The Bob Willis Trophy will hold first-class status, but is a separate competition from the County Championship, and will comprise three regionalised groups, consisting of six counties per group. Glamorgan are in the Central Group with Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

The First Class Counties will play five group-stage matches – one against each county in their group – with the two group winners with the most points set to progress to a five-day final.

AUGUST (11:00 BST)

1st – 4th Somerset, Taunton, Coopers Associates County Ground

8th – 11th Worcestershire, Worcester, Blackfinch New Road

15th – 18th Gloucestershire, Cardiff, Sophia Gardens

22nd – 25th Northamptonshire, Northampton, The County Ground

SEPTEMBER (10:30 BST)

6th – 9th Warwickshire, Cardiff, Sophia Gardens

FINAL – Wednesday 23 September 2020, a 5 day fixture to be held at Lord’s

Playing conditions 

The domestic competitions will be staged under strict health and safety protocols with the Bob Willis Trophy also set to feature ECB Board-approved changes to playing conditions to help ensure the wellbeing of players, most significantly fast bowlers, following the long lay-off due to COVID-19.

The playing conditions have been put in place following extensive medical research and in collaboration with the First-Class Counties and the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and include:

• A reduction from a minimum of 96 overs to a minimum of 90 overs in a day’s play
• Each county’s first innings of a match can last no longer than 120 overs
• The follow-on will increase from 150 to 200 runs
• The new ball will be available after 90 overs rather than 80 overs

How to watch / follow:

At this moment members and supporters will not be able to attend in person at Sophia Gardens it will however be possible to watch Glamorgan’s home fixtures on the Glamorgan live stream utility. It is likely that the other counties will have similar arrangements. Please refer to the ECB link below for further information on this topic.

Update on the Vitality Blast

The fixtures for the Vitality Blast Competition have been confirmed and released, the competition is set to start on the 27th August currently scheduled behind closed doors. See separate post for details.

Further links:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1738201/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-bob-willis-trophy

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1738199/bob-willis-trophy-fixtures-announced

https://www.glamorgancricket.com/news/glamorgan-announce-bob-willis-trophy-fixtures

7 JULY 2020

The ECB has released the following announcement for the 2020 cricket season:

The First-Class Counties have agreed to play both red-ball and white-ball cricket during this summer’s shortened men’s domestic season.

A majority vote was reached at a meeting of the FCC chairs today following approval by the ECB Board last month for the new season to commence on August 1.

Today’s agreement by the FCCs will be passed on for ECB Board approval in the coming days after which the details of the new fixture schedule will be drawn up and then announced.

The safety and wellbeing of all players, staff and officials remains the priority of the ECB and all FCCs will undergo further medical risk assessments and venue compliance approval as planning progresses to ensure safe environments for the start of the men’s domestic season.

Ticket holders for men’s domestic matches and FCC members are set to be contacted by venues with the options available to them after a new fixture schedule is announced.

The St Helen’s Balconiers are committed to organising two trips to the Finals Day.

Trip 1 -Ticket Travel and Overnight Stay at the Ibis Hotel , Birmingham Airport. Returning after breakfast on Sunday September 3rd (Providing the matches are completed on the Saturday However if the weather intervenes and the Matches go into the second day we will stay there until the completion on the second day)

Package Cost per individual sharing is £145. Single occupancy Price -£180

Both prices include Coach, Hotel and your £66 ticket.

There is a very short turnaround time for this, so please confirm by e mail no later than  midnight on Bank Holiday Monday, and your booking will be taken on trust with full amount payable on the day by Cheque made out to Daffodil Cricket Tours .

Pick up location and times will be advised once we receive your confirmation.

Trip 2- Day Trip picking up along the M4 Corridor- including £66 ticket [Subject to availability] plus cost of coach  £91. Coach returning after close of play approx. 9.30 pm