The English Twenty20 cricket champions are the winners of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Twenty20 competition for first-class cricket counties, most recently the Friends Life t20, although from 2014 this has been replaced with the NatWest t20 Blast. The competition culminates with 'Finals Day': a single day on which both semi-finals and the final are contested at the same ground. [1] Somerset are the current champions, claiming their second title in the 2023 season.
Twenty20 cricket was developed by the ECB to attract new, younger audiences to cricket. [2] Replacing the 50 overs-per-side 'Benson & Hedges Cup', [3] the 'Twenty20 Cup' was introduced in 2003, and was over two hours shorter than its predecessor, and matches also featured greater entertainment off the field, such as live music, barbecues, fancy dress and karaoke. [4] The competition was rebranded as the 'Friends Provident t20' in 2010, [5] and a season later as the 'Friends Life t20'. [6] In 2014, the competition became known as the NatWest t20 Blast. For the first seven years of the competition, teams were allowed one overseas player, as in the other domestic tournaments, but from the 2010 season, each team was allowed two. [7] The finalists in both 2009 and 2011 qualified for the Champions League Twenty20, an international competition between the leading domestic teams from the major cricketing nations. [8] [9]
The competition was won in its inaugural season by Surrey, and in the twenty seasons that it has run, it has been won by thirteen different counties. Leicestershire and Hampshire have won the competition on the most occasions, doing so three times. [10] Somerset have contested more finals than any other team; as well as winning the competition in 2005 and 2023, they were losing finalists in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2021. [11]
Titles won by club (%)
Titles | Club | Title-winning seasons |
---|---|---|
3 | Leicestershire | 2004, 2006, 2011 |
Hampshire | 2010, 2012, 2022 | |
2 | Somerset | 2005, 2023 |
Kent | 2007, 2021 | |
Northamptonshire | 2013, 2016 | |
Nottinghamshire | 2017, 2020 | |
1 | Essex | 2019 |
Lancashire | 2015 | |
Middlesex | 2008 | |
Surrey | 2003 | |
Sussex | 2009 | |
Birmingham Bears | 2014 | |
Worcestershire | 2018 |
Titles won by club (%)
Titles | Club | Title-winning seasons |
---|---|---|
3 | Southern Vipers | 2016, 2022, 2023 |
2 | Western Storm | 2017, 2019 |
1 | Surrey Stars | 2018 |
South East Stars | 2021 | |
The Blaze | 2024 |
Dwayne Romel Smith is a former Barbadian international cricketer who has represented the West Indies in all three formats of the game. An all-rounder, he is known as an aggressive and powerful right-handed batsman, bowls medium pace, and is also an athletic fielder. Smith was a part of the West Indies team that won the 2012 T20 World Cup.
Samit Rohit Patel is an English cricketer. A right-handed batsman and a slow left-arm bowler, he plays first-class cricket for Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Patel made his One Day International debut for England in August 2008, however was later dropped from the side after failing to meet fitness levels. After an absence of 2+1⁄2 years, he returned to the ODI side in 2011 and made his Twenty20 International debut, before becoming the 651st player to represent England at Test cricket by winning his first cap on the tour of Sri Lanka in 2012.
Pieter Marinus Seelaar is a Dutch cricketer and a former captain of the national team. He is a right-handed batsman and a left-arm orthodox spin bowler. Having played for the Netherlands at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels, he made his senior debut in a C&G Trophy game against Warwickshire on 3 May 2005. He then played in the ICC Trophy later that year. He made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka on 6 July 2006. Two years later, Seelaar made his Twenty20 International debut.
Basanta Regmi is a Nepalese professional cricketer. An all-rounder, he bats left-handed and bowls left-arm orthodox spin. He made his debut for Nepal against Namibia in March 2006. He was one of the eleven cricketers to play in Nepal's first ever One Day International (ODI) match, against the Netherlands, in August 2018.
Stephen David Parry is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a slow left-arm bowler who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club. Parry made his senior debut for Lancashire in 2007 and in 2009 was named Lancashire's Young Player of the Year.
Christoffel "Christi" Viljoen is a former cricketer who played for the Namibia national team. He played as a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium-fast. He also played for Otago in New Zealand domestic cricket.
Marie Kelly is an English cricketer who is currently the captain of Warwickshire, as well as playing for The Blaze, Northern Superchargers and Trinbago Knight Riders. She plays primarily as a right-handed batter. She led Warwickshire to the 2019 Women's Twenty20 Cup title, and was the leading run-scorer in Division 1 that year. She previously played for Southern Vipers, Central Sparks, Birmingham Phoenix and Trent Rockets.
Hannah Emily Jones is an English cricketer who currently plays for Lancashire and North West Thunder. She plays as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. She has previously played for North Representative XI and Manchester Originals.
Kelly Shannon Castle is an English cricketer who currently plays for Essex and Sunrisers. She plays as an all-rounder, bowling right-arm medium and batting right-handed.
Fritha Mary Kie "Fi" Morris is an English cricketer who currently plays for Lancashire, North West Thunder and Manchester Originals. An all-rounder, she is a right-arm off break bowler and right-handed batter. She has previously played for Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Southern Vipers, Western Storm, Southern Brave and Welsh Fire.
Natasha Agnes Jessica Wraith is an English cricketer who currently plays for Somerset, Western Storm and Trent Rockets. She plays as a wicket-keeper and right-handed batter. She has previously played for Gloucestershire, Welsh Fire and London Spirit.
Lauren Amy Parfitt is a Welsh cricketer who is currently captain of Wales. She plays as a right-handed batter and occasional slow left-arm orthodox bowler. She has previously played for Western Storm.
Stephanie Butler is an English cricketer who currently captains Staffordshire. An all-rounder, she is a left-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She has previously played for Central Sparks and North West Thunder, as well as spending one season with Yorkshire and two seasons as part of the Yorkshire Diamonds squad in the Women's Cricket Super League.
Alexandra Louise MacDonald is an English cricketer who plays as an all-rounder, batting left-handed and bowling right-arm medium. She has played domestic cricket for Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, North Representative XI, Lincolnshire and Northern Diamonds.
Thea Francis Brookes is an English cricketer who currently plays for Surrey. An all-rounder, she plays as a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She previously played for Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Central Sparks, as well as Loughborough Lightning, Yorkshire Diamonds and Southern Vipers in the Women's Cricket Super League and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.
Natalie Brown is an English cricketer who currently plays for Lancashire. An all-rounder, she is a right-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler. She previously played for Lancashire Thunder, Manchester Originals and North West Thunder.
Clare Katherine Boycott is an English cricketer who currently plays for Worcestershire. An all-rounder, she plays as a right-arm medium bowler and right-handed batter. She has previously played for Central Sparks.
Chloe Anne Elizabeth Hill is an English cricketer who currently captains Worcestershire, as well as playing for South East Stars and London Spirit. She plays as a wicket-keeper and right-handed batter. She has previously played for Buckinghamshire, Central Sparks and Southern Vipers.
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Natasha Tara Miles is a British Hong Kong cricketer who plays for the Hong Kong women's national cricket team and Middlesex in English county cricket. An all-rounder, she is a right-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler. She has previously played for Surrey and Otago, as well as Lancashire Thunder in the Women's Cricket Super League. She first played for Hong Kong in 2006, and made her Twenty20 International debut in 2021.