County Championship 2022 Season: All You Need to Know About It
The first season of the new-look County Championship will be staged from April 2022. It will be the first time in nine years that the competition has been played with the 18 first-class counties officially grouped into two divisions.
The introduction of the 2020 cricket season saw the introduction of the County Championship. The new-look competition had been in the pipeline for some time and it was finally introduced in 2020. The new format saw the 18 first-class counties, that are part of the County Championship, be grouped into two divisions. The first division was made up of the top six counties, who were also awarded two points for each match they played. The remaining first-class counties would be placed in the second division, and were also awarded two points for each match they played.
The 2020 County Championship saw 119 matches being played to decide who will be crowned the winners. The competition was won by Warwickshire, who recorded an emphatic victory by winning all of their games.
If you’re looking to get to grips with the County Championship, keep reading. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
What is the County Championship?
The County Championship is the top-level domestic cricket competition in England and is the main domestic competition of the 18 first-class counties in England. It is contested by the 18 first-class counties in England, making it the highest domestic cricket competition in the country.
The County Championship is the main domestic competition of the 18 first-class counties in England. It is contested by the 18 first-class counties in England, making it the highest domestic cricket competition in the country. The competition started in 1890, and since then it has been contested 99 times with the 18 first-class counties.
The format for the competition changed several times until it was played as a 12-team competition in both 2018 and 2019. In 2020, it was reduced to 18 teams, with the top six teams also getting two bonus points for each match won.
The first season of the County Championship
The first season of the new-look County Championship will be staged from April 2022. It will be the first time in nine years that the competition has been played with the 18 first-class counties officially grouped into two divisions. The introduction of the 2020 cricket season saw the introduction of the County Championship. The new-look competition had been in the pipeline for some time and it was finally introduced in 2020. The new format saw the 18 first-class counties, that are part of the County Championship, be grouped into two divisions. The first division was made up of the top six counties, who were also awarded two points for each match they played. The remaining first-class counties would be placed in the second division and were also awarded two points for each match they played.
The final table of the first County Championship
Warwickshire won the first season of the new-look County Championship by finishing top of the table with a 100% record. They won all 16 of their home games, with the final game of the season against Somerset ending in a draw. They had the joint-best batting and bowling performances in the final table, with the top five all scoring more than 500 runs. Jos Butler topped the batting charts with 893 runs, followed by Jack Shantry and Alex Hepburn who both scored more than 700 runs.
They also scored more than 300 wickets, with only two teams managing to do more than them. Their best bowling performance came in the final game, where they managed to bowl out Somerset for just 172 runs.
2022 County Championship
The 2022 County Championship will be played between April and September. The top six teams from the first season will continue to battle it out in the first division, with two promoted sides joining them. The bottom two teams will be relegated to the second division, with the two promoted sides joining the top two teams from the second division.
2022 County Championship schedule
Division 1
- Apr 07, Thursday – Apr 10, Sunday
- Essex vs Kent, County
- Hampshire vs Somerset
- Northamptonshire vs Gloucestershire
- Warwickshire vs Surrey
- Apr 14, Thursday – Apr 17, Sunday
- Surrey vs Hampshire
- Somerset vs Essex
- Kent vs Lancashire
- Gloucestershire vs Yorkshire
- Apr 21, Thursday – Apr 24, Sunday
- Warwickshire vs Essex
- Surrey vs Somerset
- Northamptonshire vs Yorkshire
- Lancashire vs Gloucestershire
- Kent vs Hampshire
- Apr 28, Thursday – May 01, Sunday
- Essex vs Northamptonshire
- Gloucestershire vs Surrey
- Hampshire vs Lancashire
- Somerset vs Warwickshire
- Yorkshire vs Kent
- May 05, Thursday – May 08, Sunday
- Surrey vs Northamptonshire
- Lancashire vs Warwickshire
- Hampshire vs Gloucestershire
- Essex vs Yorkshire
- May 12, Thursday – May 15, Sunday
- Gloucestershire vs Somerset
- Kent vs Surrey
- Warwickshire vs Northamptonshire
- Yorkshire vs Lancashire
- May 19, Thursday – May 22, Sunday
- Yorkshire vs Warwickshire
- Somerset vs Hampshire
- Northamptonshire vs Kent
- Lancashire vs Essex
- Jun 12, Sunday – Jun 15, Wednesday
- Hampshire vs Yorkshire
- Kent vs Gloucestershire
- Somerset vs Surrey
