Vitality Blast cut to 12 games as part of major shake-up in English domestic cricket
England’s domestic white-ball cricket will see major changes from 2026, with a shorter Vitality Blast, revamped women’s formats, and player welfare-focused scheduling.
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English domestic white-ball cricket is in for its biggest shake-up in years, with sweeping changes coming to the men’s and women’s Vitality Blast and the Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup from 2026. The reforms, backed by a two-thirds majority of the 18 first-class counties and shaped with input from the Professional Cricketers’ Association, aim to improve player welfare, reduce travel demands, and sharpen the competitive edge of county cricket.
While the white-ball roadmap is now clear, the men’s County Championship remains under review, with counties yet to agree on the best way forward. A decision is expected before the competition resumes in September.
Men’s Vitality Blast Gets Shorter, Sharper
From 2026, the men’s Vitality Blast group stage will shrink from 14 to 12 matches per team. The competition will revert to the three regional groups of six used in the COVID-hit 2020 season, with each county playing 10 matches against group rivals and two additional fixtures against one side from another group.
The aim is to concentrate the schedule into a block format and complete the tournament by July, before The Hundred begins. Organisers believe the move will make local derbies more intense, improve crowd appeal, and give players more breathing room in a packed summer.
New Men’s Blast Format (From 2026):
| Format | Details |
|---|---|
| Groups | 3 regional groups of 6 |
| Matches per team | 12 (10 vs group rivals + 2 cross-group) |
| Qualification | Top 2 in each group + 2 best third-placed teams |
| Finals Day | Same as current |
| Schedule | Entirely in July before The Hundred |
County Championship Future Still Unsettled
The red-ball competition remains a sticking point, with three formats under discussion:
| Option | Structure |
|---|---|
| 12-team top tier (two groups of six) | Play-offs for the title |
| 10-team Division One, 8-team Division Two | 12 matches each |
| Keep the current 14-match, two-division format | Favoured by some big counties |
Talks will resume later this summer, with promotion/relegation tweaks also on the table.
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Women’s Competitions Get a Boost
The women’s game is also undergoing a structural upgrade, particularly at the top level. Tier 1 of the Women’s Vitality Blast will expand from eight to nine teams with Yorkshire’s addition, while Tier 2 will move to a single national group to create more balanced competition. The Tier 1 schedule will be trimmed to 12 matches, but the top four will now contest two semi-finals before the final, rather than just one semi-final.
Women’s Vitality Blast Changes (From 2026):
| Tier | From 2026 |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 9 teams, 12 matches, top 4 to semi-finals |
| Tier 2 | 1 national group, 8 matches |
The Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup will also see tweaks. Tier 1 will move to a 16-match season, with an eliminator replacing the second semi-final, while Tier 2 will be shortened to 8 matches, with each side facing each other once.
ECB Welcomes Changes
ECB chief executive Richard Gould praised the counties for taking ownership of the reform process. “It’s important we keep evolving domestic cricket to make it the best it can be for players, fans, and the game’s future,” he said.
Beth Barrett-Wild, the ECB’s director of the women’s professional game, said the changes were made with player input and will be reviewed before the 2027 season, when Glamorgan is due to join Tier 1.
Professional Game Committee chair Mark McCafferty described the Blast changes as “a springboard to further investment” that would improve derby intensity and ease pressure on players in a congested summer calendar.
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