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The coronavirus pandemic postponed lots of tournaments, however, with the return of inteꦑrnational cricket in England, the shortest format has also made its return.
Currently, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 is taking place in Trinidad and Tobago. Apart from CPL, the biggest T20 tournament in the world the Indian Premier League (IPL) is also ready to begin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 19.
Now another premier T20 competition is getting ready to go down to the business. It is none other than the famous British T20 tournament, the Vitality Blast.
The T20 Blast is starting on Thursday (August 27). 14 counties make their first appearances on the opening day of the competition, while the remaining four will begin their campaigns on the following day.
In 2020, the T20 Blast will be played in three regionalised groups, consisting of 6 teams per group. Each side will play the🍨 others in their group twice, which means 10 group-stage games for each team.
Top two counties in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, where th🐻ey will be joined with the two 𓆉best third-place teams.
Here are the counties groups:
NORTH GROUP:꧒ Derbyshire Falcons, Durham Cricket, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire Vikings.
CENTRAL GROUP: Birmingham Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucester𓂃shire, Somerset, Steelbacks, Worcestershire Rapids.
SOUTH GROUP: Essex Eagles, Kent Spitfires, Hampshire, M🍬iddl꧅esex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks.
Here are the fixtures and timings (All timings in GMT):
August 27:
- Essex Eagles vs Middlesex, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 13:00 GMT.
- Kent Spitfires vs Hampshire, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 13:00 GMT.
- Gloucestershire vs Steelbacks, The Bristol County Ground, 13:00 GMT.
- Durham Cricket vs Lancashire Lightning, Emirates Riverside, Chester-Le-Street, 13:30 GMT.
- Derbyshire Falcons vs Leicestershire Foxes, The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 17:30 GMT.
- Glamorgan vs Worcestershire Rapids, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 17:30 GMT.
- Yorkshire Vikings vs Notts Outlaws, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 17:35 GMT.
August 28:
- Sussex Sharks vs Surrey 1st Central County Ground, Hove. 13:00 GMT.
- Birmingham Bears vs Somerset Edgbaston, Birmingham, 17:30 GMT.
August 29:
- Worcestershire Rapids vs Steelbacks, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester. 12:00 GMT.
- Durham Cricket vs Notts Outlaws, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street. 13:00 GMT.
- Gloucestershire vs Glamorgan, Bristol County Ground, 13:00 GMT.
- Leicestershire Foxes vs Lancashire Lightning, Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 13:00 GMT.
- Middlesex vs Kent Spitfires, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 13:00 GMT.
August 30:
- Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, 13:00 GMT.
- Steelbacks vs Somerset, County Ground, Northampton, 13:00 GMT.
- Surrey vs Essex Eagles, The Kia Oval, London, 13:00 GMT.
- Sussex Sharks vs Hampshire, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 13:00 GMT.
- Yorkshire Vikings vs Derbyshire Falcons, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 13:00 GMT.
August 31:
- Worcestershire Rapids vs Gloucestershire, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester, 12:00 GMT.
- Notts Outlaws vs Yorkshire Vikings, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 13:00 GMT.
- Leicestershire Foxes vs Durham Cricket, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 13:05 GMT.
- Derbyshire Falcons vs Lancashire Lightning, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 17:35 GMT.
September 1:
- Essex Eagles vs Hampshire, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 13:00 GMT.
- Kent Spitfires vs Surrey CCC, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 13:00 GMT.
- Middlesex vs Sussex Sharks, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 17:15 GMT.
- Steelbacks vs Birmingham Bears, The County Ground, Northampton, 17:30 GMT.
- Somerset CCC vs Glamorgan, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 17:30 GMT.
September 2:
- Lancashire Lightning vs Notts Outlaws, TBC, 13:30 GMT.
- Derbyshire Falcons vs Durham Cricket, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 17:30 GMT.
- Yorkshire Vikings vs Leicestershire Foxes, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 17:30 GMT.
- Birmingham Bears vs Gloucestershire, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 17:35 GMT.
September 3:
- Sussex Sharks vs Kent Spitfires, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 12:05 GMT.
- Worcestershire Rapids vs Somerset CCC, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 13:00 GMT.
- Middlesex vs Essex Eagles, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 17:15 GMT.
- Steelbacks vs Glamorgan Vitality Blast 2020 Edgbaston, Birmingham, 17:30 GMT.
- Surrey CCC vs Hampshire, The Kia Oval, London, 17:30 GMT.
September 4:
- Gloucestershire vs Worcestershire Rapids, The Bristol County Ground, 13:00 GMT.
- Lancashire Lightning vs Derbyshire Falcons, Aigburth, Liverpool, 13:30 GMT.
- Notts Outlaws vs Leicestershire Foxes, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 17:00 GMT.
