In a remarkable display, James Anderson led Lancashire to a stunning last-day win against Derbyshire with a four-wicket haul for just 18 runs. At 43, and two years after retiring as England's most successful Test bowler, Anderson's impressive performance helped Lancashire secure a 20-run victory at Emirates Old Trafford. Derbyshire, chasing a target of 138, were bowled out for 108, with Anderson claiming key wickets including Martin Andersson, Anuj Dal, Ben Aitchison, and Shoaib Bashir. He also ran out Zak Chappell to seal the win.
This victory marks Anderson's first win as Lancashire's permanent captain and propels the team to second place in Division Two after two matches. In Division One, Surrey's Jamie Smith and Ollie Pope, both part of England's squad, showcased their batting prowess in a high-scoring draw against Leicestershire. The duo began to put their Ashes struggles behind them with centuries in the first innings, followed by Smith scoring 89 and Pope remaining unbeaten on 83 when the match ended in a draw. Surrey finished on 263 for four, with the total runs for the match nearing 1,500 at the Kia Oval.
Defending champions Nottinghamshire secured their first win of the season, defeating Glamorgan by 192 runs at Trent Bridge. County Championship fixtures for 2026 are available, along with the latest Championship tables and information on when cricket will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The Sky Sports app can also be downloaded for updates. Glamorgan, resuming on 132 for two in pursuit of 478, never seemed likely to close the gap after the early dismissal of Asa Tribe, who added just three runs to his overnight score of 82 before being bowled by Brett Hutton.
Liam Patterson-White took the last three wickets to wrap up the win for Nottinghamshire. Sussex achieved their second win of the season, chasing down 328 against Warwickshire with an impressive five-wicket victory.
They successfully scored the required 94 runs, with Jack Leaning hitting 120 not out. Despite back-to-back wins, Sussex trails Somerset by five points due to a lack of bonus points. Yorkshire's disappointing start to the season continued with a 214-run loss at home to Hampshire. Chasing 426, Yorkshire were bowled out for 211, with Kyle Abbott claiming his 47th five-wicket haul in his career.
George Hill contributed 52, adding to his first-innings five-wicket haul, but the hosts struggled with the bat in the absence of injured captain Jonny Bairstow. In Division Two, Ben Compton scored an unbeaten century as Kent managed a draw against Northamptonshire at Canterbury, after being forced to follow on.