County Championship Title Permutations: What do Warwickshire, Somerset and Nottinghamshire need to win Division One?
The 2026 County Championship season is going right down to the wire with three teams all hopeful of claiming the title.
Heading into the final round of fixtures, Warwickshire are the favourites to claim their first Division One title in five years as they sit 11 points clear at the top of the standings on 203 points.
They're trailed by Somerset on 192 points and Nottinghamshire on 188 points, but with 16 points on offer for a win, it's all to play for in the race to be crowned County Championship victors.
We take a look at all of the permutations going into the final round of fixtures.
What do Warwickshire need to win the Division One title?
Warwickshire were third in the standings a week ago, but an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Essex, coupled with defeats for both Somserset and Nottinghamshire, means the Bears are in pole position for the title.
Ian Westwood's side know victory at home over Leicestershire will confirm them as champions for a ninth time, irrespective of how their rivals fare.
Even a draw might be enough, providing Somerset don't win and claim three more bonus points than what Warwickshire achieve.
If Warwickshire lose to Leicestershire, they require Surrey to get a result at Somerset and Middlesex to avoid defeat against Nottinghamshire.
What do Somerset need to win the Division One title?
One of only three counties never to have been crowned champions, a 185-run defeat to Yorkshire at Headingley means Somerset have relinquished control of their County Championship destiny.
For Somerset to win the title, they must win their home fixture against Surrey and hope that Warwickshire either draw against Leicestershire and claim three fewer bonus points than them, or lose.
In the scenario that Somerset win, Warwickshire draw and the two teams were level on points, Somerset would achieve their first Division One title by virtue of matches won.
What do Nottinghamshire need to win the Division One title?
The defending champions possess an outside chance of retaining their County Championship title following a seven-wicket defeat at home to Surrey last week.
For the Trent Bridge outfit to come out on top, they must defeat Yorkshire at home and hope Warwickshire lose to Leicestershire and Somerset fail to beat Surrey.
If both Somerset and Nottinghamshire win and Warwickshire lose, Nottinghamshire would need to outscore Somerset by five bonus points, which would be extremely unlikely if both teams prevail.
What is the bonus points system in the County Championship?
With 16 points available for a win, teams can achieve a maximum of 24 points in a single County Championship match thanks to the league's bonus point system.
Batting bonus points (for runs scored in first 110 overs of first innings):
250-299 - 1pt
300-349 - 2pts
350-399 - 3pts
400-449 - 4pts
450+ - 5pts
Bowling bonus points (for wickets taken in first 110 overs of first innings):
3-5 - 1pt
6-8 - 2pts
9-10 - 3pts
