Durham start 2018 campaign at home to Kent

Durham began last season hamstrung by the 48-point penalty which came attached to an England and Wales Cricket Board financial bailout, but return to a level playing field in the 2018 campaign. They welcome Kent to Chester-le-Street on April 20.

Also in Division Two, Middlesex and Warwickshire both begin at home after being relegated last season, with Sussex travelling to Edgbaston and Northamptonshire visiting Lord’s.

There will be no championship cricket between May 14 and June 9, with the Royal London One-Day Cup taking centre-stage, while one round of fixtures interrupts a mid-summer block otherwise reserved for the NatWest T20 Blast.

There will be no repeat of last year’s dedicated week of day-night matches but the pink ball and lightbulbs will be seen throughout the season, with every club taking part in one of nine floodlit fixtures across the calendar.

Durham’s day-night championship match is against Warwickshire at the Emirates Riverside, starting on June 25.

Durham Fixtures 2018

April

13 Durham MCCU Emirates Riverside UNI

20 Kent Emirates Riverside CC2

27 Northamptonshire Northampton CC2

May

4 Leicestershire Emirates Riverside CC2

11 Derbyshire The 3aaa County Ground CC2

18 Yorkshire Emirates Riverside 50L (F)

20 Lancashire Emirates Old Trafford 50L

23 Derbyshire The 3aaa County Ground 50L

25 Worcestershire South Northumberland CC 50L

27 Northamptonshire Northampton 50L

June

1 Warwickshire Emirates Riverside 50L (F)

3 Nottinghamshire Emirates Riverside 50L

7 Leicestershire Fischer County Ground, Grace Road 50L (F)

9 Derbyshire Emirates Riverside CC2

20 Sussex Arundel CC2

25 Warwickshire Emirates Riverside CC2 (F)

July

5 Yorkshire Emerald Headingley T20 (F)

6 Leicestershire The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road T20 (F)

13 Yorkshire Emirates Riverside T20 (F)

15 Birmingham Bears Edgbaston T20

17 Nottinghamshire Trent Bridge T20 (F)

20 Worcestershire Emirates Riverside T20 (F)

22 Gloucestershire Cheltenham CC2

28 Nottinghamshire Emirates Riverside T20

August

2 Northamptonshire Emirates Riverside T20 (F)

3 Worcestershire New Road T20

7 Lancashire Emirates Old Trafford T20 (F)

8 Leicestershire Emirates Riverside T20 (F)

10 Northamptonshire Northampton T20 (F)

12 Lancashire Emirates Riverside T20

17 Derbyshire Emirates Riverside T20 (F)

19 Glamorgan SSE SWALEC CC2

29 Northamptonshire Emirates Riverside CC2

September

4 Warwickshire Edgbaston CC2

10 Sussex Emirates Riverside CC2

18 Leicestershire The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road CC2

24 Middlesex Emirates Riverside CC2

(F) Floodlight