Extra Cover Cricket Extra Cover Cricket

Collated cricket news from around the world

County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division Two – Northamptonshire
Although results in two of the three competitions – excepting the T20 Blast – were disappointing in 2025, the season did allow head coach Darren Lehmann to assess in detail the strengths and weaknesses of his squad and, together with new chairman Gary Hof...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division Two – Gloucestershire
After the highs of the previous September, there was always going to be the question of how to reset for 2025. An up and down Championship campaign saw Gloucestershire stay in the promotion hunt late into the final month thanks to their batting group, wit...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division Two – Lancashire
The season can be split into two parts really, the first half of the season made for pretty grim viewing at times as the club failed to win any of their opening seven County Championship matches, losing with defeats against Northamptonshire and Leicesters...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division Two – Middlesex
Last year was a season of disappointment for Middlesex, a failure to push for promotion and the usual T20 struggles, although they bizarrely sacked head coach Richard Johnson after a run of four games that had perhaps been the county’s finest run of perfo...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division Two – Derbyshire
Having finished bottom of the second division in 2024, most would have expected Derbyshire to go into the 2025 campaign with better hopes in T20 than red-ball. But they exceeded all expectations in finishing third and in the end only missed out on promoti...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division Two – Durham
Richie Benaud used to say “disasters happen at sea, not on cricket fields”. But the manner in which Durham were relegated last season was disastrous. They only won two games in the County Championship. The last of those was against eventual champions Nott...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Glamorgan
Promotion last season represented a huge success for Glamorgan, who had endured a lean couple of decades in the County Championship. They will come up against stronger, wealthier opponents in Division One and will need to recruit well to be able to compet...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Leicestershire
Last season was Leicestershire’s best for at least a decade. After years of struggle, particularly in the red-ball game, Alfonso Thomas and his side found a formula that worked, which got them promoted to the top flight for the first time since 2003. The...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Hampshire
For a team that’s been used to competing at the top end of the County Championship table, last season’s narrow escape from relegation was a shock if not a total surprise. A side shorn of James Vince, Mohammad Abbas and Kieth Barker (the latter for all but...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Yorkshire
2025 was yet another year of change for Yorkshire, with Anthony McGrath taking over as head coach, Gavin Hamilton as general manager and changes to other roles on the coaching staff as a result. The team never quite managed to hit the heights that perhaps...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Essex
Overall, it was a disappointing season for Essex. Injury and availability problems hampered the County Championship side, and at the halfway point of the season, there was a threat of relegation rather than a title challenge. They also really struggled to...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Warwickshire
Finishing mid-table in the Championship and falling short of the final in the two white-ball competitions was an unspectacular result, but some of the performances were rather better than that outcome suggests. Injuries and unexpected international call-u...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Sussex
Last season was a success for Sussex; fourth place in the County Championship was a tremendous effort, having only been promoted the year before. However, the news of financial problems at Hove and the subsequent 12-point deduction will come as a hammer b...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Somerset
Somerset celebrated its 150th anniversary as a county club in 2025, and did so with an outstanding season. To finish third in the County Championship, semi-finalists in the One-Day Cup, and to win the Blast for the second time in three years was a superb...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Surrey
Surrey will be doing the chasing this summer, and even though they came close to making it four straight Championship wins last summer, they have been honest enough to admit they were never at their best. The post County by County 2026 Season Preview – Di...
15.03.2026
County by County 2026 Season Preview – Division One – Nottinghamshire/The Blaze
Last season will live long in the memory for Nottinghamshire’s players and supporters. To win a County Championship is tough at the best of times, but to do it in the modern era and topple a Surrey side that have been the dominant force for several years...
15.03.2026
T20 World Cup 2026 review: India triumph in their own backyard
Adam Hopkins looks back at the recent men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka... The post T20 World Cup 2026 review: India triumph in their own backyard appeared first on The Cricket Paper.
15.03.2026
Adam Hopkins on eight things to look forward to during the 2026 cricket season
There’s a big summer of cricket ahead of us once more. Adam Hopkins picks out some of the highlights... The post Adam Hopkins on eight things to look forward to during the 2026 cricket season appeared first on The Cricket Paper.
15.03.2026
BACK TO THE FUTURE
A RED BALL RESET IN ENGLAND Traditional values: white kit, red ball, green grass; the colours of summer return under an increased spotlight PICTURES: Alamy ... Continue reading... Access all our premium content from as little as 14p per day! SUBSCRIBE Alr...
15.03.2026
The Cricket Paper Pre-Season Preview: The wait is over – county cricket returns for 2026
After England’s topsy-turvy winter, more eyes will be on the red-ball game than usual come this Easter weekend when the grand old County Championship creaks into action once more, as photographers are dispatched hither and thither to procure the best shot...
