The England and Wales Cricket Board announces new 2015 fixtures with Friday night NatWest T20 Blast action at the heart of next season’s county programme.
The ECB today announced the 2015 County fixture list which builds on the successful launch of last season’s new domestic schedule and will once again incorporate regular Friday night start times for NatWest T20 Blast matches, Sunday starts in the LV= County Championship, and a peak-summer start for the Royal London One-Day Cup.
- LV= County Championship Division One fixtures 2015
- LV= County Championship Division Two fixtures 2015
- NatWest T20 Blast fixtures 2015
- Royal London One-Day Cup fixtures 2015
- View the fixtures for your team
Overall, 87 out of 126 matches in the NatWest T20 Blast competition will be staged on Friday nights with the majority of counties set to play five matches in this time slot as part of ECB’s wider goal to provide regular ‘appointments to view’ for fans.
Subject to fitness, England players will be available to their counties for the eight NatWest T20 Blast matches scheduled to be played on Friday June 5th.
ECB Chief Operating Officer Gordon Hollins said: “We were delighted that the new, revamped county schedule met with such a positive response from fans last year and particularly pleased that a record number of people - more than 700,000 - watched the NatWest T20 Blast competition across the season.
“It’s important to re-emphasise that the new schedule we introduced last season was based firmly around extensive customer research and designed to reflect the fans’ desire for dedicated ‘appointments to view’ county cricket.
"The 2015 fixture list repeats last season’s successful formula and we trust it will also produce exciting and compelling cricket which will help bring even more people to our county game.”
The first round of matches in the LV= County Championship will see newly promoted Worcestershire face champions Yorkshire for their opening match in the top flight on Sunday April 12.
The following week the champions will head down the M1 to face Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge where they clinched the LV= County Championship trophy last season.
The second NatWest T20 Blast competition gets underway on Friday May 15 with 18 counties set to battle it out for the title which will be decided on finals day at Edgbaston on Saturday August 29.
Current NatWest T20 Blast champions Birmingham Bears will begin the defence of their title against Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge while last year’s runners-up Lancashire Lightning will start their campaign against Leicestershire Foxes.
The Royal London One-Day Cup will return in its 50-over format on Saturday July 25 when last season’s champions Durham will hope to continue their winning ways with an away trip to Northamptonshire.
The one-day action will continue throughout the summer, culminating in the final of the competition at Lord’s on Saturday September 19.
Cricket fans are set for a jam packed summer of sport in 2015, with not only all three domestic competitions returning, but also a busy international season which sees England men host tours by New Zealand and Australia, and England women also take on Australia.
