Durham have been confirmed as Division Two champions and secured an instant return to Division One, but with two rounds of the Rothesay County Championship remaining, the battle for the second promotion spot, and the places below it, is still to be settled. Here's a look at where all eight counties stand.
Durham - 230 points
Remaining games: Worcestershire (home), Lancashire (away)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: Matthew Potts (17), Ben Raine (8), David Bedingham (8), Ben McKinney (7), Callum Parkinson (6), Emilio Gay (6), Kasey Aldridge (4), Brydon Carse (3), Alex Lees (2), Ben Stokes (2)
Durham's promotion was confirmed on 11 September with a 93-run win over Middlesex at the Riverside, capping an unbeaten campaign and marking an immediate return to the top flight following relegation in 2025. Brydon Carse took nine wickets in that match – his first five-for in any format since 2021 – while opener Ben McKinney made a career-best 184. With the title and promotion already wrapped up, the final two matches offer a chance to finish the campaign unbeaten and possibly give fringe players some game time before the step back up to Division One.
Northamptonshire - 175 points
Remaining games: Derbyshire (home), Middlesex (away)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: Ben Sanderson (6), Luke Procter (6), Saif Zaib (6), George Bartlett (5), James Sales (5), Ricardo Vasconcelos (4), Harry Conway (3), Louis Kimber (3), Calvin Harrison (2), Nathan McSweeney (2)
Northamptonshire head into the final fortnight two points clear of Kent in the race for second place, having beaten Worcestershire by six wickets in their last outing. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been central to that push, taking 19 wickets in his last four Championship appearances, including a memorable delivery that bowled Ben Stokes during the win over Durham. A home game against Derbyshire is followed by a trip to Middlesex, and Northamptonshire will feel a strong finish keeps the second promotion place within their control.
Kent - 173 points
Remaining games: Lancashire (home), Gloucestershire (home)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: Matt Milnes (11), Tawanda Muyeye (5), Keith Dudgeon (4), Ben Dawkins (3), Chris Benjamin (3), Hasan Mahmud (3), Sam Northeast (3), James Taylor (2), Matt Quinn (2), Ben Compton (1), Bertie Forman (1), Harry Finch (1), Zak Crawley (1)
Kent's promotion hopes took a knock when a 181-run defeat to Derbyshire – only their second loss of the season – dropped them to third, with Ben Aitchison taking nine wickets in the match. The disappointment was softened by a defiant middle-order fightback from Ekansh Singh (59) and Grant Stewart (65) as Kent battled to the end for a losing draw. Crucially, both remaining fixtures are at home against the two sides propping up the table, giving Kent every chance to close the gap on Northamptonshire and reclaim second spot.
Middlesex - 135 points
Remaining games: Gloucestershire (away), Northamptonshire (home)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: Leus du Plooy (8), Naavya Sharma (6), Ryan Higgins (5), Tom Helm (5), Zafar Gohar (4), Sebastian Morgan (3), Luke Hollman (2), Sam Robson (2), Toby Roland-Jones (2), Joe Cracknell (1)
Middlesex's promotion hopes are mathematically alive but require results to fall their way elsewhere after a 93-run defeat to champions Durham. Harry Duke's maiden first-class century, an unbeaten 100, together with a battling half-century from Ben Geddes, showed the fight in the side even as the game slipped away. A trip to bottom side Gloucestershire offers a chance to build momentum before a season-closing home fixture against promotion rivals Northamptonshire.
Derbyshire - 135 points
Remaining games: Northamptonshire (away), Worcestershire (away)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: Ben Aitchison (9), Martin Andersson (6), Zak Chappell (3), Brooke Guest (2), Harry Came (2), Luis Reece (2), Matt Montgomery (2), Rory Haydon (2), Wayne Madsen (2), Anuj Dal (1)
Derbyshire's season has been lit up by the returning Ben Aitchison, whose nine-wicket haul against Kent – his best figures since coming back from a long-term back injury – secured a 181-run win. All-rounder Martin Andersson has been the standout with the bat, closing in on 1,000 Championship runs for the season after another unbeaten century in that victory. Two away fixtures, against Northamptonshire and Worcestershire, round out the campaign for a side that has been competitive throughout.
Worcestershire - 133 points
Remaining games: Durham (away), Derbyshire (home)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: Matthew Waite (7), Brett D'Oliveira (6), Dan Lategan (6), Beyers Swanepoel (3), Tom Taylor (3), Jake Libby (2), Gareth Roderick (1), George Drissell (1), Jack Home (1)
Worcestershire's promotion hopes effectively ended with a six-wicket defeat to Northamptonshire, in which Brett D'Oliveira's 64 was the main resistance as Yuzvendra Chahal took four wickets to seal victory for the visitors. With little left to play for in the promotion race, the final two rounds, away to newly-crowned champions Durham and at home to Derbyshire, give the county a chance to build some form heading into 2027.
Lancashire - 100 points
Remaining games: Kent (away), Durham (home)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: George Balderson (4), Paul Coughlin (4), Marcus Harris (3), Sir James Anderson (3), Keaton Jennings (2), Matty Hurst (1), Tom Bailey (1)
Lancashire's most recent outing brought a 105-run defeat to fellow strugglers Gloucestershire, though 18-year-old Rocky Flintoff's maiden first-class half-century – 65 from 79 balls – was a rare bright spot in a low-scoring contest. The result leaves Lancashire 18 points above the bottom side with two games to go, starting with a trip to Kent before closing out the season at home to champions Durham.
Gloucestershire - 82 points
Remaining games: Middlesex (home), Kent (away)
Cricket Media Club Player of the Season voting: James Bracey (8), Will Williams (6), Miles Hammond (3), Graeme van Buuren (2), Kamran Dhariwal (2), Matt Taylor (2), Ollie Price (2), Henry Brookes (1), JT Langridge (1), Sai Kishore (1)
Gloucestershire go into the final two rounds on the back of consecutive wins, the latest a 105-run victory over Lancashire in a meeting of the bottom two sides. Loan signing JT Langridge took five wickets in that match, backed up by a maiden half-century from debutant Kamran Dhariwal and 6 for 24 from Will Williams. Home advantage against Middlesex is followed by a trip to promotion-chasing Kent, and a strong finish would offer some encouragement after a difficult campaign.