How RCB turned their passionate support into on-field success | The Cricketer After 18 years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the Indian Premier League for the first time in 2025, and the women's team's second WPL title makes them defending champions in both

How RCB turned their passionate support into on-field success | ✒️ @oscarress.bsky.social

The future's bright, we just need to get the present right: Daniel Bell-Drummond hoping to lead Kent revival | The Cricketer Daniel Bell-Drummond, who has been awarded a testimonial year by Kent in 2026, looks to put a tough season behind him after a positive winter both off and on the field

"The future's bright, we just need to get the present right" 💬

Daniel Bell-Drummond hoping to lead Kent revival | ✍️ @melindafarrell.bsky.social

Darcey Carter and Ailsa Lister sign contract extensions at Lancashire | The Cricketer Lancashire have handed contract extensions to Scotland duo Darcey Carter and Ailsa Lister

"Darcey and Ailsa are two of the most exciting young players in the country."

Essex Women 2026 team guide | The Cricketer County preview 2026 - Essex Women: Captain, coach, strengths, weaknesses, England bolter

"We've got a young group. They've got their speed bumps coming up, which shape us into the people we are and the cricketers we are."

Moderate improvement won't be enough for new-look Essex | @nickhowson.bsky.social

From Canterbury to Cape Town, via Twickenham: Ben Aitchison bids to build on year of recovery | The Cricketer The Derbyshire quick believes he is a younger bowler than his age suggests after more than a year on the sidelines

From Canterbury to Cape Town, via Twickenham...

Ben Aitchison bids to build on year of recovery | ✍️ @sharmojourno.bsky.social

Navigating the June gridlock key to Durham building on encouraging start County preview 2026 - Durham Women: Captain, coach, strengths, weaknesses, England bolter

"Not so much a statistic as a game-wide opinion, but Hollie Armitage is broadly considered to be the most astute of the captains across the domestic circuit."

Deluded Alfie Ogborne reaping the rewards of a winter tidying up | The Cricketer A game-changing spell in the County Championship draw with champions Nottinghamshire was the result of a winter of working at his craft and his body

"I don't believe there is another club in the country where there is more love for County Championship cricket, and to help Somerset win it for the first time would be a dream come true."

The loneliness of the English spinner: Mason Crane bemoans a world of survival | The Cricketer The Glamorgan leg-spinner, who played a single Test at the end of the 2017-18 Ashes, says we always favour the seamers in this country

"This is a world of watching a part-timer do your job instead, and no care or thought for whether you might have been able to do more."

Mason Crane shares his experience of being a spinner in an ecosystem designed to work against him ✍️

Issy Wong: I'm proud of myself, I know now that it doesn't last forever | The Cricketer Issy Wong burst onto the scene as a gregarious tearaway, before form and rhythm deserted her; but with her second-coming as an England seamer has come a renewed sense of pride and perspective

"I understand that it doesn't last forever, that it's a privilege."

Issy Wong's revival as an England seamer has come with a renewed sense of perspective and a pride in making it back to this level | @nickfriend.bsky.social

Anthony McGrath issues update on Jonny Bairstow availability | The Cricketer Yorkshire hope to have Jonny Bairstow back in action before the end of the month after sustaining an injury during the season opener

"It's not ideal... but we dealt with it as well as we could've done."

The evolution of Sonny Baker: effective at fourth gear, freedom to be himself and making Kyle Abbott proud | The Cricketer Sonny Baker learned plenty from his breakthrough season, which included international white-ball debuts, including how his inquisitive nature fits in with England's ethos

'It is a measure of Sonny Baker's character and outlook on the game that "one of his massive goals" for this year is to "really earn the respect" of his Hampshire teammate Kyle Abbott' | ✒️ @oscarress.bsky.social

Glamorgan and Yorkshire contest thrilling draw, champions held at Taunton | The Cricketer A bold declaration from Kiran Carlson almost paid off at Sophia Gardens, while Nottinghamshire kept Somerset at bay

➖ Glamorgan and Yorkshire play out pendulum-swinging draw
➖ Taunton pitch the winner as champions are held

Kent, Northants and Worcestershire display spirit and defiance to secure hard-earned draws | The Cricketer Durham, a James Anderson-led Lancashire, and Derbyshire are all denied day four wins in round one

➖ Muyeye century frustrates Durham
➖ Anderson denied at Wantage Road
➖ Waite-inspired Worcestershire hold off Derbyshire

Ollie Robinson allays injury fears but double blow overshadows Sussex's opening win | The Cricketer Ollie Robinson has played down any injury concerns after not bowling himself as Sussex secured a handsome win over Leicestershire

Ollie Robinson has played down any concerns after not bowling on day four of the win over Leicestershire - but there is bad news on the fitness front elsewhere in Sussex's squad.

Gloucestershire to contest over-rate penalty after opening defeat | The Cricketer Gloucestershire captain Cameron Bancroft has confirmed that the club will plead their case after being docked two points for a slow over rate in their innings defeat by Middlesex

Captain Cameron Bancroft has confirmed Gloucestershire will plead their case after being docked two points for a slow over rate in their innings defeat by Middlesex.

