Surrey will begin their 2024 County Championship title defence at Lancashire as the ECB reveal the domestic season calendar… with the T20 Blast Finals Day returning to its traditional September slot
- The ECB announced their full domestic calendar for the 2024 season on Thursday
County champions Surrey begin their 2024 title defense in Lancashire at Old Trafford after the ECB released the full fixture list for next year’s domestic season.
Surrey won their 22nd County Championship title last season after seeing off the challenge from Essex.
Gareth Batty’s side’s quest for a third successive title begins with the match at Old Trafford on April 5.
Essex will travel to Nottinghamshire for their opening game of the season, while last year’s Division Two champions, Durham, host Hampshire.
Worcestershire travel to Warwickshire for their first Division 1 tie and Kent welcome Somerset.
County Championship champions Surrey begin their title defense in Lancashire in April
Four rounds of the County Championship matches will take place in April, with the season running until September 26.
The Vitality Blast kicks off on May 30, with reigning champions Somerset launching their title defense the following day by hosting Essex.
With bitter rivals Lancashire and Yorkshire not in the same County Championship, the former in Division One and the latter in Division Two, it won’t be until July 12 before we have a ‘War of the Roses’ clash – via the Vitality Blast. Emirates Old Trafford will create a raucous atmosphere that Friday evening as Lancashire ‘welcome’ their familiar foe.
The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup will also start in May.
The Charlotte Edwards Cup will be the first tournament to conclude with the final day of the T20 event on June 22.
The final day for the Blast will take place on September 14 in Egbaston. The move, which has taken place in mid-July for the past two summers, is partly due to the West Indies and United States hosting the Men’s T20 World Cup in June, which will appease loyal supporters.
After the Blast, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy concludes a week later.
The One Day Cup starts on July 24 and the final will take place at Trent Bridge on September 22.
The final takes place four days before the final matches of the County Championship season, which starts on September 26.
Lancashire (left) and Yorkshire meet in the T20 Blast at Emirates Old Trafford on July 12