County Cricket fixtures: Bob Willis Trophy full schedule, dates and start times revealed
The England and Wales Cricket Board on Friday, July 24, announced the full list of fixtures for this year’s shortened red-ball competition, the Bob Willis Trophy.
Instead of the full County Championship this season, all 18 first-class counties will feature in the shortened competition, which will have altered playing conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Bob Willis Trophy will be a separate competition from the County Championship, but will have first-class status and will consist of three regionalised groups of six county teams each. The teams will play five group-stage games, one against each county in the group. The two group winners with the most points will then face each other in the five-day final.
The groups are as follows:
North Group: Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire
Central Group: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
South Group: Essex, Kent, Hampshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex
The ECB has announced that all 18 first-class counties will compete for the Bob Willis Trophy when red-ball cricket resumes this summer. pic.twitter.com/Sc0TALJqSa
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 10, 2020
The Bob Willis Trophy will have a different points system compared to the County Championship, increasing the points awarded for a draw from five to eight. The rest of the point system will remain the same as the County Championship.
The playing conditions in the Bob Willis Trophy, altered from the County Championship, will include:
- A reduction from a minimum of 96 overs to a minimum of 90 overs in a day’s play
- Each county’s first innings of a match can last no longer than 120 overs
- The follow-on will increase from 150 to 200 runs
- The new ball will be available after 90 overs rather than 80 overs
Being a separate competition, the results of the Bob Willis Trophy will have no impact on the divisions for next year’s County Championship.
Complete list of Bob Willis Trophy fixtures:
| Group | Slot | Start | Home | Away | Venue |
| Central | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Gloucs | Worcs | Bristol County Ground |
| Central | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Somerset | Glamorgan | The Cooper Associates County Ground |
| Central | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Warwicks | Northants | Edgbaston |
| North | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Derby | Notts | Trent Bridge |
| North | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Durham | Yorks | Emirates Riverside |
| North | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Leics | Lancs | TBC |
| South | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Essex | Kent | The Cloudfm County Ground |
| South | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Surrey | Middlesex | Kia Oval |
| South | 1 | 01-08-2020 | Sussex | Hants | The 1st Central County Ground |
| Central | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Gloucs | Warwicks | Bristol County Ground |
| Central | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Northants | Somerset | The County Ground Northampton |
| Central | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Worcs | Glamorgan | Blackfinch New Road |
| North | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Durham | Lancs | Emirates Riverside |
| North | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Leics | Derby | TBC |
| North | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Notts | Yorks | Trent Bridge |
| South | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Essex | Surrey | The Cloudfm County Ground |
| South | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Kent | Sussex | Canterbury |
| South | 2 | 08-08-2020 | Middlesex | Hants | Radlett |
| Central | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Glamorgan | Gloucs | Sophia Gardens |
| Central | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Northants | Worcs | The County Ground Northampton |
| Central | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Warwicks | Somerset | Edgbaston |
| North | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Durham | Leics | Emirates Riverside |
| North | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Lancs | Notts | Emirates Old Trafford |
| North | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Yorks | Derby | Emerald Headingley |
| South | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Hants | Surrey | Arundel |
| South | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Kent | Middlesex | Canterbury |
| South | 3 | 15-08-2020 | Sussex | Essex | The 1st Central County Ground |
| Central | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Northants | Glamorgan | The County Ground Northampton |
| Central | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Somerset | Gloucs | The Cooper Associates County Ground |
| Central | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Worcs | Warwicks | Blackfinch New Road |
| North | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Derby | Durham | Emirates Riverside |
| North | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Leics | Notts | The Fischer County Ground, Grace Road |
| North | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Yorks | Lancs | Emerald Headingley |
| South | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Hants | Essex | Arundel |
| South | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Middlesex | Sussex | Radlett |
| South | 4 | 22-08-2020 | Surrey | Kent | Kia Oval |
| Central | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Glamorgan | Warwicks | Sophia Gardens |
| Central | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Gloucs | Northants | Bristol County Ground |
| Central | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Worcs | Somerset | Blackfinch New Road |
| North | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Lancs | Derby | Liverpool |
| North | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Notts | Durham | Trent Bridge |
| North | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Yorks | Leics | Emerald Headingley |
| South | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Essex | Middlesex | The Cloudfm County Ground |
| South | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Kent | Hants | Canterbury |
| South | 5 | 06-09-2020 | Surrey | Sussex | Kia Oval |
