The new-look Vitality Blast will 鈥楤last Off鈥� with 16 double headers across the opening Bank Holiday Weekend of the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 competitions next season.
Somerset begin the defence of their Vitality Blast Men鈥檚 Competition title with a home rematch of last season鈥檚 final against Hampshire Hawks on the opening Friday night.
Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 Competition champions Surrey are at home to Lancashire Thunder while across London, Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 League 2 champions Middlesex host Kent at Lord鈥檚, with all three fixtures a part of opening day double-headers.
>>> Vitality Blast men's competition fixtures 2026
A total of 61 double headers will be played next season with both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 competitions revamped following this year鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 Competition has been reduced to six 鈥� which is down from more than 50 two years ago 鈥� while there is just one in the Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 Competition.
>>> Vitality Blast women's competition fixtures 2026
Yorkshire will play in the Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 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鈥檚 Competition will be double headers, while 20 of the 36 Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 League 2 group-stage matches are set to be double headers.
The Vitality Blast Men鈥檚 Competition and Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 Competition group stage will conclude over 鈥楩inale Weekend鈥� (Friday 10 July 鈥� Sunday 12 July) with the men鈥檚 quarter-finals immediately following on Wednesday 15 July.
Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 Finals Day will mirror the men鈥檚 format 鈥� with two semi-finals and a final 鈥� and be played on Friday 17 July at the Kia Oval. Vitality Blast Men鈥檚 Finals Day will follow the next day at EdgBLASTon.
Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 League 2 Finals Day will be staged at Sophia Gardens on Sunday 12 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.
>>> Five talking points from the Vitality Blast 2026 fixture release
黑料专区 Managing Director, Competitions and Major Events, Neil Snowball, said: 鈥淭he changes to the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 Vitality Blast competitions for 2026 have been made in order to benefit fans and players alike. Every county will host a men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 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.
鈥淭he 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鈥檚 and men鈥檚 Vitality Blast Finals Days being hosted at The Kia Oval and Edgbaston on consecutive days."
PCA Chief Executive, Daryl Mitchell, said: 鈥淭hroughout 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.
鈥淧layers want to be at their optimum levels to perform at their best in county cricket鈥檚 flagship T20 competition and a significant reduction of back-to-back fixtures across the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 Blast, alongside more men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 double headers and reduced travel in the men鈥檚 game will allow this.鈥�
Vitality Blast Men鈥檚 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 鈥� 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鈥檚 Finals Day.
First matches
Following the changes to the group-stage format, where counties will play two other counties from outside their group 鈥� there will be three matches where counties have never played each other before in the Vitality Blast Men鈥檚 Competition.
Those matches are:
Yorkshire v Gloucesterhire - Sunday 31 May, Headingley.
Sussex Sharks v Leicestershire Foxes 鈥� Friday 5 June, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove.
Worcestershire Rapids v Kent Spitfires 鈥� Friday 3 July, Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 Competitions
The required majority of the 18 PCCs voted to reduce the number of Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 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鈥檚 Competition. It was also agreed that the women鈥檚 Vitality Blast Finals Day (Tier 1) will be expanded to include two semi-finals and a final.
The Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 League 2 (Tier 2) will maintain eight group-stage matches, but move to a single group 鈥� changing from North and South Groups in 2025 鈥� with a three-team Finals Day.
Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 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 鈥� 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鈥檚 Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 Finals Day, which will include two semi-finals and the Final.
Vitality Blast Women鈥檚 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 鈥� 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鈥檚 League 2 Finals Day, which will include an Eliminator and Final.