15.03.2026
Cricket, Numbers, and the Quiet Rise of Transparent Gaming
Cricket has always carried a deep relationship with numbers. Averages, strike rates, and partnerships shape how matches are understood and remembered. For readers who follow the sport closely, this analytical side feels natural. It is part of the rhythm o...
19.03.2026
England back Brendon McCullum despite Ashes defeat as ECB rejects ‘football-style’ sackings
The England and Wales Cricket Board has defended its decision to back the leadership team that oversaw this winter’s Ashes surrender, insisting the future of Brendon McCullum and Rob Key could not be settled by a football-style “popularity campaign”. The...
23.03.2026
Cricket analysis: All you need to know ahead of IPL 2026
For many cricket fans, the start of April signals only one thing - the return of the English domestic season. But as ever, a white-ball franchise competition is never far away. The post Cricket analysis: All you need to know ahead of IPL 2026 appeared fir...
24.03.2026
“It was a tough period for me” – Ben Duckett eager to put difficult winter behind him ahead of County Championship stint
Ben Duckett reaffirmed he has made the “right decision” to withdraw from the upcoming Indian Premier League and instead focus on rediscovering his form for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship ahead of the international summer. The post “It was a to...
27.03.2026
South African bowler Codi Yusuf replaces Jayden Seales for the County Championship
South African fast bowler Codi Yusuf has signed for Hampshire for the opening block of the County Championship 2026. The post South African bowler Codi Yusuf replaces Jayden Seales for the County Championship appeared first on The Cricket Paper.
30.03.2026
Expert Tips for Winning Big at Crypto Casino Games
Let’s be real. The house always has an edge. No article, system, or strategy changes that mathematical fact. But here’s what does matter: the gap between someone who plays blindly and someone who plays with intention. That gap isn’t small. It shows up in...
31.03.2026
“We don’t want it to look like a fluke year” – Nottinghamshire squad ready to embrace title defence
Nottinghamshire begin their County Championship campaign at Somerset on Friday in rather unfamiliar territory, stepping onto the field as the defending champions with the pressure and expectation that comes with a first Division One trophy since 2010. The...
31.03.2026
Nottinghamshire’s Haseeb Hameed sees ‘whole picture’ and eyes an England return
Haseeb Hameed feels in a “better space” than when he last represented England as he attempts to reignite his international ambitions in the early weeks of the Rothesay County Championship. The post Nottinghamshire’s Haseeb Hameed sees ‘whole picture’ and...
01.04.2026
Sir James Anderson feels England remain in good position to claim Ashes revenge
Sir James Anderson believes England remain well-placed to claim Ashes revenge despite a dismal display Down Under. The post Sir James Anderson feels England remain in good position to claim Ashes revenge appeared first on The Cricket Paper.
01.04.2026
Navigating South Africa’s 2026 iGaming Shakeup
Following a landmark Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling and aggressive new directives from the National Gambling Board (NGB), the South African online gambling landscape has experienced its most dramatic shift in a decade. With local bookmakers now stri...
01.04.2026
Sports betting in Tanzania: What you need to know
Tanzania has quietly become one of East Africa's most active sports betting markets. The post Sports betting in Tanzania: What you need to know appeared first on The Cricket Paper.
02.04.2026
England’s Matthew Potts targets ‘being a workhorse that doesn’t miss’ after Ashes misery
England bowler Matthew Potts is ready to go back to his roots as a ‘workhorse’ after his Ashes disappointment in Sydney, admitting: “the cold, hard facts were I wasn’t good enough”. The post England’s Matthew Potts targets ‘being a workhorse that doesn’t...
02.04.2026
Seamer Yadvinder Singh signs short-term contract with Leicestershire
Right-arm seamer Yadvinder Singh has signed on a short-term professional contract for Leicestershire County Cricket Club. The post Seamer Yadvinder Singh signs short-term contract with Leicestershire appeared first on The Cricket Paper.
02.04.2026
Project promotion at Derbyshire as Mickey Arthur’s side look primed for a long-awaited Division One return
The Mickey Arthur reign as head of cricket at Derbyshire so far has failed to deliver the upturn in fortunes many would have anticipated, but embarking on his fifth season with the East Midlands county, there is a renewed sense of optimism that this seaso...
02.04.2026
Fixtures
SUNDAY APRIL 5 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE Warwickshire v Surrey (Edgvaston, Day 3 of 4, 11am) Hampshire v Essex (Southampton, Day 3 of 4, 11am) Glamorgan v Yorkshire (Cardiff, Day 3 of 4, 11am) Leicestershire v Sussex (Leicester, Day 3 of 4, 11am) S...
