2020 t20 Blast
The 2020 Vitality Blast will be the 2020 season of the t20 Blast, a professional Twenty20 cricket league played in England and Wales.[1] It will be the third season in which the domestic T20 competition, run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has been branded as the Vitality Blast due to a new sponsorship deal.[2][3] On 12 August 2020, the ECB confirmed the fixtures for the tournament.[4]
Dates | 27 August – 3 October 2020 |
---|---|
Administrator(s) | England and Wales Cricket Board |
Cricket format | Twenty20 |
Tournament format(s) | Group stage and knockout |
Participants | 18 |
Official website | Vitality Blast |
Background
It was scheduled to start on 28 May 2020, and finish on 5 September 2020.[5][6][7] However, on 24 April 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that no professional cricket would be played in England before 1 July 2020.[8][9] In late May 2020, the ECB looked at the scheduling of domestic cricket for the summer, with the t20 Blast likely to go ahead, including the traditional Final's Day at Edgbaston.[10] The ECB also confirmed that no domestic cricket would be played before 1 August 2020.[11][12] On 29 June 2020, the ECB confirmed that the county cricket season would begin on 1 August 2020,[13] with the format agreed in early July.[14]
On 7 July 2020, the majority of counties voted to start the tournament on 27 August 2020,[15] with Finals Day taking place at Edgbaston on 3 October 2020.[16]
Teams
The teams were placed into the following groups:[17]
- North Group: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Yorkshire Vikings
- Central Group: Birmingham Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Worcestershire Rapids
- South Group: Essex Eagles, Hampshire, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks
References
- "First-Class Counties agree formats for shortened men's domestic season". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- "All First-Class Counties committed to playing same red-ball and white-ball competitions". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- "Bob Willis Trophy: Shortened red-ball competition named after ex-England captain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- "Vitality Blast 2020 fixtures: Edgbaston Finals Day to conclude domestic season". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- "ECB announce domestic fixtures for 2020". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- "County Championship fixtures: Essex start against Yorkshire". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- "Championship and Hundred take centre stage in 2020 fixture list". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- "ECB announces further delay to the professional cricket season". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- "Season delayed until July as England-West Indies postponed". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- "County Championship could include Lord's final with hopes for August start". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- "ECB update on the domestic and recreational game". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- "Counties wait for ECB approval on August restart plan". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- "Update on return to play for men's and women's domestic cricket". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- "County cricket: Delayed season given green light to begin on 1 August". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- "Counties vote to play red and white ball cricket when season starts on 1 August". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- "T20 Blast knockouts to be staged in October to boost chance of fans attending". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- "T20 Blast: Finals Day on 3 October and Bob Willis Trophy final on 23 September". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 August 2020.