2021 County Championship
| Administrator(s) | England and Wales Cricket Board |
|---|---|
| Cricket format | First-class cricket (4 days) |
| Tournament format(s) | League system |
| Participants | 18 |
The 2021 County Championship (referred to as the LV= Insurance County Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the 121st cricket County Championship season in England and Wales.[1] For the first phase of the tournament, the teams were split into three groups of six, with each side playing ten matches.[2] The top two teams from each group will then move into Division One for the second phase of the competition, with the other teams progressing to Divisions Two and Three.[3] The team that finishes top of Division One will be the county champions; the top two teams from Division One will then contest a five-day match at Lord's for the Bob Willis Trophy.[4] On 17 December 2020, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed all the fixtures for the tournament.[5][6]
Group stage
Teams
The teams were placed into the following groups for the Group Stage:[7]
- Group 1: Derbyshire, Durham, Essex, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
- Group 2: Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Somerset, Surrey
- Group 3: Glamorgan, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Sussex, Yorkshire
Fixtures
Group 1
8–11 April 2021
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- Essex won the toss and elected to bat.
- Jake Libby (Worcestershire) carried the bat.[8]
8–11 April 2021
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7/0 (4.1 overs)
Will Rhodes 5* (16) |
- Warwickshire won the toss and elected to field.
22–25 April 2021
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- Durham won the toss and elected to bat.
- George Scrimshaw (Derbyshire) made his first-class debut.
- David Bedingham (Durham) scored his maiden double century in first-class cricket.[9]
- Chris Rushworth (Durham) took his 500th wicket in the County Championship.[9]
- Sam Conners (Derbyshire) took his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.[10]
29 April–2 May 2021
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- Derbyshire won the toss and elected to field.
- Glamorgan Record (Glamorgan) The shortest ever 4 day Championship match involving Glamorgan.Cite error: A
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- Glamorgan Record (Glamorgan) The shortest ever 4 day Championship match involving Glamorgan.Cite error: A
22–25 April 2021
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- Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
- Rishi Patel replaced Colin Ackermann for Leicestershire ahead of Day 3 as a concussion replacement.[11]
22–25 April 2021
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18/0 (2.3 overs)
Max Holden 11* (11) |
- Middlesex won the toss and elected to field.
- Luke Hollman (Middlesex) made his first-class debut.
29 April–2 May 2021
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- Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
- Lewis Goldsworthy (Somerset) made his first-class debut.
- Jack Brooks replaced Lewis Gregory for Somerset ahead of Day 3 as a COVID-19 replacement.[12]
6–9 May 2021
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2/0 (0.1 overs)
Eddie Byrom 2* (1) |
- Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
- Only 9.3 overs of play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
6–9 May 2021
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- Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
- No play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
19–22 May 2021
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20–23 May 2021
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Group 3
8–11 April 2021
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- Yorkshire won the toss and elected to field.
- Jamie McIlroy (Glamorgan) made his first-class debut.
8–11 April 2021
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- Sussex won the toss and elected to bat.
- Sean Hunt (Sussex) made his first-class debut.
22–25 April 2021
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- Kent won the toss and elected to field.
- Danny Lamb (Lancashire) scored his maiden century in first-class cricket.[13]
29 April–2 May 2021
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19/0 (2.2 overs)
David Lloyd 19* (8) |
- Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field.
- Darren Stevens (Kent) took his 30th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.[14]
29 April–2 May 2021
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- Sussex won the toss and elected to bat.
- Jamie Atkins (Sussex) made his first-class debut.
29 April–2 May 2021
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- Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to field.
- This was the first time that Northamptonshire had lost a first-class match by one run.[15]
- It was the second time that Yorkshire had won a first-class match by one run, after they beat Middlesex by one run in the 1976 County Championship.[16]
6–9 May 2021
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- Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bat.
- No play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
6–9 May 2021
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6–9 May 2021
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- Yorkshire won the toss and elected to field.
- No play was possible on day 3 due to rain.
20–23 May 2021
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Standings
Teams receive 16 points for a win and 8 for a draw or tie. Bonus points (a maximum of 5 batting points and 3 bowling points) may be scored during the first 110 overs of each team's first innings.
Group 1
| Team | Pld | W | L | T | D | A | Bat | Bowl | Ded | PCF | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 54 | Qualification for Division One of the Division Stage |
| Durham | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 53 | |
| Worcestershire | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 52 | Qualification for Division Two of the Division Stage |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 51 | |
| Essex | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 49 | Qualification for Division Three of the Division Stage |
| Derbyshire | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
Group 2
| Team | Pld | W | L | T | D | A | Bat | Bowl | Ded | PCF | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucestershire | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 74 | Qualification for Division One of the Division Stage |
| Somerset[a] | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 60 | |
| Hampshire | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 59 | Qualification for Division Two of the Division Stage |
| Surrey | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 46 | |
| Middlesex | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 37 | Qualification for Division Three of the Division Stage |
| Leicestershire | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
Group 3
| Team | Pld | W | L | T | D | A | Bat | Bowl | Ded | PCF | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 79 | Qualification for Division One of the Division Stage |
| Yorkshire | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 73 | |
| Northamptonshire | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 68 | Qualification for Division Two of the Division Stage |
| Sussex | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 48 | |
| Glamorgan | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 44 | Qualification for Division Three of the Division Stage |
| Kent | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
References
- ^ "County Championship: Revamped competition to return in 2021". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Three-league county structure confirmed for 2021, with separate Lord's final". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "All you need to know about the 2021 County Championship". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Three-division domestic cricket structure confirmed for 2021 season". The Cricketer. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "2021 Men's County Championship Group Stage fixtures announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "Three-group County Championship fixtures unveiled by ECB". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "First-Class Counties agree 2021 men's domestic structure". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "County Championship: Essex and Worcestershire draw as batsmen dominate". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Chris Rushworth rekindles Riverside love affair as David Bedingham makes eyes with career-best 257". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "County Championship: David Bedingham & Chris Rushworth put Durham on top against Derbyshire". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Leicestershire use concussion sub as Patel replaces Ackermann". The Cricketer. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "Somerset make first county Covid substitution as Jack Brooks replaces Lewis Gregory". The Cricketer. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "County Championship: Danny Lamb and Luke Wood hit centuries as Lancashire dominate Kent". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Michael Hogan five-for trumps Darren Stevens' as Kent tumble to two-day defeat". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ "Steve Patterson breaks Northamptonshire resistance as Yorkshire win one-run thriller". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ "County Championship: Yorkshire pip Northants by one run in thrilling finish". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ "Saif Zaib, Adam Rossington hand Northamptonshire healthy first-innings lead". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ a b c County Championship Table, BBC Sport.
- ^ a b c County Championship 2021, CricInfo.
- ^ a b c County Championship Tables, England and Wales Cricket Board.
- ^ "Somerset 12-point deduction reduced to eight for 2021 County Championship". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 April 2021.