Vasconcelos, Clarke and Abbott headline voters’ County Championship team of the season

Vasconcelos and McKinney lead the batting

Ricardo Vasconcelos and Ben McKinney were selected as the openers in the public vote for the 2026 County Championship team of the season.

Northamptonshire’s Vasconcelos received 38% of the votes after leading Division Two with 1,159 runs and six centuries. Durham’s 21-year-old McKinney took 31% after scoring 1,044 runs at an average above 50, including a career-best 244 against Gloucestershire.

Clarke, Abell and Bedingham fill the middle order

Nottinghamshire batter Joe Clarke was the leading choice in the middle-order category, collecting 31% of the vote. He finished as the country’s leading run-scorer with 1,288 runs, including four centuries and six fifties.

Somerset’s Tom Abell and Durham’s David Bedingham completed the middle order. Abell scored 1,287 runs at an average of 71.5 and recorded the season’s highest individual score, an unbeaten 307 against Surrey. Bedingham passed 1,000 runs for Durham for the fourth time.

Bracey narrowly wins the wicketkeeping vote

Gloucestershire’s James Bracey claimed the wicketkeeping position with 44%, edging Somerset’s James Rew by just one percentage point. Bracey scored 1,096 runs and five hundreds, while also taking 23 catches and completing two stumpings.

Overton and Hill rewarded for all-round seasons

Somerset’s Craig Overton was the clear all-rounder choice after contributing 734 runs and 53 wickets. Yorkshire’s George Hill joined him after taking 48 wickets at an average of 18.39 and scoring 748 runs, including six half-centuries.

Abbott and Bamber lead the pace attack

Hampshire’s Kyle Abbott topped the pace-bowling vote with 30%. The 39-year-old claimed 64 wickets at an average of 16.15 despite Hampshire finishing bottom of Division One.

Warwickshire’s Ethan Bamber received 23% and was the only player from the championship-winning Bears to make the XI. He led both divisions for wickets with 69, including four five-wicket hauls.

Patterson-White takes the spin berth

Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White was chosen as the team’s spinner with 41% of the vote. He took 42 wickets at an average of 25 and added valuable lower-order runs, including an unbeaten 111 against Leicestershire.

The final XI reflects a season in which individual performances stood out across both divisions, with leading run-scorers, prolific wicket-takers and several players from sides outside the title race earning recognition.