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The 2020 Vitality Blast was the eighteenth edition of the T20 Blast currently known as the Vitality Blast, a professional Twenty20 cricket league being played in England and Wales. run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which was branded as the Vitality Blast due to the tournament's sponsorship deal. On 12 August 2020, following a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECB confirmed the fixtures for the tournament.

In the North Group, the Notts Outlaws and Lancashire Lightning qualified for the quarter-finals. In the Central Group, Gloucestershire became the first team to qualify. The South Group saw Surrey and Kent Spitfires qualify. Following the conclusion of the group stage, the Northants Steelbacks, the Leicestershire Foxes and the Sussex Sharks had also confirmed their spots in the quarter-finals.

Surrey, Lancashire Lightning and Gloucestershire all won their quarter-final matches to progress to Finals Day. The match between the Leicestershire Foxes and the Notts Outlaws finished in a tie. The Notts Outlaws advanced to Finals Day after they had scored more runs in the powerplay.

For the first time in the tournament's history, Finals Day was washed out, with all the matches rescheduled to be played on 4 October 2020, the designated reserve day. If no play was possible on the reserve day, the ECB announced that the matches would have been played on 7 October 2020. Play was delayed further on the reserve day due to rain, and as a result the two semi-finals were reduced to 11 overs per side, and the final was shortened to 16 overs per side. Surrey beat Gloucestershire by six wickets in the first semi-final, and the Notts Outlaws beat Lancashire Lightning by five wickets in the second semi-final. In the final, the Notts Outlaws beat Surrey by six wickets to win the tournament and their second domestic T20 title.

Background

The tournament was scheduled to start on 28 May 2020, and finish on 5 September 2020. However, on 24 April 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that no professional cricket would be played in England before 1 July 2020. In late May 2020, the ECB looked at the scheduling of domestic cricket for the summer, with the t20 Blast likely to go ahead, including the traditional Final's Day at Edgbaston. The ECB also confirmed that no domestic cricket would be played before 1 August 2020. On 29 June 2020, the ECB confirmed that the county cricket season would begin on 1 August 2020, with the format agreed in early July.

On 7 July 2020, the majority of counties voted to start the tournament on 27 August 2020, with Finals Day taking place at Edgbaston on 3 October 2020.

Teams

The teams were placed into the following groups. The top two teams in each group progressed to the quarter-finals, where they were joined by the two best third-placed teams:

• North Group: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire Vikings
• Central Group: Birmingham Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northants Steelbacks, Somerset, Worcestershire Rapids
• South Group: Essex Eagles, Hampshire, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks

Results and standings

North Group

• Lancashire Lightning won the toss and elected to bat.
• Tom Hartley (Lancashire Lightning) made his T20 debut.
• Keaton Jennings (Lancashire Lightning) scored his first century in a T20 match.
• Points: Lancashire Lightning 2, Durham 0.

• No toss.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Derbyshire Falcons 1, Leicestershire Foxes 1.

• No toss.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Yorkshire Vikings 1, Notts Outlaws 1.

• Durham won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Notts Outlaws 2, Durham 0.

• Lancashire Lightning won the toss and elected to field.
• Rain prevented any further play.
• Tom Taylor (Leicestershire Foxes) made his T20 debut.
• Tom Bailey (Lancashire Lightning) took his first five-wicket haul in a T20 match.
• Points: Leicestershire Foxes 1, Lancashire Lightning 1.

• Yorkshire Vikings won the toss and elected to bat.
• Brooke Guest, Sam Conners (Derbyshire Falcons) and George Hill (Yorkshire Vikings) all made their T20 debuts.
• Points: Yorkshire Vikings 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0.

• Leicestershire Foxes won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Leicestershire Foxes 2, Durham 0.

• Yorkshire Vikings won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Notts Outlaws 2, Yorkshire Vikings 0.

• Lancashire Lightning won the toss and elected to bat.
• Ed Barnes (Derbyshire Falcons) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Lancashire Lightning 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0.

• No toss.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Lancashire Lightning 1, Notts Outlaws 1.

• Derbyshire Falcons won the toss and elected to field.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Durham 1, Derbyshire Falcons 1.

• No toss.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Yorkshire Vikings 1, Leicestershire Foxes 1.

