Yorkshire Announce Joe Root and Harry Brook Return Dates for County Championship 2026

Yorkshire has just announced that both Harry Brook and Joe Root will be rejoining their squad ahead of the 2026 Rothesay County Championship match against Surrey on May 15. The two players will represent the White Rose County as they gear up for the upcoming home Test series against New Zealand, which kicks off on June 4. 

 

Root is expected to play in three County Championship matches for Yorkshire, while Brook will take part in two, all in preparation for what promises to be another hectic summer for England. The captain of the Three Lions’ white-ball team will wear the Yorkshire whites for their games against Warwickshire and Surrey, starting on May 8 and May 15, respectively. At 35, Root will be playing for his home county against Sussex, Somerset, and, of course, the match against Surrey at Headingley. 

 

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Yorkshire made their return to Division One of the County Championship last season, finishing seventh in the standings with 168 points from 14 matches. The 33-time champions will once again be led by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow as they kick off their 2026 campaign away against newly-promoted Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on April 3. 

 

Both Root and Brook are crucial to England’s resurgence in Test cricket, especially after a disappointing Ashes series where they faced a 4-1 defeat against their long-time rivals, Australia. 

 

Despite the team's struggles Down Under, both Yorkshire players stood out as the best batters for the Three Lions. Root topped the charts as England’s leading run-scorer with 400 runs at an average of 44.44, including two centuries. Brook, meanwhile, contributed 358 runs at an average just shy of 40. 

 

The Ben Stokes-led squad will be playing six Test matches during their home summer. In addition to their three-match series against New Zealand, England is also set to face Pakistan towards the end of August.