Women's T20 Blast
| Countries |  England |
|---|---|
| Administrator | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| Format | Women's Twenty20 |
| First edition | 2025 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
The Women's T20 Blast, officially known as the Women's Vitality Blast for sponsorship reasons, will be a professional women's Twenty20 cricket league in England and Wales, run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It will serve as the successor to the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Format
[edit]The tournament will be split into two categories: one contested by the eight counties from Tier One and the second featuring the 10 remaining Tier Two (or League 2) counties.
Teams
[edit]Eight teams from Tier One will compete in the inaugural season: the Birmingham Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire, the Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, and The Blaze.[1][2][3][4] Glamorgan and Yorkshire will be awarded tier-one status and join the league in 2027, while a further two clubs will be awarded tier-one status in 2029.[5]
The remaining ten teams from Tier Two/League 2 will also compete in the inaugural season. Each county plays eight group-stage matches (home-and-away against the other four counties in their group). The top two teams from each group will progress to Finals Day. The teams are divided into the following groups:
- North Group: Derbyshire Falcons, Leicestershire Foxes, Northants Steelbacks, Worcestershire Rapids, Yorkshire.
- South Group: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Middlesex, Sussex Sharks.
References
[edit]- ^ "Women's teams to enter 2025 Blast and One-Day Cup". BBC Sport. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ Nicholson, Raf (22 June 2024). "Blaze bring the heat to avenge defeats for historic Charlotte Edwards Cup win". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ "Top women's teams to play Blast, One Day Cup from 2025". ESPNcricinfo. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ "Women's domestic competitions to be aligned with T20 Blast and One Day Cup". Wisden. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ "ECB announces eight counties to host professional women's teams from 2025". BBC Sport. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
External links
[edit]| National Teams | |
|---|---|
| Associations | |
| Men's First-Class Counties (18) | |
| Women's Regional Teams (8) | |
| The Hundred Teams (8) (Men and Women) | |
| Men's National Counties (21) | |
| Women's Counties (34) |
|
| Other Men's First-Class Teams (1) | |
| MCC Universities (6) | |
| Major Competitions | |
| Defunct Major Competitions | |
| Other Competitions | |
| Grounds | |
| Lists |
|
| Other | |
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- T20 Blast
- 2024 establishments in England
- English domestic cricket competitions
- Professional cricket leagues
- Professional sports leagues in the United Kingdom
- Sports leagues established in 2024
- Twenty20 cricket leagues
- Women's cricket competitions in England
- Women's sports leagues in England
- English domestic cricket competition stubs