A new era of women’s cricket in England and Wales begins next year with the launch of the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup. A total of 37 teams, spanning three tiers of domestic cricket, now know their routes in this knockout competition. The tournament will run throughout May 2025, bookended by Bank Holiday matches, with the finals day set for Monday, May 26, at Taunton.
Tier 1 teams, comprising fully professional sides, will enter at Round Three. This gives teams from Tier 2 and Tier 3 an exciting chance to face off against top-tier competitors as they vie for the season’s first domestic silverware. Round One kicks off on May 5, followed by Round Two on May 10. Notably, two matches on May 17 will feature Tier 1 clashes, ensuring at least two lower-tier teams progress to the quarter-finals.
England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge, now with Surrey after moving from the Southern Vipers, is eager to compete. Speaking from South Africa ahead of England’s multi-format series, she shared her excitement about the competition and her new club. “Playing for Surrey is an honour,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “This format makes every game thrilling—it’s like the FA Cup for cricket.”
The opening round features intriguing matchups, including a much-anticipated face-off between Middlesex and Kent. Both teams narrowly missed out on Tier 1 status during the recent domestic cricket restructure.
While the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup brings an inclusive, competitive edge by integrating all tiers, it will run alongside the existing Vitality Blast T20 competition, which features exclusively Tier 1 teams.
Fixtures for the Cup and the Blast ensure a packed cricket schedule next year. The new format aims to elevate women’s cricket in England, providing more opportunities for players to showcase their talent on the big stage. Fans are eagerly awaiting what promises to be an exhilarating tournament.
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