SA cricketers competing in England's County Champs

Cape Town - The County Championship's new season has begun and this year it sees several South Africans in the mix in England.

Division One has eight teams and Division Two has ten teams, with two teams relegated and two promoted at the end of the season. 

The first round of matches began on April 13 and the final round of matches is scheduled to end on September 27.

Some players have opted for the controversial Kolpak deal.

This allows them to compete in domestic cricket in South Africa in the English winter. However, they must forfeit their international careers while under contract in England.

Here's a look at some of the South African cricketers taking part in England's County Championship:

Division One:

Essex 

Kolpak: Simon Harmer

Non-overseas: Ryan ten Doeschate (SA-born now represents Netherlands)

Overseas: Neil Wagner (SA-born now represents New Zealand)

Hampshire

Kolpak: Rilee Rossouw, Kyle Abbott

Overseas: Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn

Lancashire 

Kolpak: Dane Vilas

Somerset 

Kolpak: Johann Myburgh

Non-overseas: Roelof van der Merwe (SA-born now represents Netherlands), Tim Groenewald

Surrey

Kolpak: Morné Morkel

Non-overseas: Mathew Pillans, Conor McKerr

Overseas: Dean Elgar

Yorkshire 

No South Africans

Nottinghamshire 

No South Africans

Worcestershire 

No South Africans

Division Two:

Middlesex 

Non-overseas: Nick Compton (SA-born now represents England)

Warwickshire

Non-overseas: Jonathan Trott (SA-born represented England)

Derbyshire 

Kolpak: Hardus Viljoen

Non-overseas: Wayne Madsen, Daryn Smit

Overseas: Duanne Olivier

Durham 

Kolpak: Brydon Carse

Non-overseas: Gareth Harte

Overseas: Aiden Markram

Glamorgan 

Kolpak: Colin Ingram

Non-overseas: Craig Meschede, Chris Cooke, Marchant de Lange 

Gloucestershire 

Non-overseas: Graeme van Buuren, Gareth Roderick

Kent 

Kolpak: Heino Kuhn

Non-overseas: Sean Dickson

Leicestershire

Non-overseas: Cameron Delport, Colin Ackermann, Dieter Klein

Northamptonshire 

Non-overseas: Richard Levi, Rory Kleinveldt, Ricardo Vasconcelos

Sussex 

Kolpak: Stiaan van Zyl, David Wiese