Storm set for Blast Off!
Vitality Blast Off will return bigger and better next summer with a four-day festival of men’s and women’s domestic Twenty20 cricket.
An expanded Vitality Blast Off will feature seven men’s and women’s T20 double headers, with Western Storm beginning our campaign against Southern Vipers on May 30th.
With the men’s county and women’s regional domestic fixtures to be announced next Thursday, the early release of the Vitality Blast Off schedule gives fans the chance to start planning for next season.
Vitality Blast Off begins with two Charlotte Edwards Cup and Vitality Blast double headers on Thursday May 30th at The Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford.
The opening day features Charlotte Edwards Cup champions Southern Vipers hosting Western Storm while Hampshire Hawks and Surrey, who both reached Vitality Blast Finals Day in July, also meet at The Ageas Bowl. Thunder, who played in their first Finals Day in June, welcome Central Sparks to Manchester while Lancashire Lightning meet Durham.
A rematch of this year’s Vitality Blast final headlines the Friday action as Somerset begin their title defence against Essex at the Cooper Associates County Ground with Western Storm taking on Sunrisers at the same venue, while Trent Bridge and the Seat Unique Riverside will also stage double headers.
Hospitality packages for this double header at the Cooper Associates County Ground are now available.
Edgbaston will then host its marquee men’s double header – the only matches scheduled for that day – with Birmingham Bears taking on rivals Notts Outlaws, while near-neighbours Derbyshire Falcons and Leicestershire Foxes clash.
Vitality Blast Off will conclude with two blockbuster matches on Sunday 2 June, as both reigning T20 champions travel to The Kia Oval where South East Stars will host Southern Vipers and Surrey will bid to reverse their semi-final defeat to Somerset.
More than 14,000 people attended the first-ever Vitality Blast Off at Edgbaston this summer as fans enjoyed all-action entertainment on and off the field.
ECB Managing Director of County Cricket, Neil Snowball, said: “It is hugely exciting to be able to confirm that Vitality Blast Off will be expanded to include eight venues next summer as we aim to attract more people to watch men’s and women’s domestic cricket.
“We have scheduled some of the highest-profile men’s and women’s games during the four-day window, which will also launch the new Vitality Blast season in style.
“We saw how successful Vitality Blast Off was this summer when Edgbaston did a remarkable job, as they always do, to put on a show for fans on and off the field and we’re determined to build on that.
“I know supporters will also be excited to know that the men’s county and women’s regional schedule is just a week away from being announced, and now is the perfect time to get in contact with your local county about memberships for next season.”
