Ali (18)
Why they will win the competitors: Warwickshire Second XI lately retained the T20 Cup fuelled by the skills of many gamers who will determine of their 50-over marketing campaign. They’re assured and in type.
Participant to look at: Kai Smith – the dynamic younger wicketkeeper-batter has been unfortunate to be neglected for a lot of the red-ball and T20 campaigns. A robust 50-over comp would make him very arduous to miss when the Championship resumes.
Younger gun: Staffordshire product Theo Wylie, a left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder, is an influence participant with bat and ball who seems able to make an influence in first-team cricket.
Remaining thought: It has changed into an odd, polarised season for the Bears. A disastrous begin to the Blast destroyed their qualification hopes very early however they’re within the thick of the Rothesay County Championship.
Worcestershire
Previewed by: Brian Halford – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Jake Libby
- 2025 Place: Winners
- 2025 Most Runs: Jake Libby (479)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Ben Allison (19)
Why they will win the competitors: They know the best way to. They gained it final season by taking part in some wonderful cricket to succeed in the ultimate after which displaying the power and expertise to win a really tight closing with the stress on.
Participant to look at: Fateh Singh. Unnoticed for a lot of the Blast as a result of Rapids signing abroad spinners Sikandar Raza and Usama Mir, Singh took three for 17 when given his belated likelihood after Raza departed on worldwide obligation. He will probably be mustard eager to ship a message or two to the team-selectors.
Younger gun: Dan Lategan. Not but UK-qualified, the 20-year-old opening batter was omitted from the Blast crew because the abroad slots went to the spinners. Can be seeking to pile up runs to enter the red-ball resumption with momentum excessive.
Remaining thought: Final season’s triumph at Trent Bridge was one of the vital emotional in county cricket historical past, successful in tribute to Josh Baker who tragically handed away in 2024. Josh’s legacy lives on by way of the JB33 Basis – retaining the trophy would once more be very particular.
Yorkshire
Previewed by: Graham Hardcastle – ECB Reporters Community supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Dom Bess
- 2025 Place: Semi-finals
- 2025 Most Runs: Imam-ul-Haq (688)
- 2025 Most Wickets: Matt Milnes (15)
Why they will win the competitors: They bossed Group B final 12 months and misplaced solely two video games all competitors, together with the semi-final towards Hampshire at Scarborough. They’ve been wonderful within the Vitality T20 Blast as nicely this time period, actually build up that restricted overs rhythm.
Participant to look at: Will Luxton is a younger batter who has proven a big quantity of promise throughout all codecs and will probably be considered one of Yorkshire’s key batters on this competitors. If he will get going, it will likely be enjoyable to look at.
Younger gun: Academy quick bowler Bradley Sylvester is considerably of a wildcard. Has simply been on England Underneath 19s obligation towards South Africa and possibly gained’t play each recreation. However the 19-year-old is predicted to make his senior debut sooner or later.
Remaining thought: The ‘why they will win the competitors’ part gives the glass half full view. The glass half empty view is that they’ve misplaced each final season’s main run-scorer and main wicket-taker, Imam-ul-Haq and Matt Milnes. Could possibly be an issue.
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