LONDON, Oct 14, 2021 (AFP) – The English County Championship will return to a two-division structure from next season after two coronavirus-affected campaigns, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Thursday.

The Bob Willis Trophy was introduced in 2020 and a three-group structure used for this year’s first-class competition.

Next year, 10 teams will play in division one and eight teams in division two, with a two-up, two-down promotion-and-relegation system.

Each county will be placed into the division they would have been set to compete in had the 2020 County Championship taken place.

Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire won promotion to Division One and Nottinghamshire were relegated to Division Two.

The return to two divisions, with each team playing 14 matches, was voted through by the first-class counties.

Division One: Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Surrey, Warwickshire, Yorkshire

Division Two: Derbyshire, Durham, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Sussex, Worcestershire