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T20 Blast 2026

Fleagle said:
It may be a minority view I accept, but I think the move towards more and more games during the day at weekends is not good. The format is ideally suited for floodlit evening matches. The weekend is for recreational cricket. And even if it wasn’t, wasting an entire Saturday or Sunday, which is what it entails to go to 3 hours of cricket in the middle of the day, isn’t for me. I’ll always have better things to do.
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I think you’re wrong, I think yours is actually a majority view - especially in our part of the world.

As you rightly say, Saturdays are for recreational cricket and I know that is something that has long since been given as a reason from the administrators as to why the Championship is/was rarely played on a weekend.

We did have a run of years where four day games started on a Sunday/Monday and I think from memory that was quite a popular idea.
 

Fleagle said:
It may be a minority view I accept, but I think the move towards more and more games during the day at weekends is not good. The format is ideally suited for floodlit evening matches. The weekend is for recreational cricket. And even if it wasn’t, wasting an entire Saturday or Sunday, which is what it entails to go to 3 hours of cricket in the middle of the day, isn’t for me. I’ll always have better things to do.
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Yeh, but if we're going to attract families,I'd argue that Sunday on would be the optimum time. Likewise also the alternate of Friday evening as "boy's night out" for an entirely contrasting support -and avoiding the twain shall meet.
 
Don't think there is an answer that pleases everyone really. I don't particularly like Sundays as I've always got one eye on the start of the working week (sad I know) especially the later it gets, then trying to get home on public transport is near impossible. Not involved in local cricket these days so Saturdays for me, like football, but appreciate I'm probably in the minority.
 
Fuck have they done to this now? Why are there random games between northern and southern counties? How does that work?
 
Silly Point said:
Fuck have they done to this now? Why are there random games between northern and southern counties? How does that work?
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This is the format. Those in charge reckons it's great, so your/our opinion counts for bot all. We are simply expected to consume what others dictate is best for us........

Men's Vitality T20 Blast
The group stage of the Vitality T20 Blast reverts to three groups with North, Central and South Groups with the eight best-placed teams on points and net run-rates going through to the quarter-finals.

North Group: Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Durham, Yorkshire and Leicestershire
Central Group: Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Birmingham, Somerset, Glamorgan, Worcestershire
South Group: Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Middlesex, Essex, Hampshire

Each county plays the other teams in their group home and away - a total of 10 matches.
They will additionally play one home game against a county from outside their group and one away game against a side from another group.
The top two teams in each group plus the best two third-placed teams progress to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals will progress to men's T20 Blast Finals Day.

​

 
Dan..Dan..Dan..Dan said:
This is the format. Those in charge reckons it's great, so your/our opinion counts for bot all. We are simply expected to consume what others dictate is best for us........

Men's Vitality T20 Blast
The group stage of the Vitality T20 Blast reverts to three groups with North, Central and South Groups with the eight best-placed teams on points and net run-rates going through to the quarter-finals.

North Group: Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Durham, Yorkshire and Leicestershire
Central Group: Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Birmingham, Somerset, Glamorgan, Worcestershire
South Group: Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Middlesex, Essex, Hampshire

Each county plays the other teams in their group home and away - a total of 10 matches.
They will additionally play one home game against a county from outside their group and one away game against a side from another group.
The top two teams in each group plus the best two third-placed teams progress to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals will progress to men's T20 Blast Finals Day.

​

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I don’t get it, 5 home games is more than enough if you arrange the games properly and market it well.

I think 6 games tops the scales too far into the bracket of apathy in the eyes of too many supporters.
 
Raymondo said:
I don’t get it, 5 home games is more than enough if you arrange the games properly and market it well.

I think 6 games tops the scales too far into the bracket of apathy in the eyes of too many supporters.
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You've made the mistake of thinking about it and coming to a reasoned conclusion.
 
So do the random games against other regions still count towards points? If so surely that devalues the competition as I presume everyone will play different teams, with some being more difficult than others?

And if they don't count well, what is the point?
 
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Silly Point said:
So do the random games against other regions still count towards points? If so surely that devalues the competition as I presume everyone will play different teams, with some being more difficult than others?

And if they don't count well, what is the point?
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Over the course of 6 seasons i believe it is, you play every county outside your group. Although that doesnt make it fair, as you'll get clubs being strong/weak in different seasons. Luck of the draw i guess
 
Tongey said:
Over the course of 6 seasons i believe it is, you play every county outside your group. Although that doesnt make it fair, as you'll get clubs being strong/weak in different seasons. Luck of the draw i guess
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Reckon they'll be able to go six seasons without fanning about with the format? They'll introduce two IPL teams into the competion at some point.
 
Parkside said:
Yeh, but if we're going to attract families,I'd argue that Sunday on would be the optimum time. Likewise also the alternate of Friday evening as "boy's night out" for an entirely contrasting support -and avoiding the twain shall meet.
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Like so much it’s a tough balancing act. And we do need the next generation. But in my experience there’s more kids at both the ODC and the Hundred*. So perhaps the problem is what we let the Blast become.

* - obvs an element of apples and oranges there as the latter is Leeds (although I have also done ODC in York) whereas my Blast experience is CLS. But I believe it’s even worse on the boozy lads front at Headingley.
 
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Fleagle said:
Like so much it’s a tough balancing act. And we do need the next generation. But in my experience there’s more kids at both the ODC and the Hundred. So perhaps the problem is what we let the Blast become.
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I'm looking at it from the Durham perspective. I doubt there'll more Durham kids at the Hundred in Leeds than at Durham for ODC of even for the Blast. Likewise for all other venues that don't stage the Hundred. The Hundred is more divisive than inclusive. It's what ECB have allowed the Blast to become. Durham offer a very attractive junior membership category.
 
Parkside said:
I'm looking at it from the Durham perspective. I doubt there'll more Durham kids at the Hundred in Leeds than at Durham for ODC of even for the Blast. Likewise for all other venues that don't stage the Hundred. The Hundred is more divisive than inclusive. It's what ECB have allowed the Blast to become. Durham offer a very attractive junior membership category.
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Fair comment. That is the one drawback of the hundred that I think we are totally agreed on. Growing up in Stockton in pre-first class days, my dad might take me to Scarborough and I might take my mates on the bus to Middlesbrough. But we wouldn’t have gone 50 miles to watch cricket.
 
Parkside said:
I'm looking at it from the Durham perspective. I doubt there'll more Durham kids at the Hundred in Leeds than at Durham for ODC of even for the Blast. Likewise for all other venues that don't stage the Hundred. The Hundred is more divisive than inclusive. It's what ECB have allowed the Blast to become. Durham offer a very attractive junior membership category.
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25 quid for junior membership is fantastic value
 
Parkside said:
Yeh, but if we're going to attract families,I'd argue that Sunday on would be the optimum time. Likewise also the alternate of Friday evening as "boy's night out" for an entirely contrasting support -and avoiding the twain shall meet.
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Got me thinking. My first exposure to professional cricket was the John Player League on Sundays in the late 70s/early 80s. The games were 40 overs a side, started at 2pm, finished by 6pm and the only restriction was the bowlers run up being restricted to 15(?) yards.

If t20 is meant to be super fast etc, how come a game potentially lasting 40 overs max, takes about 3 hours 15 minutes but a JPL game potentially lasting 80 overs took about 4 hours?
 
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