• Lancashire Lightning won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Lancashire Lightning 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0.

• Notts Outlaws won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Notts Outlaws 2, Leicestershire Foxes 0.

• Durham won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Yorkshire Vikings 2, Durham 0.

• Notts Outlaws won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Notts Outlaws 2, Lancashire Lightning 0.

• Durham won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Durham 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0.

• Leicestershire Foxes won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Leicestershire Foxes 2, Yorkshire Vikings 0.

• Notts Outlaws won the toss and elected to bat.
• Dustin Melton (Derbyshire Falcons) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Notts Outlaws 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0.

• Leicestershire Foxes won the toss and elected to bat.
• Nick Welch (Leicestershire Foxes) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Durham 2, Leicestershire Foxes 0.

• Yorkshire Vikings won the toss and elected to bat.
• James Wharton (Yorkshire Vikings) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Lancashire Lightning 2, Yorkshire Vikings 0.

• Derbyshire Falcons won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Derbyshire Falcons 2, Leicestershire Foxes 0.

• Yorkshire Vikings won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Durham 2, Yorkshire Vikings 0.

• Notts Outlaws won the toss and elected to field.
• Samit Patel played in his 100th consecutive T20 match for the Notts Outlaws.
• Points: Notts Outlaws 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0.

• Lancashire Lightning won the toss and elected to bat.
• George Lavelle (Lancashire Lightning), Matt Revis and Sam Wisniewski (Yorkshire Vikings) all made their T20 debuts.
• Points: Lancashire Lightning 2, Yorkshire Vikings 0.

• Durham won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Durham 2, Lancashire Lightning 0.

• Notts Outlaws won the toss and elected to bat.
• Leicestershire Foxes were awarded five penalty runs following a fake fielding incident in the first over of their innings.
• Points: Leicestershire Foxes 2, Notts Outlaws 0.

• Derbyshire Falcons won the toss and elected to bat.
• Ben Birkhead (Yorkshire Vikings) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Yorkshire Vikings 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0.

• Leicestershire Foxes won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Leicestershire Foxes 2, Lancashire Lightning 0.

• Durham won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Notts Outlaws 2, Durham 0.

Central Group

• No toss.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Gloucestershire 1, Northants Steelbacks 1.

• No toss.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Glamorgan 1, Worcestershire Rapids 1.

• No toss.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Points: Birmingham Bears 1, Somerset 1.

• Northants Steelbacks won the toss and elected to field.
• Jack Haynes (Worcestershire Rapids) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Northants Steelbacks 2, Worcestershire Rapids 0.

• Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Glamorgan 2, Gloucestershire 0.

• Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
• George Bartlett (Somerset) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Northants Steelbacks 2, Somerset 0.

• Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points Birmingham Bears 2, Glamorgan 0.

• Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Gloucestershire 2, Worcestershire Rapids 0.

• Birmingham Bears won the toss and elected to field.
• Vikai Kelley (Birmingham Bears) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Northants Steelbacks 2, Birmingham Bears 0.

• Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Somerset 2, Glamorgan 0.

• Birmingham Bears won the toss and elected to field.
• The match was reduced to 12 overs per side due to rain.
• Dan Mousley (Birmingham Bears) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Gloucestershire 2, Birmingham Bears 0.

• Worcestershire Rapids won the toss and elected to field.
• Adam Finch (Worcestershire Rapids) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Somerset 2, Worcestershire Rapids 0.

• Northants Steelbacks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Northants Steelbacks 2, Glamorgan 0.

• Worcestershire Rapids won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Gloucestershire 2, Worcestershire Rapids 0.

• Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
• Somerset were set a revised target of 125 runs from 12 overs.
• Points: Birmingham Bears 2, Somerset 0.

• Northants Steelbacks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Gloucestershire 2, Northants Steelbacks 0.

• Worcestershire Rapids won the toss and elected to bat.
• Will Smeed (Somerset) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Worcestershire Rapids 2, Somerset 0.

• Birmingham Bears won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Birmingham Bears 2, Glamorgan 0.

• Worcestershire Rapids won the toss and elected to bat.
• Rob Yates (Birmingham Bears) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Birmingham Bears 2, Worcestershire Rapids 0.