- Jun 26, Sunday – Jun 29, Wednesday
- Surrey vs Kent
- Northamptonshire vs Warwickshire
- Gloucestershire vs Lancashire
- Essex vs Hampshire
- Jul 11, Monday – Jul 14, Thursday
- Essex vs Gloucestershire
- Hampshire vs Warwickshire
- Kent vs Northamptonshire
- Lancashire vs Somerset
- Yorkshire vs Surrey
- Jul 19, Tuesday – Jul 22, Friday
- Warwickshire vs Kent
- Surrey vs Essex
- Somerset vs Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire vs Lancashire
- Gloucestershire vs Hampshire
- Jul 25, Monday – Jul 28, Thursday
- Essex vs Somerset
- Gloucestershire vs Northamptonshire
- Lancashire vs Kent
- Surrey vs Warwickshire
- Yorkshire vs Hampshire
- Sep 05, Monday – Sep 08, Thursday
- Somerset vs Gloucestershire
- Lancashire vs Yorkshire
- Kent vs Essex
- Hampshire vs Northamptonshire
- Sep 12, Monday – Sep 15, Thursday
- Northamptonshire vs Surrey
- Warwickshire vs Somerset
- Yorkshire vs Essex
- Sep 20, Tuesday – Sep 23, Friday
- Surrey vs Yorkshire
- Somerset vs Northamptonshire
- Hampshire vs Kent
- Gloucestershire vs Warwickshire
- Essex vs Lancashire
- Sep 26, Monday – Sep 29, Thursday
- Kent vs Somerset
- Lancashire vs Surrey
- Northamptonshire vs Essex
- Warwickshire vs Hampshire
- Yorkshire vs Gloucestershire
Division 2
- Apr 07, Thursday – Apr 10, Sunday
- Glamorgan vs Durham, County
- Leicestershire vs Worcestershire
- Middlesex vs Derbyshire
- Sussex vs Nottinghamshire
- Apr 14, Thursday – Apr 17, Sunday
- Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan
- Durham vs Leicestershire
- Derbyshire vs Sussex
- Apr 21, Thursday – Apr 24, Sunday
- Durham vs Nottinghamshire
- Glamorgan vs Middlesex
- Leicestershire vs Derbyshire
- Worcestershire vs Sussex
- Apr 28, Thursday – May 01, Sunday
- Sussex vs Durham
- Nottinghamshire vs Worcestershire
- Middlesex vs Leicestershire
- Derbyshire vs Glamorgan
- May 05, Thursday – May 08, Sunday
- Glamorgan vs Leicestershire
- Sussex vs Middlesex
- Worcestershire vs Durham
- May 12, Thursday – May 15, Sunday
- Middlesex vs Nottinghamshire
- Leicestershire vs Sussex
- Durham vs Glamorgan
- Derbyshire vs Worcestershire
- May 19, Thursday – May 22, Sunday
- Middlesex vs Durham,
- Nottinghamshire vs Derbyshire
- Worcestershire vs Leicestershire
- Jun 12, Sunday – Jun 15, Wednesday
- Leicestershire vs Nottinghamshire
- Glamorgan vs Sussex
- Durham vs Worcestershire
- Derbyshire vs Middlesex
- Jun 26, Sunday – Jun 29, Wednesday
- Nottinghamshire vs Middlesex
- Sussex vs Derbyshire
- Worcestershire vs Glamorgan
- Jul 11, Monday – Jul 14, Thursday
- Sussex vs Leicestershire
- Middlesex vs Worcestershire
- Glamorgan vs Nottinghamshire
- Durham vs Derbyshire
- Jul 19, Tuesday – Jul 22, Friday
- Derbyshire vs Nottinghamshire
- Middlesex vs Sussex
- Jul 20, Wednesday – Jul 23, Saturday
- Leicestershire vs Glamorgan
- Jul 25, Monday – Jul 28, Thursday
- Worcestershire vs Derbyshire
- Durham vs Middlesex
- Jul 26, Tuesday – Jul 29, Friday
- Nottinghamshire vs Sussex
- Sep 05, Monday – Sep 08, Thursday
- Derbyshire vs Durham
- Glamorgan vs Worcestershire
- Nottinghamshire vs Leicestershire
- Sep 12, Monday – Sep 15, Thursday
- Sussex vs Worcestershire
- Middlesex vs Glamorgan
- Leicestershire vs Durham
- Sep 20, Tuesday – Sep 23, Friday
- Worcestershire vs Nottinghamshire
- Leicestershire vs Middlesex
- Glamorgan vs Derbyshire
- Durham vs Sussex
- Sep 26, Monday – Sep 29, Thursday
- Derbyshire vs Leicestershire
- Nottinghamshire vs Durham
- Sussex vs Glamorgan
- Worcestershire vs Middlesex
Conclusion
With the introduction of the new-look County Championship and the addition of two divisions, the competition has been rebranded from the traditional format of a 12-team competition. The first season of the new-look County Championship will be staged from April 2022. It will be the first time in nine years that the competition has been played with the 18 first-class counties officially grouped into two divisions. The introduction of the 2020 cricket season saw the introduction of the County Championship. The new-look competition had been in the pipeline for some time and it was finally introduced in 2020. The new format saw the 18 first-class counties, who are part of the County Championship, be grouped into two divisions. The first division was made up of the top six counties, who were also awarded two points for each match they played. The remaining first-class counties would be placed in the second division, who were also awarded two points for each match they played.
The final table of the first County Championship saw Warwickshire win the first season of the new-look County Championship by finishing top of the table with a 100% record. They won all 16 of their home games, with the final game of the season against Somerset ending in a draw. They had the joint-best batting and bowling performances in the final table, with the top five all scoring more than 500 runs. Jos Butler topped the batting charts with 893 runs, followed by Jack Shantry and Alex Hepburn who both scored more than 700 runs. They also scored more than 300 wickets, with only two teams managing to do it more than them. Their best bowling performance came in the final game, where they managed to bowl out Somerset for just 172 runs.