Bob Willis Trophy Is A Four Day Cricket Competition:
First-class counties in the UK will compete for the Bob Willis Trophy in a four-day competition as part of the shortened 2020 national season, as stated by the ECB.
The ECB announced on Friday that all 18 first-class counties had decided to compete in the same friendly red-and white-ball tournaments, after a delayed start to the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As reported by the leading sports website in May, the four-day competition will feature three regional groups of six teams, each competing five first-class games with a five-day final expected to be played at Lord’s. The winner will claim the Bob Willis Trophy, named after the former captain of England who died in December. The shortened Vitality Blast competition will start on August 27.
Neil Snowball, the ECB’s managing director of county cricket, said in a statement on Friday that the counties “were united with a common goal of getting back to our core function of cricket.”
“The commitment of the presidents and chief executives of the first-class counties to work together to achieve this ambition has been determined and we will remain in the close discussion as we continue to assess the risk factors that need to be mitigated in order to ensure the safety and well-being of their players, coaches, and staff,” said Snowball.
“We are all pleased that agreement has been reached across the game, and we are now in a position to look forward and prepare for a new men ‘s domestic season starting on 1 August.”
Venues would contact the holders of tickets for domestic men’s matches and first-class members of the county to inform them of the options available to them after a new fixture schedule has been announced, the ECB said.