- Durham Cricket vs Yorkshire Vikings, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 17:30 GMT.
- Somerset CCC vs Birmingham Bears, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 17:30 GMT.
September 5:
- Essex Eagles vs Kent Spitfires, The Kia Oval, London, 12:05 GMT.
- Surrey CCC vs Middlesex, The Kia Oval, London, 17:30 GMT.
September 10:
- Hampshire vs Sussex Sharks, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 17:30 GMT.
September 11:
- Essex Eagles vs Surrey CCC, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 13:00 GMT.
- Steelbacks vs Gloucestershire, The County Ground, Northampton, 13:00 GMT.
- Notts Outlaws vs Lancashire Lightning, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 17:00 GMT.
- Birmingham Bears vs Glamorgan, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 17:30 GMT.
- Durham Cricket vs Derbyshire Falcons, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 17:30 GMT.
- Leicestershire Foxes vs Yorkshire Vikings, The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 17:30 GMT.
- Somerset CCC vs Worcestershire Rapids, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 17:30 GMT.
September 12:
- Kent Spitfires vs Sussex Sharks, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 13:00 GMT.
- Middlesex vs Hampshire, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 13:00 GMT.
September 13:
- Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester, 12:00 GMT.
- Derbyshire Falcons vs Notts Outlaws, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 13:00 GMT.
- Durham Cricket vs Leicestershire Foxes, Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 13:00 GMT.
- Glamorgan vs Steelbacks, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, at 13:00 GMT.
- Somerset CCC vs Gloucestershire, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 13:00 GMT.
September 14:
- Hampshire vs Kent Spitfires, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 13:00 GMT.
- Sussex Sharks vs Essex Eagles, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 13:00 GMT.
- Middlesex vs Surrey CCC, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, 17:15 GMT.
- Yorkshire Vikings vs Lancashire Lightning, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 17:30 GMT.
September 15:
- Gloucestershire vs Birmingham Bears, The Bristol County Ground, 13:00 GMT.
- Leicestershire Foxes vs Derbyshire Falcons, The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 17:30 GMT.
- Steelbacks vs Worcestershire Rapids, The County Ground, Northampton, 17:30 GMT.
September 16:
- Hampshire vs Essex Eagles, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 13:00 GMT.
- Kent Spitfires vs Middlesex, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 13:00 GMT.
- Glamorgan vs Somerset CCC, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 17:30 GMT.
- Surrey CCC vs Sussex Sharks, The Kia Oval, London, 17:30 GMT.
- Yorkshire Vikings vs Durham Cricket, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 17:30 GMT.
September 17:
- Notts Outlaws vs Derbyshire Falcons, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 17:00 GMT.
- Lancashire Lightning vs Yorkshire Vikings, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 17:35 GMT.
September 18:
- Hampshire vs Surrey CCC, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton. 13:00 GMT.
- Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 13:00 GMT.
- Sussex Sharks vs Middlesex, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove, 13:00 GMT.
- Lancashire Lightning vs Durham Cricket, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 15:00 GMT.
- Leicestershire Foxes vs Notts Outlaws Vitality Blast 2020 The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, 16:00 GMT.
- Somerset CCC vs Steelbacks, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 16:00 GMT.
- Birmingham Bears vs Worcestershire Rapids, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 17:30 GMT.
- Glamorgan vs Gloucestershire, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, 17:30 GMT.
September 20:
- Birmingham Bears vs Steelbacks, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 13:00 GMT.
- Derbyshire Falcons vs Yorkshire Vikings, Emerald Headingley, Leeds, 13:00 GMT.
- Essex Eagles vs Sussex Sharks, The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 13:00 GMT.
- Gloucestershire vs Somerset CCC, The Bristol County Ground, 13:00 GMT.
- Hampshire vs Middlesex, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 13:00 GMT.
- Lancashire Lightning vs Leicestershire Foxes, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 13:00 GMT.
- Notts Outlaws vs Durham Cricket, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 13:00 GMT.
- Surrey CCC vs Kent Spitfires, The Kia Oval, London, 13:00 GMT.
- Worcestershire Rapids vs Glamorgan, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester, 13:00 GMT.
October 1:
- 17:30 GMT – Quarter Final 1 (Venue not decided)
- 17:30 GMT – Quarter Final 2 (Venue not chosen)
- 17:30 GMT – Quarter Final 3 (Venue not chosen)
- 17:30 GMT – Quarter Final 4 (Venue not chosen).
October 3:
- 10.00 GMT – Semifinal 1, Edgbaston, Birmingham
- 13.30 GMT – Semifinal 2, Edgbaston, Birmingham
- 17.45 GMT – Final, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Live telecast details:
Fans in the UK can watch the action live on Sky Sports.
Online platforms – Vitality Blast YouTube channel; YouTube channels of county teams.