Counties approve format overhaul for white-ball competitions from 2026

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Counties approve format overhaul for white-ball competitions from 2026

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

The group stages of the men's T20 Blast will be cut from 14 to 12 matches. © Getty

The Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCs) have agreed a series of changes to the formats of the T20 Blast and the One-Day Cup in both men's and women's competitions, aimed at improving player welfare, intensifying local rivalries and streamlining scheduling.

The main change for the T20 Blast will see the group stage reduced from 14 to 12 matches from next season, following recommendations from the county-led Domestic Playing Programme (DPP) review. The competition will revert to three groups of six counties, with the quarter-finals and Finals Day to be staged before The Hundred.

In the women's game, Yorkshire will be promoted from Tier 2 to Tier 1 in 2026, creating an even nine-team split across the two tiers. While the total number of Tier 1 white-ball matches remains at 28 per county across the season, the split will shift: the T20 Blast will drop from 14 to 12 matches, while the One-Day Cup will increase from 14 to 16.

The women's T20 Blast Finals Day (Tier 1) will be expanded to feature two semi-finals and a final, while Tier 2 will shift from North and South groups to a single league with eight matches per team and a three-team Finals Day. In the One-Day Cup, Tier 1 will grow to 16 group-stage matches, introducing an Eliminator between second and third place before the final, replacing the previous two semi-finals. Tier 2 will be trimmed to eight matches per team.

KEY CHANGES FROM 2026

Men's T20 Blast

- Group stage cut from 14 to 12 matches.

- Three groups of six:

Group A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire.

Group B: Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Worcestershire Rapids.

Group C: Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks.

- Each county plays group rivals home and away (10 games) plus one home and one away fixture against teams from other groups.

- Top two in each group plus best two third-placed teams reach quarter-finals; winners progress to Finals Day.

Women's T20 Blast - Tier 1

- Yorkshire promoted from Tier 2; nine-team single group: Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Yorkshire.

- 12 group-stage matches per team - four counties twice, four once.

- Top four progress to Finals Day (two semi-finals and final).

Women's T20 Blast - Tier 2

- Nine-team single group: Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids.

- Eight matches per team (home or away vs each opponent).

- Top three progress to Finals Day (Eliminator and final).

Women's One-Day Cup - Tier 1

- Same Tier 1 group as Blast.

- 16 matches per team - home and away against all opponents.

- 1st place into final; 2nd v 3rd Eliminator for remaining spot.

Women's One-Day Cup - Tier 2

- Same Tier 2 group as Blast.

- Eight matches per team.

- Top four reach semi-finals; winners meet in final.

The DPP steering group, which includes county CEOs, the PCA and ECB representation, will now turn its attention to reviewing the County Championship and men's One-Day Cup as part of its broader work to strengthen all domestic competitions.

Speaking about the changes, Professional Game Committee chair, Mark McCafferty, said: "These changes to the men's Vitality Blast will be a springboard to further investment in an historic and much-loved domestic T20 competition which is recognised as one of the world's best. It's known for its intense local rivalries and is central to the development of England's white-ball talent pool and to the financial performance of all 18 Counties.

"The new Group format intensifies the importance of many of these local derbies, and brings the quarter-finals and the iconic Finals' Day back into July, so improving the sporting and commercial narrative for sponsorship and TV partners, as well as meeting player well-being objectives by improving the group stage schedules and travel demands to allow players to perform at their very best.

ECB Director of the Women's Professional Game, Beth Barrett-Wild, added: "We have enjoyed a successful first season of the new women's county structure and it is exciting to plan out the next edition when Yorkshire will join Tier 1. The changes for 2026 were developed in consultation with the game and the players. The player representatives did voice a desire to increase the volume of cricket, to allow an even home-and-away Vitality Blast in Tier 1, but also recognised the scheduling challenges that would cause.

"There was always going to be a settling-in period across Tiers 1 and 2 during these first few seasons, and these changes are set to be for next summer only with a planned review again ahead of the 2027 season, when Glamorgan will move from Tier 2 into Tier 1. This will also follow another phase of learning as the new women's competitions embed into the overall county structure."

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