Durham Cricket will open their Vitality Blast T20 campaign at home to Lancashire Lightning on Thursday August 27 as The England and Wales Cricket Board have confirmed the schedule for the Vitality Blast competition.
The fixture schedules for the Vitality Blast and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy were published today with the Vitality Blast Finals Day taking place at Edgbaston on Saturday 3 October, with the final of the women’s 50-over competition to be staged on Saturday 26 September.
Durham will open their campaign with back to back home fixtures, taking on Notts Outlaws on Saturday 29 August, before taking on Leicestershire Foxes live on Sky Sports at Headingley on Monday 31 August.
Durham will also play both fixtures against Derbyshire Falcons at Emirates Riverside due to The Incora County Ground being out of use, with fixtures on 2 September and 11 September.
Durham’s final home fixture taking place on Sunday 13 September, against Leicestershire Foxes before three away fixtures against Yorkshire Vikings, Lancashire Lightning and Notts Outlaws.
A third piece of domestic silverware will also be up for grabs during the final week of the season with the five-day Bob Willis Trophy final scheduled to be held at Lord’s from Wednesday 23 September.
ECB Chief Executive Officer, Tom Harrison, said: “After a challenging few months it’s really exciting that we can look forward to three domestic finals at the end of the summer. It promises to be a thrilling climax to the season, and something members, fans and everyone involved in the game can look forward to.
“The prestige of a Lord’s final for the Bob Willis Trophy will provide an even greater incentive for the First-Class Counties, and it’s pleasing to see so many people watching the high-class entertainment via the enhanced live streams the counties have invested in. Finals Day at Edgbaston will also ensure the men’s county cricket finishes the season on a high.
“I’m also proud that we will stage the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in honour of a true great of our game both on and off the field. Rachael’s determination to give women’s cricket the platform it deserves is a legacy that must endure through these difficult times as we continue the journey to professionalise the women’s game. This summer’s tournament will be another important step on that path.
“The fact we’ve been able to get so much domestic cricket played this summer owes to the collaborative efforts of the county network and their willingness to find a way to get the game on in the safest way possible for all involved. There will be many more challenges ahead, but the unity and spirit shown during this summer has been a tribute to the county network as we work together to grow our sport.”
The Vitality Blast has been regionalised into the same three groups used in the Bob Willis Trophy with each county set to play 10 group-stage matches behind closed doors. The quarter-finals will all be played on Thursday 1 October.
BBC Radio will cover every match of the Vitality Blast while full live stream coverage of all matches will be available at the Durham Cricket website through the match centre.
At this time all games at Emirates Riverside will be played behind closed doors, and this will remain in place until any further announcements are made.
Emerald Headingley (North Group), Edgbaston (Central Group) and the Kia Oval (South Group) will host eight of the 10 Sky televised group-stage matches, which will include neutral double-headers at each of those venues.
The Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford, which have hosted men’s England internationals this summer, will also stage televised derby matches. One quarter-final and Finals Day will also be televised by Sky.
All white-ball knockout matches, including the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final and Vitality Blast Finals Day have been assigned reserve days.
Durham Cricket Fixtures:
Thursday 27th August v Lancashire Lightning – 14:30pm – Emirates Riverside
Saturday 29th August v Notts Outlaws – 14:00pm – Emirates Riverside
Monday 31st August v Leicestershire Foxes – 18:30pm – Headingley (Sky Sports)
Wednesday 2nd September – Derbyshire Falcons – 18:30pm – Emirates Riverside
Friday 4th September v Yorkshire Vikings- 18:30pm – Emirates Riverside
Friday 11th September v Derbyshire Falcons – 18:30pm – Emirates Riverside
Sunday 13th September v Leicestershire Foxes – 14:00pm – Emirates Riverside
Wednesday 16th September v Yorkshire Vikings – 18:30pm – Headingley
Friday 18th September v Lancashire Lightning – 18:30pm – Old Trafford
Sunday 20th September v Notts Outlaws – 13:00pm – Trent Bridge
Northern Diamonds fixtures in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy:
Saturday 29th August v Central Sparks – Edgbaston
Monday 31st August v Lightning – Emirates Riverside
Saturday 5th September v Lightning – Grace Road
Thursday 10th September v North West – Liverpool
Sunday 13th September v Central Sparks – Emerald Headingley
Saturday 19th September v North West – Emerald Headingley