The 2026 One-Day Cup gets started on Tuesday and there promises to be some enthralling 50-over cricket to take in over the next two months.
Running from 21st July to 20th September, the 12th edition of the tournament will once again involve two groups of nine teams battling it out to lift the trophy.
The first-placed side in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, while the second and third-placed teams from each pool will advance to the quarter-finals.
Worcestershire are the defending champions, securing a three-wicket DLS win over Hampshire in last year's final, and the Rapids are 7/1 to become the first team to successfully retain the trophy and win it more than once.
2026 One-Day Cup Tips Summary
Best Bet - Gloucestershire to win and each-way @ 10/1
Alternative Bet - Nottinghamshire to win and each-way @ 10/1
Alternative Bet - Durham to win and each-way @ 16/1
2026 One-Day Cup Prediction
Best Bet: Gloucestershire to win and each-way @ 10/1
While some of the teams involved are being decimated by The Hundred, 2015 One-Day Cup champions Gloucestershire have no such worries with none of their players earning contracts for that tournament.
D'Arcy Short and Liam Scott are both unavailable for the One-Day Cup, as the duo were signed to play exclusively in the T20 Blast competition, but there is plenty of strength and experience in this roster.
Wicket-keeper James Bracey top-scored for Gloucestershire last year, amassing 572 runs, and he averages 47.22 in List A cricket with a strike-rate of 107.43. With five tons and 10 half-centuries, he will be an anchor for his team.
Tommy Boorman has featured for Gloucestershire in all three formats and, at 21 years of age, he looks like a real talent with the potential to showcase his batting qualities.
Dawid Malan is a limited-overs specialist and he should still be able to make telling contributions with the bat at 38 years old, while 35-year-old left-armer David Payne has the expertise to take regular wickets.
South African quick Marchant de Lange and Indian spinner Sai Kishore add further depth to this bowling attack and Gloucestershire, who reached the quarter-finals of this year's T20 Blast, will be eager to build from that performance in the 50-over format.
Alternative Bet: Nottinghamshire to win and each-way @ 10/1
Nottinghamshire managed to reach the semi-finals of the T20 Blast this summer and they will be eager to kick on in the One-Day Cup, which they won back in 2017 when beating Surrey in the final.
Notts are also leading the way in County Championship Division One and there is enough strength in depth in this squad to make a challenge for one-day glory.
Jack Haynes was the star of the show for them last year, amassing 473 runs, and he heads into the 2026 edition having averaged 30.84 in the T20 Blast.
Haynes is also averaging 51.63 in the 2026 County Championship and his performances will play a huge role in determining how far Nottinghamshire go in this tournament.
Scotland's George Munsey top-scored for Notts in the T20 Blast, smashing 500 runs at an average of 45.45, and he will be hoping to transfer that form to the 50-over format.
The bowling department has been hit by The Hundred, with senior figures like Olly Stone, Mohammad Amir and Dillon Pennington all playing in that competition, but Nottinghamshire have plenty in reserve with the likes of Brett Hutton, Rob Lord and James Hayes.
Alternative Bet: Durham to win and each-way @ 16/1
Durham failed to advance from Group B last year, winning three and losing five of their eight matches, but they have made changes to their set-up for the 2026 edition and there is greater optimism for a better showing.
Kasey Aldridge, who is in his first full season after joining from Somerset, has been appointed as captain for the One-Day Cup, taking over from opening batter Alex Lees.
While Aldridge brings a fresh approach in regards to captaincy, this decision will also take the pressure off Lees and allow him to concentrate fully on delivering for his side at the top of the order.
There is also the small matter of Durham having former England international Ben Stokes at their disposal, and his experience will be invaluable to the younger players in the side.
Stokes delivered time and time again for England in the biggest moments, notably the 2019 50-over World Cup, and he will play a huge role with both bat and ball during the One-Day Cup.
England opener Emilio Gay is available prior to the start of next month's Test Series against Pakistan, while all-rounder Will Rhodes was the top run-scorer and wicket-taker for Durham last year and can play another integral role.
Durham also have strength in the bowling department, notably fast bowler Duanne Olivier, who at 34 has the expertise and nous to lead his team forward, while left-arm seamer James Minto impressed for England U19s in a recent ODI series win over South Africa and is one to watch out for.
Key Tournament Stats
This will be the 12th edition of the One-Day Cup, with Durham winning the inaugural tournament in 2014
Worcestershire lifted the trophy for the first time last year when beating Hampshire in the final
No team has won this competition more than once
Surrey have appeared in three finals and lost each one
Surrey have 17 players contracted to The Hundred
Yorkshire have lost their leading run-scorer, Imam-ul-Haq, and wicket-taker, Matt Milnes, from last year
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
