The new-look Vitality Blast will ‘Blast Off’ with 16 double headers across the opening Bank Holiday Weekend of the men’s and women’s competitions next season.

Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 champions Middlesex host Kent at Lord’s before the men face each other in the double header on Friday 22nd May.

Kent will face Sussex Sharks’ Men’s & Women’s sides in Canterbury on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May, with all 2026 Men’s & Women’s Vitality Blast fixtures now revealed for this upcoming Summer.

All of Kent Spitfires’ home T20 fixtures for 2026 fall on either a Friday night, Sunday afternoon or Bank Holiday Monday.

The War of the Wealds against Sussex Sharks takes on a new dimension this Summer with the Double Header on Monday 25 May to begin Kent’s home T20 schedule, whilst the Battle of the Bridge against Essex at home falls on a Friday night under lights, 29 May.

The Oldest Rivalry against Surrey at the St Lawrence Ground will be the crowning piece of Kent Spitfires’ home Friday night fixtures, taking place in Canterbury on Friday 10 July to kick-off Vitality Blast Finale Weekend, ending with another exciting home clash against Middlesex on Sunday 12 July.

Kent Spitfires’ Crossover opponents have also been revealed – Notts Outlaws will make the trip to the St Lawrence Ground on Friday 26 June for the first T20 contest between the two sides since Kent’s victorious 2007 Quarter Final at Trent Bridge.

The Spitfires will also take on Worcestershire Rapids in an away Crossover Match at Visit Worcestershire New Road on Friday 3 July.

Kent Women will play at Lord’s for the first time in their Vitality Blast history as part of a Double Header alongside the Kent Spitfires against Middlesex on Friday 22 May.

A further Double Header will be taking place on Sunday 28 June in Canterbury – Kent Women will face Northamptonshire Steelbacks Women before Kent Spitfires take on Hampshire Hawks.

Kent Men’s Rothesay County Championship fixtures and Kent Men & Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup fixtures will be revealed on Thursday 27 November.

A total of 61 double headers will be played next season with both the men’s and women’s competitions revamped following this year’s county-led review, that will see a greater focus on derby rivalries, more matches in fan-friendly days and a more balanced schedule to support player performance.

The Vitality Blast Men’s Competition now consists of 12 group-stage matches, with three groups of six, which has allowed schedulers to place 80 per cent of group-stage fixtures in fan-friendly slots on a Friday, Sunday or a Bank Holiday.

The total number of back-to-back matches in the Vitality Blast Men’s Competition has been reduced to six – which is down from more than 50 two years ago – while there is just one in the Vitality Blast Women’s Competition.

Yorkshire will play in the Vitality Blast Women’s Competition for the first time, paving the way for a first-ever Roses double header at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday 10 July.

Forty-one of the 54 group-stage matches in the Vitality Blast Women’s Competition will be double headers, while 20 of the 36 Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 group-stage matches are set to be double headers.

The Vitality Blast Men’s Competition and Vitality Blast Women’s Competition group stage will conclude over ‘Finale Weekend’ (Friday 10 July – Sunday 12th July) with the men’s quarter-finals immediately following on Wednesday 15th July.

Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day will mirror the men’s format – with two semi-finals and a final – and be played on Friday 17th July at the Kia Oval. Vitality Blast Men’s Finals Day will follow the next day at EdgBLASTon.

Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 Finals Day will be staged at Sophia Gardens on Sunday 12th July.

Fans wishing to get in early and secure tickets to Vitality Blast 2026 can contact their local counties to see county membership, season ticket and hospitality availability.

ECB Managing Director, Competitions and Major Events, Neil Snowball, said: “The changes to the men’s and women’s Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 have been made in order to benefit fans and players alike. Every county will host a men’s and women’s double header, with 61 double-headers in total, while the significant reduction in back-to-back games gives players more opportunity to perform at their very best throughout the competition.

“The narrative of both competitions will also be easier to follow with the knockout stages following on immediately after the group stages, culminating in a true celebration of T20 Cricket with the women’s and men’s Vitality Blast Finals Days being hosted at The Kia Oval and Edgbaston on consecutive days.”

PCA Chief Executive, Daryl Mitchell, said: “Throughout the past 12 months, the PCA has worked tirelessly alongside the professional game to improve standards for players across all formats. The Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 highlight considerable improvements with a real energy injected into them.

“Players want to be at their optimum levels to perform at their best in county cricket’s flagship T20 competition and a significant reduction of back-to-back fixtures across the men’s and women’s Blast, alongside more men’s and women’s double headers and reduced travel in the men’s game will allow this.”

Vitality Blast Men’s Competition

A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire.

B: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Warwickshire Bears, Worcestershire Rapids.

C: Essex, Kent Spitfires, Hampshire Hawks, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks.

Format:

Each county will play 12 group-stage matches – six at home and six away. Counties will play the other five counties in their group home and away, in addition to one home match against a county outside their group and one away match against another county from outside their group.

Quarter-finals:

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals in addition to two best third-placed teams. The winners of each quarter-final qualify for Vitality Blast Men’s Finals Day.

First matches

Following the changes to the group-stage format, where counties will play two other counties from outside their group – there will be three matches where counties have never played each other before in the Vitality Blast Men’s Competition.

Those matches are:

Yorkshire v Gloucesterhire – Sunday 31 May, Headingley.

Sussex Sharks v Leicestershire Foxes – Friday 5 June, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove.

Worcestershire Rapids v Kent Spitfires – Friday 3 July, Visit Worcestershire New Road.

Vitality Blast Women’s Competitions

The required majority of the 18 PCCs voted to reduce the number of Vitality Blast Women’s Competition (Tier 1) group-stage matches from 14 to 12 for next season.

The vote was not tied to the outcome of the vote on the Vitality Blast Men’s Competition. It was also agreed that the women’s Vitality Blast Finals Day (Tier 1) will be expanded to include two semi-finals and a final.

The Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 (Tier 2) will maintain eight group-stage matches, but move to a single group – changing from North and South Groups in 2025 – with a three-team Finals Day.

Vitality Blast Women’s Competition (Tier 1)

Group: Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Warwickshire Bears, Yorkshire.

Group-stage matches

Each county will play 12 group-stage matches – six home and six away. They will play four counties twice and four counties once.

Knockout stage

The top four counties at the end of the group stage will progress to women’s Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day, which will include two semi-finals and the Final.

Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 (Tier 2)

Group: Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids.

Group-stage matches

Each county will play eight group-stage matches – four home and four away. They will play each county either home or away.

Knockout stage

The top three counties at the end of the group stage will progress to Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 Finals Day, which will include an Eliminator and Final.