Essex to defend home County Championship title at home in reformed | Cricket News









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Watch the moment Essex won the 2019 County Championship and picked up the trophy, as well as the tribute to retiring Marcus Trescothick

Watch the moment Essex won the 2019 County Championship and picked up the trophy, as well as the tribute to retiring Marcus Trescothick

Essex will begin the defense of the home County Championship title for Worcestershire on Thursday, April 8th.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced the fixtures and dates for the revised tournament. which are listed below.

Somerset are expected to return immediately to Lord, where they met Essex in the Bob Willis Cup final last summer, with an opening case against Middlesex.

Matches for the women’s and men’s white ball tournaments are expected to be announced in early 2021.

The First Class Counties agreed in October to redesign the County Men ‘s Championship structure for next summer only to help mitigate against the potential impact of COVID-19.

1:35
Sir Alastair Cook praised the friends of the Essex team – then he has to run to make winning matches!

Sir Alastair Cook praised the friends of the Essex team – then he has to run to make winning matches!

Each First Class County was initially placed in one of three seed groups of six and five home and five away games are planned to be played at Group Level.

The nine opening rounds of Group Stage matches will be played weekly in a row and are expected to start on Thursday with a scheduled Sunday finish.

The Group Stage ends in July with Round 10 and 11 games starting on Sunday. Counties will play First Class in the final round of Group Level matches.

The top two counties in each group, at the end of Group Level, will advance to Division One, with the remaining counties moving into Divisions Two and Three, where each play four more matches.

The winner of Division One will be crowned winners of the 2021 County Championship.

The opening round of Regional Level matches will begin on Bank Holiday Day, August 30th.

The five-day Bob Willis Cup final will be played between the top two counties in Division One and is scheduled to start on Monday, September 27th.

Essex captain Tom Westley with the Bob Willis Cup in September 2020

Essex captain Tom Westley with the Bob Willis Cup in September 2020

ECB County Cricket Managing Director Neil Snowball said: “We are all looking forward to the County Championship returning in 2021 after a very challenging year in 2020.

“Despite the major obstacles we faced this year, the home game still found a way to play meaningful cricket across both men’s and women’s leagues while ensuring that members and staff could -Our support stays close to the game through an advanced live stream of games.

“Once again we have seen an innovative and collaborative approach between the ECB and the 18 First Class Counties that has allowed us to design for 2021 with the new County Championship structure for 2021 only, that is planned to be an inspiration to both players and fans. and also flexible regarding the potential ongoing impact of COVID-19.

“We are also working hard with the 18 First Class Counties to ensure that we can welcome the safe return of people next year and will continue to work closely with Government and relevant authorities. all. “

County Competition Group Level Games (group in brackets)

Thursday, April 8th

County of Northampton vs Kent, County Land (3)

Essex vs Worcester County, Cloudfm County Land (1)

Sussex vs Lancashire, 1st Central County (3)

Middlesex vs Somerset, Morair (2)

Leicestershire vs Hampshire, Grace Road (2)

Gloucestershire vs Surrey, Bristol County Land (2)

Nottinghamshire vs. Durham, Trent Bridge (1)

Yorkshire vs Glamorgan, Emerald Headingley (3)

Warwickshire vs. Derbyshire, Edgbaston (1)

Thursday, April 15th

Hampshire vs Middlesex, Ageas Bowl (2)

Lancashire vs Northamptonshire, Emirates Old Trafford (3)

Kent vs Yorkshire, Canterbury (3)

Glamorgan vs Sussex, Sophia Gardens (3)

Somerset vs Gloucestershire, The Cooper Associates County Ground (2)

Derbyshire vs Worcestershire, The Incora County Ground (1)

Essex vs Durham, The Cloudfm County Ground (1)

Nottinghamshire vs. Warwickshire, Trent Bridge (1)

Surrey vs Leicestershire, Kia Oval (2)

Thursday, April 22nd

Sussex vs Yorkshire, 1st Central County (3)

Durham vs Derbyshire, Emirates Riverside (1)

Kent vs Lancashire, Canterbury (3)

Worcestershire v Nottinghamshire, New Road (1)

Hampshire vs Gloucestershire, Ageas Bowl (2)

Warwickshire vs Essex, Edgbaston (1)

Middlesex vs Surrey, Morair (2)

