The 2020 county season will commence on 1 August, the England and Wales Cricket Board has verified.
Ultimate acceptance for the formats to be played by men’s teams will be permitted early in July at a meeting of the 18 1st-course golf equipment.
Two competitions of 4-working day and Twenty20 cricket have been less than dialogue, dependent on regional groups.
“Preparing for the return of the women’s domestic recreation continues to be ongoing,” claimed ECB main government Tom Harrison.
There has been no cricket on the Uk mainland so far this 12 months for the reason that of the coronavirus pandemic, but England will commence a at the rear of-closed-doors Test collection towards West Indies upcoming thirty day period.
The County Championship should have started on 12 April but rather all clubs, other than Surrey and Lancashire, furloughed players and other staff beneath the government’s work retention scheme.
And the lockdown meant that inaugural year of The Hundred, the ECB’s new match that includes 8 regional teams, was place back again to 2021, with salaries for the men’s teams reduced.
‘Safety the first priority’
Harrison stated environment a day to commence the county season was a “important stage” and it is intended that a entire fixtures plan will be revealed adhering to the counties’ conference.
He extra: “It follows comprehensive consultation in between the 18 initial-class counties, the Experienced Cricketers’ Affiliation and ECB and has only been achievable thanks to the significant really hard do the job that proceeds to happen as we prepare for a domestic year contrary to any the sport has faced prior to.
“It will have to be pressured that the protection of our players, personnel and officers has been the first precedence by all conversations and govt guidance will continue on to shape our preparing and preparing.”
Sussex chief executive Rob Andrew told the BBC previously this thirty day period that options being talked over integrated a “significant pink-ball cricket” competitors and a T20 Blast, centered on three regionalised groups of six teams and each individual culminating in a last.
Even so, Andrew explained that if the four-day/T20 Blast program was not possible, then a 50-around levels of competition could supply a 3rd alternative.
Women’s elite structure remaining prepared
The Women’s Super League level of competition was finished previous summer season, but Harrison insisted the board’s determination for their domestic video game – which is now based all over 8 regional hubs – was “unwavering”.
A team of 24 England gamers are in schooling forward of a attainable tri-collection versus India and South Africa in September, although other people have been provided regional retainers as element of a shift towards increased professionalism.
Harrison continued: “Our robust desire is that the women’s new elite domestic composition commences this summer and we will perform really hard to ensure that takes place.
“For this to be obtained, manufacturer new infrastructure continue to wants to be rolled out, alongside imperatives we need in place when participating in aggressive cricket during a pandemic.
“In the celebration that proves extremely hard, we will take a look at other options for perform to help our women’s gamers to take pleasure in aggressive domestic cricket in 2020.”
