Worcestershire to face first-time T20 opponent as Vitality Blast fixtures revealed
Worcestershire will play Kent for the first time in a T20 match next summer as part of the restructured Vitality Blast.
The match on Friday July 3 at New Road will be the first-ever meeting between the counties in the sport’s shortest format and has been made possible by the competition’s new format, which has seen the 18 first-class counties divided into three regional groups of six.
Worcestershire have been placed in Group B alongside Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset and Warwickshire, with each team playing the other home and away.
But each county will also play a further two matches against teams outside their group, with the Pears paired against Kent for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The revamp will see the entire competition completed inside the space of two months with Edgbaston hosting men’s Finals Day on Saturday, July 18.
Worcestershire begin their campaign away to Leicestershire on Friday, May 22, with Warwickshire visiting Gloucestershire the same night.
The first meeting between the Bears and the Pears takes place at New Road the following Friday, May 29, with the return match at Edgbaston on Friday, June 26.
Counties were previously split into two groups of nine with the competition receiving criticism for its length and the long gap between the conclusion of the group stages and the start of the knockout rounds.
Next year’s group stage will conclude the weekend before Finals Day, with the quarter-finals taking place in midweek.
The women’s competition will run to an identical timeframe with its Finals Day taking place at the Oval on Friday, July 17.
A total of 61 men’s and women’s “double-headers” have been scheduled, with 16 of those taking place on the opening weekend.
The ECB’s managing director for 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 a 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.”
