The 2025 domestic cricket schedule has been met with concerns for player welfare as the Professional Cricketers’ Association called for future changes to avoid a “tragedy”.

The ECB confirmed next year’s County Championship and One-Day Cup fixtures on Tuesday, competitions which sit alongside the Vitality Blast and The Hundred in a packed six-month schedule next summer.

The announcement prompted criticism from PCA Chair James Harris, who says his organisation is having constructive ongoing communication with ECB surrounding player welfare and wants the game to come together to make significant changes in 2026.

“There remains further, almost impossible, periods that allow peak performance,” said Harris.

“In 2025, this is unacceptable in a world where the awareness of mental and physical health of elite athletes needs to be prioritised given the professionalism and scrutiny in the modern era.

“We urge the game to come together because this issue cannot be kicked down the road any longer. We cannot wait for a tragedy before the game wakes up and recognises player welfare has not been prioritised.”

ECB Managing Director of Competitions & Major Events, Neil Snowball, says player welfare is a major factor in the scheduling of the county season

He also denied that the ECB is at loggerheads with the PCA.

“A decent chunk of matches are mitigated by double headers that have been scheduled,” Snowball said.

“Weaving the 50-over cricket in and around other games was okay. There are enough days in the week in the six months for this.

“The fixtures have been received well… and we have got some pretty positive responses.

“The aim was to give Counties what they wanted and we have been able to do that to about 95 per cent.”

Details of 2025 cricket schedule

The ECB confirmed on Tuesday that Surrey will begin their bid for a fourth consecutive Rothesay County Championship title with a trip to Essex in the first week of April.

Surrey are aiming to become the first side to win the competition four times in a row since they recorded seven successive titles during a glittering period between 1952 and 1958.

The Kia Oval team will head to Chelmsford from Friday April 4 to Monday April 7, with the opening round in Division One also seeing newly-promoted Yorkshire and Sussex visit Hampshire and Warwickshire respectively.

Nottinghamshire will host Durham, while Somerset welcome Worcestershire to Taunton.

In Division Two, Lancashire and Kent – both relegated from the top flight at the end of the 2024 season – open up with away fixtures, against Middlesex and Northamptonshire respectively.

The other games in round one are Derbyshire vs Gloucestershire and Glamorgan vs Leicestershire.

Eight rounds of County Championship action will be contested across April and May, with two each in June and July and then three more in September to close out the domestic summer.

Kookaburra ball to be used in June and July

The fixtures in June and July will be played with the Kookaburra ball, as opposed to the usual Dukes.

The Kookaburra – which has a less-pronounced seam than the Dukes – was used for two rounds in April and two in September in the 2024 season.

However, it is hoped that the move to the height of summer will provide reverse swing for pace bowlers and also bring spinners into play.

The Kookaburra is mainly used overseas, including in Australia, and its introduction to county cricket was recommended by Sir Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review after England were thumped 4-0 away from home in the 2021-22 Ashes.

Metro Bank One-Day Cup finals in September

The fixtures for the Metro Bank One-Day Cup have also been announced, with the group stage of the new women’s competition to be played in April and May before returning in July and the men’s pool phase to be held in August.

Defending men’s champions Glamorgan – who beat Somerset in the 2024 final at Trent Bridge – kick off their defence at home to Hampshire in Neath on Tuesday August 5.

The finals of both tournaments will take place in September – the men’s at Trent Bridge on Saturday September 20 and the women’s at Hampshire’s Utilita Bowl a day later.

The women’s competition will see the eight sides – Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze and Warwickshire – play each other home and away before the top four advance to the semi-finals.

In addition, there will be a league two of the women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup featuring Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids. and Yorkshire.

The Disability Premier League title will also be won in September.

The group stage, which features Black Cats, Hawks, Pirates, Tridents, will be played over three rounds before the final is staged as a doubleheader with England’s men’s T20 against South Africa in Cardiff on Tuesday September 10.

County Championship 2025 – first round of fixtures (April 4-7)

Division One

• Essex vs Surrey (Chelmsford)
• Hampshire vs Yorkshire (Utilita Bowl, Southampton)
• Somerset vs Worcestershire (Taunton)
• Warwickshire vs Sussex (Edgbaston)
• Nottinghamshire vs Durham (Trent Bridge)

Division Two

• Northamptonshire vs Kent (Northampton)
• Derbyshire vs Gloucestershire (Derby)
• Middlesex vs Lancashire (Lord’s)
• Glamorgan v Leicestershire (Cardiff)

Metro Bank One-Day Cup 2025

• Men’s final – Saturday September 20 (Trent Bridge)
• Women’s final – Sunday September 21 (Utilita Bowl (Southampton)