✍️ @nickfriend.bsky.social

Rough justice as Jamie Smith passes No.3 audition | The Cricketer Centuries from Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence - and a raft of dropped chances - helped Surrey secure a comfortable draw against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

"From an England perspective, Smith's innings was probably the most relevant. With Ollie Pope opting to bat at No.4, Smith put up his hand to bat at No.3" | ✍️ @georgedobell.bsky.social

Sussex teach Leicestershire a harsh lesson | The Cricketer Inspired by Henry Crocombe and a troubled off-season, Sussex march to victory with plenty to spare against the Division Two champions, who have a lot to learn

"The trees have just begun to come into leaf over the past four days – all except the horse chestnut, which always crashes the best party on Earth" | ✍️ Paul Edwards

Lord's brings contrasting emotions for Middlesex and Gloucestershire | The Cricketer A convincing victory for the home side comes at the end of a tumultuous winter, while the visitors – aware this could be a challenging summer – perhaps return to Bristol with that thought reinforced

"A convincing victory for Middlesex comes at the end of a tumultuous winter, while the visitors – already aware that this could be a challenging red-ball summer – perhaps return to Bristol with that sentiment reinforced" | @nickfriend.bsky.social

Tom Prest offers bright spark after reaping rewards of self-improvement | The Cricketer Tom Prest's 55 in the second innings was his team's highest score of their opening County Championship match as they fell to a crushing innings and 137-run defeat to Essex

"I had quite a long, hard think about what went wrong last year, and I spoke to all the coaches about making some changes." 💬

Tom Prest offers bright spark after reaping rewards of self-improvement | @oscarress.bsky.social

Pitch regulations tightened up for County Championship season | The Cricketer Any pitch rated below average in this year's County Championship will result in the home side being awarded zero points from the fixture, regardless of the match result

Pitch regulations tightened up for County Championship season | @nickfriend.bsky.social

Pitch regulations tightened up for County Championship season | The Cricketer Any pitch rated below average in this year's County Championship will result in the home side being awarded zero points from the fixture, regardless of the match result

Any pitch rated "below average" in this year's County Championship will result in the home side being awarded zero points from the fixture, regardless of the match result | @nickfriend.bsky.social

Warwickshire and Surrey each facing a test of their title credentials | The Cricketer The hosts are well-positioned as they seek a first Championship win over Surrey since 2019

"It's an odd thing to say in the first week of April, but this is shaping up to be a significant game in the Championship race" | ✍️ @georgedobell.bsky.social

Essex cruise to victory, making very early claim as title challengers | The Cricketer Essex became the first team to win in this year's County Championship as they wrapped up a dominant victory over Hampshire in the dying embers of the third day

Essex cruise to victory, making very early claim as title challengers | ✍️ @oscarress.bsky.social

Alfie Ogborne storms through the champions, Mason Crane puts Yorkshire in a spin Intriguing finishes beckon at Sophia Gardens and Taunton on day four of round one

➖ Ogborne stuns Notts
➖ Crane leaves Yorkshire struggling

Middlesex's new seam crop take flight, with evergreen master still setting pace | The Cricketer Toby Roland-Jones' first-innings five-fer was his 10th in 25 County Championship games, but the emergence of Seb Morgan, Naavya Sharma, Noah Cornwell and Jamie Feldman has given Middlesex new depth

"In the six seasons before this, which he began with a miserly five-fer – his 10th in 25 games – Toby Roland-Jones had taken 253 wickets, a remarkable effort almost a decade after his England career was essentially cut short by his body" | @nickfriend.bsky.social

Leicestershire need some resurrection to avoid opening round demise | The Cricketer Sussex, after a couple of months filled with uncertainty, are five wickets from a deserved victory. One hopes they enjoy it

Leicestershire need some resurrection to avoid opening round demise | ✍️ Paul Edwards

Northants set 321 to beat Lancashire, Shoaib Bashir grabs the headlines at Derby | The Cricketer Mohammad Abbas got off the mark for his new county, while no play was possible at a windswept Chester-le-Street

➖ Bashir in the spotlight
➖ Conway rips through Lancs
➖ Storm Dave prevails at Durham

Luis Reece: My emotional week | The Cricketer The Derbyshire allrounder, learned his young son has a heart defect, which will need surgery, 15 minutes before batting against Bradford-Leeds UCCE in a pre-season match

"It's going to be a tough few months, but at the same time, I've got every faith he's going to get through this." 💬

Luis Reece: My emotional week | @nickhowson.bsky.social

Wayne Madsen's Derbyshire return up in the air | The Cricketer Wayne Madsen's return from a shoulder injury will come down to the result of a fitness test on the eve of Derbyshire's trip to Lancashire in week two of the County Championship.

Madsen has been sidelined since dislocating his left shoulder during the Men's T20 World Cup while captaining Italy in February.

England tap into Tom Smith's white-ball prowess with spin-coach appointment | The Cricketer England Women's incoming spin coach, Tom Smith, hopes that his white-ball predominance during his playing days will benefit the bowlers now under his care, ahead of a huge summer

"My skills at the moment are probably more aligned with the women's game at the moment than the men's game."

England tap into Tom Smith's white-ball prowess with spin-coach appointment | @nickfriend.bsky.social