2017 County Championship matches. Following a series of financial "bailout" payments made by the England and Wales Cricket Board to Durham during the 2016 season, the county, which had finished fourth in Division One at the end of the season, were relegated to Division Two in place of the eighth place team, Hampshire. Durham were also placed under a salary cap administered by the ECB until 2020 and started the 2017 Championship season with a deduction of 48 points. Ahead of the season, each team played a first-class match against a MCC University team. The 2017 Championship was divided into two divisions, Division
2018 County Championship In September 2018, the match between Somerset and Lancashire at Taunton finished as a tie. It was the first tie in a County Championship game since 2003, Somerset's first tied match since 1939 and Lancashire's first since 1952. By winning their games against Worcestershire from 10–13 September 2018, Surrey took an unassailable lead at the top of Division One, making them champions. The 2018 Championship is divided into two divisions, Division One with eight teams, and Division Two with 10 teams. Teams in both divisions will play a total of 14 games, with all Division One teams playing each other