Men’s groups in Metro Bank One-Day Cup

• Group A: Notts Outlaws, Essex, Worcestershire, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Leicestershire Foxes, Derbyshire Falcons
• Group B: Kent Spitfires, Yorkshire, Somerset, Lancashire, Durham, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Middlesex, Sussex Sharks

Women’s teams in Metro Bank One-Day Cup

• Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Warwickshire

There are 13 races over jumps on the agenda as Southwell and Sedgefield host the action live on Sky Sports Racing on Tuesday afternoon…

1.40 Southwell – Solar System faces Broughshane

Solar System returned to Chepstow with a decent performance to finish third off a mark of 103 and managed to build on that to win a conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Warwick. He comes here in good form and could prove hard to beat under useful conditional Callum Pritchard in this Watch Unbridled On attheraces.com Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

Top-weight Broughshane was a nice winner at Fontwell, and the form of that race has held up well, with the second-placed Golden Ambition winning his next two, and the fourth-placed Ede’iffs Rock also going on to win since. He was unable to justify favouritism at Ffos Las when emptying late on over three miles and would have a big chance with the drop back in trip to 2m 4f.

Dan Skelton’s Asian Star landed a mares’ novice hurdle at Southwell last month but failed to back that up at Warwick when upped in trip. She was carrying a penalty that day but was still staying on at the finish and must be respected here.

2.30 Sedgefield – Penalty-carrying Laser Focus bids to land hat-trick

James Owen has been in excellent form over both codes for a while now and saddles the hat-trick seeking Laser Focus here. He has been a wide margin winner of both his recent wins under Ben Bromley and looks poised to grab another despite shouldering a 7lb penalty in the Chris Blanckley Birthday Handicap Hurdle.

Ross Chapman gets the leg up on Harper Valley who was narrowly denied by Forged Well at Kelso last time and is now rated 3lbs higher. The yard has been in good form recently and it would be no surprise to see him deny Laser Focus.

Donald McCain’s 11-year-old Finisk River is 2-4 at Sedgefield, is well handicapped on old form and is another that could land this with claimer Charlie Maggs in the saddle.

2.00 Sedgefield – Sequence-seekers Clean Getaway and Mutual Respect clash

Philip Kirby’s Clean Getaway has been a model of consistency and is in excellent form with figures of 22111 in his last five starts. He only narrowly beat stablemate Achnamara over hurdles here last time, despite being officially 10lb well in, which could suggest his winning sequence may be coming to an end. He switches back to chasing under usual pilot Joe Williamson for the Vickers.Bet Handicap Chase.

Mutual Respect is another in good form but was slightly fortuitous when favourite Copernic Du Mazet came down last time. He still had lots to do but ground down the leader with a great attitude and must be respected in his bid for a hat-trick.

Augharue was only just beaten at Kelso last time and warrants respect.

Best of the rest

Northern Reel will look to carry a 7lb penalty to victory in a nice-looking mares contest at Southwell (12.35pm) and stands every chance of doing so with the electric Sean Bowen booked. Half an hour later, Jasmin De Grugy makes his chase debut in the JP McManus silks. At 3.40pm, Lunar Contact goes for the hat-trick but will have to beat fellow last-time-out winner Topkapi Star.

Over at Deauville, a Listed affair at 3.53pm sees Joseph O’Brien’s Karsavina go to post.

Watch every race from Southwell and Sedgefield live on Sky Sports Racing on Tuesday November 26.

Tiger Woods will not compete at this year’s Hero World Challenge, the 15-time major winner confirmed in a social media post on Monday.

The former world No 1 has been plagued by injury in recent years and has only made 11 competitive starts since his career-threatening car crash in February 2021, missing the cut in three of the four majors this year.

Woods underwent surgery in September to alleviate “back spasms and pain” that hampered his limited playing schedule during the 2024 season.

After missing the cut at The Open, Woods said at the time he was hoping to return for the Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship later in December where he is set to partner his son Charlie.

But in a post on X on Monday, Woods stated: “I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge”, while at the same time welcoming Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Nick Dunlap into the 20-player field.

The tournament, which Woods hosts, runs between Thursday December 5 and Sunday December 8 in the Bahamas and is live on Sky Sports.

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Woods’ injury struggles plague 2024 season

Woods had his first microdiscectomy in April 2014, two more the following year and then had his lower back fused in 2017.

He had another microdiscectomy surgery in December 2020 to remove a pressurised disc fragment, before shattering bones in his right leg and ankle in a car crash during his recovery.

The former world No 1 made a record 24th consecutive cut at The Masters earlier this year but shot 82 and 77 over the weekend, leaving him bottom of those who made the cut, then made early exits at the PGA Championship, US Open and The Open.

Woods had previously set an ambitious ‘tournament a month’ target for 2024, although his only other appearance outside of the majors saw him having to withdraw mid-round from the Genesis Invitational due to illness.