County of Northampton vs Glamorgan, County of County (3)

Leicestershire vs Somerset, Grace Road (2)

Thursday, April 29th

Lancashire vs Sussex Emirates, Old Trafford (3)

Derbyshire vs Nottinghamshire, The Incora County Ground (1)

Worcestershire vs Essex, New Road (1)

Durham vs Warwickshire, Emirates Riverside (1)

Gloucestershire v Leicestershire, Ground County Bristol (2)

Somerset vs Middlesex, Cooper County Associates (2)

Glamorgan vs Kent, Sophia Gardens (3)

Yorkshire vs Northamptonshire, Emerald Headingley (3)

Surrey vs Hampshire, Kia Oval (2)

Thursday, May 6th

Yorkshire vs Kent, Emerald Headingley (3)

Leicestershire vs Surrey, Grace Road (2)

Warwickshire vs Worcestershire, Edgbaston (1)

Middlesex vs Gloucestershire, Morair (2)

Lancashire vs Glamorgan, Emirates Old Trafford (3)

County of Northampton vs Sussex, County Land (3)

Hampshire vs Somerset, Ageas Bowl (2)

Nottinghamshire vs Essex, Trent Bridge (1)

Thursday, May 13th

Essex vs Derbyshire, The Cloudfm County Ground (1)

Sussex vs Kent, 1st Central County (3)

Glamorgan v Yorkshire, Sophia Gardens (3)

Middlesex vs Hampshire, Morair (2)

Durham vs Worcester County, Emirates Riverside (1)

Somerset vs Surrey, Cooper County Associates (2)

Thursday, May 20th

Nottinghamshire vs Worcestershire, Trent Bridge (1)

Essex vs Warwickshire, The Cloudfm County Ground (1)

Derbyshire vs Durham, Incora County Land (1)

County of Northampton vs Lancashire, County Land (3)

Kent vs Glamorgan, Canterbury (3)

Hampshire vs Leicester County, Ageas Bowl (2)

Gloucestershire vs Somerset, Bristol County (2)

Surrey vs Middlesex, Kia Oval (2)

Thursday, May 27th

Durham vs Essex, Emirates Riverside (1)

Warwickshire vs Nottinghamshire, Edgbaston (1)

Worcestershire County Derbyshire, New Road (1)

Lancashire vs Yorkshire, Emirates Old Trafford (3)

Sussex vs Northamptonshire, 1st County Central (3)

Surrey vs Gloucestershire, Guildford (2)

Leicestershire vs Middlesex, Grace Road (2)

Thursday, June 3rd

Yorkshire vs Sussex Emerald, Headingley (3)

Worcestershire vs. Durham, New Road (1)

Essex vs Nottinghamshire, The Cloudfm County Ground (1)

Derbyshire vs Warwickshire, The Incora County Ground (1)

Kent vs Northamptonshire, Canterbury (3)

Glamorgan vs Lancashire, instead of tbc (3)

Somerset vs Hampshire, Cooper County Associates (2)

Sunday, July 4th

Lancashire vs Kent, Emirates Old Trafford (3)

Northamptonshire vs Yorkshire, County Land (3)

Gloucestershire vs Middlesex County, Cheltenham (2)

Sussex vs Glamorgan, 1st Central County (3)

Nottinghamshire vs Derbyshire, Trent Bridge (1)

Warwickshire vs. Durham Edgbaston (1)

Hampshire vs Surrey, Ageas Bowl (2)

Somerset vs Leicester County, Cooper County Associates (2)

Sunday, July 11th

Derbyshire vs Essex, Chesterfield (1)

Durham vs Nottinghamshire, Emirates Riverside (1)

Worcestershire v Warwickshire, New Road (1)

Yorkshire vs Lancashire, Scarborough (3)

Gloucestershire vs Hampshire County, Cheltenham (2)

Middlesex vs Leicester County, Merchant Taylors (2)

Surrey vs Somerset, Kia Oval (2)

Glamorgan vs Northamptonshire, Sophia Gardens (3)

Kent vs Sussex, Beckenham (3)

Regional Level Dates

Tour 1 August 30 – September 2

Tour 2 September 5-8

Tour 3 September 12-15

Tour 4 September 21-24

Bob Willis Cup Final

September 27-October 1

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