05.04.2026
2025 Final Standings
FINAL COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES 2025 FINAL COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP AVERAGES 2025 ... Continue reading... Access all our premium content from as little as 14p per day! SUBSCRIBE Already a subscriber to our website? Login The post 2025 Final Standings appeared...
05.04.2026
Winter moves point to stronger, deeper Premier League squads
Ian Livo from The Premier League Cricket Club unpacks the winter’s club transfers AS THE NEW PREMIER LEAGUE season approaches, the winter transfer window has provided a revealing insight into how Premier League sides across the country are evolving. While...
05.04.2026
Knight-Stokes Cup headlines bumper summer of schools action
With schools returning from their Easter break from the middle of April onwards, the new school season is keenly awaited after what has seemed a long and depressing winter. The post Knight-Stokes Cup headlines bumper summer of schools action appeared firs...
05.04.2026
Danny Briggs: The Family That Changed My Life
Danny Briggs, the Blast’s all-time leading wicket-taker, on how he balances cricket with being a father to home-educated neurodivergent children. Interview with Adam Hopkins. The post Danny Briggs: The Family That Changed My Life appeared first on The Cri...
05.04.2026
Inside The Mind: Dom Sibley
The Surrey opener speaks to Jo Harman McGowan about struggling to live up to the hype as a teenage prodigy, his high and lows with England and trying to shift perceptions. The post Inside The Mind: Dom Sibley appeared first on The Cricket Paper.
05.04.2026
Is this the year for Derbyshire?
Mickey Arthur is backing Mohammad Abbas to provide the missing piece in Derbyshire’s Division Two promotion puzzle – and reckons if you were going to clone one cricketer to play domestic cricket in England, the Pakistan swing king would be the ideal man....
05.04.2026
Ageless Anderson neuters nervy Northants
By Jeremy Blackmore DAY ONE JOSH BOHANNON defied Northamptonshire with a well-crafted 90 as Lancashire made the most of winning the toss, closing on 346 for seven on day one at Wantage Road. Bohannon struck 14 boundaries, sharing an untroubled second wick...
05.04.2026
Du Ploy and Roland-Jones put Middlesex on top
By Jon Batham Running riot: Joe Cracknell and Leus du Plooy ran Gloucestershire ragged PICTURE: Alamy DAY ONE LEUS DU Plooy haunted Gloucestershire once again with an unbeaten 98 as Middlesex reached 279-5 on a truncated first day at a gloomy Lord’s. The...
05.04.2026
Durham’s seam success sees Kent struggle
By Thomas Ridley DAY ONE EMILIO GAY made the first century of the season as Durham edged ahead of Kent on a closely contested first day. Gay was fluent and positive in a chanceless century, his 11th in first-class cricket, on a day when his teammates stru...
05.04.2026
Andersson doubles up as Derby dominate Pears
By Nigel Gardner DAY ONE MARTIN ANDERSSON delivered another demonstration of his blossoming talent as Derbyshire dominated the opening day at The Central Co-op County Ground. The all-rounder batted with controlled aggression from the start to race to his...
05.04.2026
Richard Clarke: The start of summer! Get ready for a spectacular season of county red-ball cricket
The start of every county season is a process of reacquaintance. There are familiar friends and foes, customs and traditions, sights and smells. The post Richard Clarke: The start of summer! Get ready for a spectacular season of county red-ball cricket ap...
05.04.2026
Hain and Mousley batter windswept Surrey stars
By Brian Halford Batting is something I work really hard on, and I want that genuine all-rounder status, so it was really pleasing to get out there and contribute when the lads were in a bit of trouble. SURREY ALL-ROUNDER TOM LAWES DAY ONE A RECORD partne...
05.04.2026
Even stevens as bat dominates ball
By Richard Latham Sometimes you make a connection with a teammate and James Rew and I love batting together. SOMERSET BATTER TOM ABELL Five of the best: Dillon Pennington mopped Juno the Somerset tail. PICTURE: Alamy DAY ONE TOM ABELL and James Rew proved...
05.04.2026
Robinson gives reminder to England selectors
By Jon Culley Deja vu: Tom Clark scored a hundred in the season’s first day for the second time PICTURE: Alamy April 3-6, Uptonsteel Grace Road, Leicester Sussex 361 (Clark 101, Haines 56, Holland 3-79, B Green 3-54) & 149-3 (Hughes 72, Coles 23*, Holland...
05.04.2026
Crtichley crushes Hants as Essex soar away
By Alex Smith April 3-6, Utilita Bowl, Southampton Essex 461-7 dec (Critchley 173, Allison 80, Abbott 2-76, Baker 2-68) Hampshire 48-3 (Lehmann 30*, Prest 8, Cook 2-15, Snater 1-2) Toss: Hampshire won the toss and decided to field Officials: Ian Blackwell...
05.04.2026