2021 County Championship Group Stage Schedule revealed

Group Stage Glamorgan County Championship Fixtures 2021
Divisional Matches to be played between Monday 30th August and Friday 24th September
Group Stage Glamorgan County Championship Fixtures 2021
Divisional Matches to be played between Monday 30th August and Friday 24th September

*Fixtures for the Royal London Cup, the Vitality Blast, The Hundred, and other tournaments will be released in the new year*

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

Each First-Class County has initially been placed into one of three seeded groups of six and has been scheduled to play five home matches and five away matches during the Group Stage.

The opening nine rounds of Group Stage matches are to be played on consecutive weeks and all are due to begin on a Thursday with a scheduled Sunday finish.

The Group Stage will conclude in July with the Round 10 and 11 matches to begin on a Sunday. All the First-Class Counties will play in the final round of Group Stage fixtures.

The top two counties in each group, at the end of the Group Stage, will progress to Division One, with the other counties moving into Divisions Two and Three, where they will each play a further four matches.

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

The opening round of Divisional Stage matches will begin on the Bank Holiday Monday 30 August.

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

*Fixtures for the Royal London Cup, the Vitality Blast, The Hundred, and other tournaments will be released in the new year*

THE CC4 MUSEUM OF WELSH CRICKET – TALKS PROGRAMME 2020/21

A series of virtual talks will take place during 2020/21, using ZOOM. The first took place on 20th October with Alex Wharf. The remaining programme for 2020 is as follows:

Please note: Further information about the dates and arrangements for all of these virtual talks can be found at https://glamorgancricket.com/museum

12th November @ 19:00 – “An Evening with David Hemp”

“An Evening with David Hemp” will commence at 19:00 on 12 November with David looking back on his hugely successful county career, which saw the former Glamorgan captain feature in the Welsh county’s team which won the Sunday League in 1993, as well as the One-Day titles in 2002 and 2004, plus an appearance at T20 Finals Day during 2004.

David will also be reflecting on playing for England A and Bermuda, as well as his recent work in Australia where he has become a highly regarded coach plus his recent appointment with the Pakistan women’s team.

Once again, attendance at the meeting will be free of charge with those wishing to attend being asked to send an email to museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk by 9 November. A confirmation reply will be sent out, together with further instructions. Joining details for the meeting itself will be sent by email at approx. 1800 on 12 November.

We also welcome questions in advance so please send details of any questions for David to museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk

December (date/time TBC) – another talk with a Glamorgan player

With 2021 seeing the anniversary of Glamorgan achieving first-class status, a series of talks (via ZOOM) will be held, reflecting this important milestone in the Club’s history, featuring interviews with former players, chats with their descendants and the showing of specially created audio and film presentations:

January 2021 (date/time TBC) – “Glamorgan CCC – the 1920s and 1930s”

February 2021 (date/time TBC) – “Glamorgan CCC – the 1940s and 1950s”

March 2021 (date/time TBC) – “Glamorgan CCC – the 1960s and 1970s”

November 2021 (date/time TBC) – “Glamorgan CCC – the 1980s and 1990s”

December 2021 (date/time TBC) – Glamorgan CCC – the 2000s and 2010s”

Another centenary-themed talk will also take place during October 2021.

Further information about the dates and arrangements for all of these virtual talks can be found at https://glamorgancricket.com/museum

Former Glamorgan and Bermuda batsman David Hemp has taken over as head coach of Pakistan women

The PCB have confirmed David Hemp as the new coach of Pakistan women’s team.

The 49-year-old is the permanent replacement for Mark Coles, who resigned 12 months ago.

Hemp has previously occupied roles with Melbourne Stars and Victoria, as well as coaching the Australia team for cricketers with intellectual disabilities.

A former Bermuda international, Hemp played 22 ODIs and two T20s, his last competitive outings coming as recently as 2013.

He also represented Glamorgan and Warwickshire during an extensive playing career. He played 271 first-class matches, scoring more than 15,000 runs for Glamorgan, Free State and Warwickshire.

Upon taking over, his first task will be to secure a berth at the 50-over World Cup in 2022 during next year’s qualifying tournament.

A PCB statement read: “David brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, more importantly around women’s cricket development, which is extremely critical to our strategy as part of our endeavour to increase the pool of cricketers and also help them to rise to the level of the front-running international sides.

“He is a perfect fit for the role we were looking for as he will be able to use that experience and knowledge to translate into our system that will ultimately benefit Pakistan women’s cricket. 

“I am sure our players will make optimum use of David’s expertise and strict work ethics.”

2021 County Championship & Bob Willis Trophy News

Next summer will see the return of both the County Championship and the Bob Willis Trophy after the First-Class Counties agreed a revised structure for next season.

Glamorgan are in Group 3 with Kent, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Sussex.

Here are some common questions with responses about both competitions to help you come to grips with the plans.

What are the formats for the competitions?

Every team will begin the season with the opportunity to win both the County Championship and the Bob Willis Trophy. The County Championship will run in two stages:

Group Stage

The 18 First-Class Counties have been split into three seeded groups of six counties. Each county will play the other counties in their group both home and away – a total of 10 matches.

At the end of the group stage, the top two counties in each group will progress to Division One for the second phase of the County Championship.

The other 12 counties will move into Divisions Two and Three. The third and fourth-placed teams will progress to Division Two while the fifth and sixth-placed teams move to Division Three.

Division Stage

The First-Class Counties will play their final four County Championship matches after progressing to their Division.

How can a team win the County Championship?

The 2021 County Championship title will be decided by the team that finishes top of Division One.

How is the winner of the Bob Willis Trophy decided?

The top two teams in Division One will play for the Bob Willis Trophy in a five-day final at Lord’s to ensure a showpiece event to conclude the men’s first-class domestic season.

