Major overhaul of English domestic white-ball cricket approved: Details here
What's the story
The Men's Vitality Blast will see a reduction in group-stage matches from 14 to 12 from 2026. The change is part of a major overhaul of English domestic white-ball cricket for both men and women. As per ESPNcricinfo, the new format was approved by the two-thirds majority of the 18 Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCCs) and the Professional Cricketers's Association (PCA). Here are further details.
Competition structure
New format for men's T20 competition
The men's county T20 competition will now be played in three six-team regional groups, similar to the format used during the COVID-19 summer of 2020. Each county will clash in home and away games (a total of 10 matches), plus one extra home-and-away game against a team from another group. The top two teams from each group and two best third-placed teams will qualify for quarter-finals.
Women's competition
Changes in women's Vitality Blast
On the other hand, the women's Vitality Blast will also switch to a 12-match format from 2026 in Tier 1. With Yorkshire's promotion from Tier 2 in 2026, there will be nine teams in the top tier. Each county will play six home and away matches, facing four counties twice and four once. The top four teams will qualify for the expanded Tier 1 Finals Day featuring two semi-finals and a final.
Cup expansion
Changes in Metro Bank One-Day Cup
The Tier 1 Metro Bank One-Day Cup will see an increase from 14 to 16 matches. The semi-finals will be replaced by an Eliminator. League 2 will be cut from nine to eight group-stage games with each county facing the others once. The top four teams after the group stage will qualify for knockout stages.
Changes
Why these changes?
In a statement released by the ECB, the Professional Game Committee (PGC) chair Mark McCafferty said, "These changes to the men's Vitality Blast will be a springboard to further investment in a historic and much-loved domestic T20 competition which is recognised as one of the world's best." McCafferty added that the revamped model will improve the "sporting and commercial narrative for sponsorship and TV partners."