Durham County Cricket Club was officially founded on 23 May 1882. Durham's team was elevated to first-class status in 1992 when the club joined the County Championship. It is one of eighteen county teams in England and Wales that play first-class cricket. The player appointed club captain leads the team in all fixtures except if unavailable.^[1]

• A. A. W. Mewburn (1882–1885)
• J. A. Pease (1886–1891)
• A. B. Crosby (1892)
• W. F. Whitwell (1893–1896)
• R. H. Mallett (1897)
• R. Bousfield (1898)
• J. F. Whitwell (1899–1902)
• E. W. Elliot (1903–1906)
• T. Coulson (1907–1911)
• C. Y. Adamson (1912)
• E. B. Proud (1913–1919)
• T. Kinch (1920–1923)
• H. Brooks (1924–1928)
• H. C. Ferens (1929–1931)
• T. K. Dobson (1932–1936)
• D. C. H. Townsend (1937–1947)
• R. B. Proud (1947–1955)
• D. W. Hardy (1955–1967)
• H. J. Bailey (1968–1971)
• R. Inglis (1972)
• B. R. Lander (1973–1979)
• N. A. Riddell (1980–1991)
• D. A. Graveney (1992–1993)
• P. Bainbridge (1994)
• M. A. Roseberry (1995–1996)
• D. C. Boon (1997–1999)
• N. J. Speak (2000)
• J. J. B. Lewis (2001–2004)
• M. E. K. Hussey (2005)
• D. M. Benkenstein (2006–2008)
• W. R. Smith (2009–2010)
• P. Mustard (2011–2012)
• P. D. Collingwood (2013–2018)
• C. T. Bancroft (2019)
• E. J. H. Eckersley (2020)
• S. G. Borthwick (2021 to date)