The playing conditions for the final are to be confirmed and will be announced in due course.

Which counties are in the three County Championship groups?

All three groups have six teams, shown in order of seeding:

Group 1: Essex, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Durham

Group 2: Somerset, Hampshire, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Middlesex, Leicestershire Group

Group 3: Kent, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Glamorgan, Sussex

The three groups for the 2021 County Championship

How were the groups decided?

Seedings for the Group Stage of the 2021 County Championship have been determined based on performances during the 2019 County Championship and the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy.

There has been a provision to accommodate derby matches within the groups, where appropriate with the seeding structure. This is to ensure that county members and supporters can look forward to some of county cricket’s oldest rivalries resuming home and away next summer.

Could a team win both titles?

Yes. Glamorgan (+16 others) will be competing to prevent Essex defending both titles after winning the 2019 County Championship and the Bob Willis Trophy this summer.

The full fixture list for the 2021 season, and the playing conditions for the men’s first-class season, will be announced in due course.

Vitality Blast 2020 fixtures: Edgbaston Finals Day to conclude domestic season

Vitality Blast 2020 fixtures: Edgbaston Finals Day to conclude domestic season

Thursday August 27th 2020 18:30 BST, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, Cardiff

Glamorgan vs Worcestershire Rapids

Saturday August 29th 2020 14:00 BST, The Bristol County Ground, Bristol

Gloucestershire vs Glamorgan

Sunday August 30th 2020 14:00 BST, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, Cardiff

Glamorgan vs Birmingham Bears

Tuesday September 1st 2020 18:30 BST, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

Somerset CCC vs Glamorgan

Thursday September 3rd 2020 18:30 BST, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Steelbacks vs Glamorgan

Friday September 11th 2020 18:30 BST, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Birmingham Bears vs Glamorgan

Sunday September 13th 2020 14:00 BST, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, Cardiff

Glamorgan vs Steelbacks

Wednesday September 16th 2020 18:30 BST, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, Cardiff

Glamorgan vs Somerset CCC

Friday September 18th 2020 18:30 BST, Sophia Gardens Cardiff, Cardiff

Glamorgan vs Gloucestershire

Sunday September 20th 2020 13:00 BST, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester

Worcestershire Rapids vs Glamorgan

Thursday October 1st 2020 18:30 BST, Venues: TBC

Quarter Final 1, Vitality Blast 2020 TBC v TBC

Quarter Final 2, Vitality Blast 2020 TBC v TBC

Quarter Final 3, Vitality Blast 2020 TBC v TBC

Quarter Final 4, Vitality Blast 2020 TBC v TBC

Vitality Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston on Saturday 3 October 2020

For more information:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1751561

https://www.glamorgancricket.com/news/glamorgan-gears-up-for-vitality-blast

BOB WILLIS TROPHY FIXTURES – GLAMORGAN

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

COUNTIES AGREE TO RED AND WHITE BALL 2020 SEASON

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.

Recognition after 50 years for Alan Jones M.B.E., President of the St. Helen’s Balconiers

Today, on the 50th anniversary of his only appearance for England in the first match of the 1970 series against the Rest of the World XI, Glamorgan legend Alan Jones was awarded with England cap 696.

In a special ceremony, conducted via Zoom, Alan received the cap after speeches from Colin Graves, Joe Root, Tony Lewis, and Hugh Morris. In attendance were a number of former Glamorgan players and staff, who were coached by Jones throughout the age groups and during his time at Glamorgan, as well as members of the national media.

For a collection of reports and articles please refer to the following websites / articles (not exhaustive):

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1683188/glamorgan-legend-alan-jones-awarded-england-cap

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/recognition-at-last-for-the-lost-test-cap-of-alan-jones-br0w0lmct

https://www.glamorgancricket.com/news/glamorgan-legend-alan-jones-awarded-england-cap

https://www.glamorgancricket.com/news/media-round-up-alan-jones-capped

https://www.glamorgancricket.com/news/alan-jones-capped-by-england-at-last-ed-bevan-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/53015088

28 May 2020 – ECB update on the domestic and recreational game

The ECB has confirmed a further delay to the start of the professional domestic cricket season, with no domestic cricket to be played before 1 August.

The specifics of the season remain subject to ongoing advice from UK Government and health experts, but the ambition remains to host domestic men’s and women’s cricket across England and Wales later this summer.

For a fuller report please refer to either the ECB website or the Glamorgan CCC website. Both are listed below.

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1673749/ecb-update-on-the-domestic-and-recreational-game

https://www.glamorgancricket.com/news/further-delay-to-cricket-season-announced

ECB Announcement on delay to the Season – Update 24 April 2020

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has today agreed that no professional cricket will be played in England and Wales until at least 1 July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The season remains subject to ongoing advice from government and health experts, and continued consultation with all broadcast partners to determine the optimum way to fulfil fixtures both domestically and internationally. 

The ECB Board approved the following measures:

  • Professional cricket will not be played in England and Wales until at least 1 July
  • Nine rounds of fixtures will be lost in the County Championship season, but blocks for red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket will be held in a revised schedule
  • The Vitality Blast will be pushed as late in the season as possible to give it the best opportunity of being staged. All matches previously scheduled in June will be moved later in the season
  • International cricket, featuring England men’s and women’s teams, will look to be scheduled from July until the end of September, with the West Indies Test Series and the whole women’s series against India (Vitality IT20s and Royal London ODIs) both moving from their original slots
  • An additional Board meeting will be scheduled next Wednesday on The Hundred, following a request to dedicate a further session to the competition

More at https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1660195/ecb-announces-further-delay-to-the-professional-cricket-season