Advanced ticket sales for this year’s NatWest T20 Blast are 41% up in comparison to April 2014. Today the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can announce 88,090 tickets have been already sold, with aggregate attendances expected to exceed last year’s record of over 707,000.
This year the competition has attracted some of the biggest global superstars in the game, led by New Zealand’s outstanding captain Brendon McCullum who has signed for defending champions Birmingham Bears. He is joined by arguably the most exciting talent in cricket in Chris Gayle (Somerset), the only player to have achieved the milestone of Test triple century, an ODI double century and a T20I hundred.
Legends of the game such as Kumar Sangakkara (Surrey), Mahela Jayawardene (Sussex Sharks), Shahid Afridi (Northants Steelbacks) will all feature, as will ICC Cricket World Cup champions Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell (both Yorkshire Vikings) and James Faulkner (Lancashire Lightning).
All of England’s contracted players will be available for Gameweek 4 (June 5), one of the standout rounds of the competition, which includes the Roses showdown between Yorkshire Vikings and Lancashire Lightning.
Blast off in 2015
Players from all 18 First Class counties today joined England legend Andrew Flintoffto launch the new NatWest T20 Blast season from Edgbaston, home for this year’s Finals Day.
“Players and fans both love cricket on Friday nights,” said Flintoff. “The quality of players on show this summer will be top-notch, and the quality of cricket will be right up there with other T20 leagues across the globe."
Flintoff returned to the big cricketing stage in a remarkable NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day in 2014, heroically taking his Lancashire Lightning side within one boundary of glory, in front of a record crowd. Since then, Flintoff played for the Brisbane Heat in Australia’s Big Bash League.
“It was great to get back to playing cricket in last year’s NatWest T20 Blast,” he added.
“Being in and around the dressing room with the Lancashire lads and the buzz of Finals Day was amazing – I still think about that last over!”
As per last season, 70 per cent of fixtures will be played on Fridays between May 15 and July 24, with fans relishing the chance to make NatWest T20 Blast a hugely exciting part of their summer weekend’s entertainment. The quarter-finals will be played on four consecutive days between August 12 and August 15 with the 2015 Finals Day on August 29.
ECB Chief Executive Officer, Tom Harrison said, “This year’s NatWest T20 Blast will feature some of the most famous names in world cricket – and our First Class counties are already reporting excellent advance ticket sales for the group matches. With the majority of fixtures again scheduled in a fan-friendly slot on Friday nights, NatWest T20 Blast action will be at the heart of what promises to be a hugely exciting summer of domestic and international cricket.”
Rhidian Taylor, Head of Brand Management, NatWest added: “NatWest's long association with cricket provides great opportunities for our customers. Through our T20 partnership we will be offering our customers the chance to win tickets and money can't buy experiences all season. We're looking forward to another exciting NatWest T20 Blast season.”