• Northants Steelbacks won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Glamorgan 2, Northants Steelbacks 0.

• Somerset won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Gloucestershire 2, Somerset 0.

• Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Gloucestershire 2, Birmingham Bears 0.

• Worcestershire Rapids won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Worcestershire Rapids 2, Northants Steelbacks 0.

• Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field.
• Lewis Goldsworthy (Somerset) made his T20 debut.
• Babar Azam (Somerset) scored his 5,000th run in T20s.
• Points: Somerset 2, Glamorgan 0.

• Northants Steelbacks won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Somerset 2, Northants Steelbacks 0.

• Birmingham Bears won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Birmingham Bears 2, Worcestershire Rapids 0.

• Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Glamorgan 2, Gloucestershire 0.

• Somerset won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Gloucestershire 2, Somerset 0.

• Birmingham Bears won the toss and elected to bat.
• Adam Hose (Birmingham Bears) scored his maiden century in T20s.
• Points: Northants Steelbacks 2, Birmingham Bears 0.

• Worcestershire Rapids won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Glamorgan 2, Worcestershire Rapids 0.

South Group

• Kent Spitfires won the toss and elected to field.
• Rain during Kent Spitfires' innings prevented any further play.
• Scott Currie (Hampshire) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Hampshire 1, Kent Spitfires 1.

• Essex Eagles won the toss and elected to field.
• Rain during Essex Eagles' innings prevented any further play.
• Max Holden (Middlesex) scored his first century in a T20 match.
• Points: Essex Eagles 1, Middlesex 1.

• Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
• Rain during Sussex Sharks' innings prevented any further play.
• Gus Atkinson, Dan Moriarty and James Taylor (Surrey) all made their T20 debuts.
• Points: Sussex Sharks 1, Surrey 1.

• Kent Spitfires won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Middlesex 1, Kent Spitfires 1.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Sussex Sharks 2, Hampshire 0.

• Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Essex Eagles 1, Surrey 1.

• Kent Spitfires won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Kent Spitfires 2, Surrey 0.

• Hampshire won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Hampshire 2, Essex Eagles 0.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.
• Luke Hollman (Middlesex) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Sussex Sharks 2, Middlesex 0.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Kent Spitfires 2, Sussex Sharks 0.

• Essex Eagles won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Middlesex 2, Essex Eagles 0.

• Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
• Surrey were set a revised target of 80 runs from 11 overs.
• Felix Organ (Hampshire) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Surrey 2, Hampshire 0.

• Kent Spitfire won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Kent Spitfires 2, Essex Eagles 0.

• Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat.
• Jack Davies (Middlesex) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Surrey 2, Middlesex 0.

• Hampshire won the toss and elected to field.
• Calvin Harrison (Hampshire) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Sussex Sharks 2, Hampshire 0.

• Essex Eagles won the toss and elected to bat.
• Jack Plom (Essex Eagles) made his T20 debut.
• Points: Surrey 2, Essex Eagles 0.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Sussex Sharks 2, Kent Spitfires 0.

• Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Middlesex 2, Hampshire 0.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Essex Eagles 2, Sussex Sharks 0.

• Kent Spitfires won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Kent Spitfires 2, Hampshire 0.

• Middlesex won the toss and elected to field.
• Points Surrey 2, Middlesex 0.

• Surrey's score of 218 was a record high total for a T20 match at Lord's

• Essex Eagles won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Essex Eagles 2, Hampshire 0.

• Kent Spitfires won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Middlesex 2, Kent Spitfires 0.

• Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Surrey 2, Sussex Sharks 0.

• Essex Eagles won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Kent Spitfires 2, Essex Eagles 0.

• Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Surrey 2, Hampshire 0.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Sussex Sharks 2, Middlesex 0.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.
• Ben Allison, Robin Das and Feroze Khushi (Essex Eagles) all made their T20 debuts.
• Points: Sussex Sharks 2, Essex Sharks 0.

• Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat.
• Thilan Walallawita (Middlesex) made his T20 debut.
• Shaheen Afridi (Hampshire) took a hat-trick and four wickets in four balls.
• Points: Hampshire 2, Middlesex 0.

• Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Surrey 2, Kent Spitfires 0.

Knock-out stage

Quarter-finals

• Kent Spitfires won the toss and elected to field.

• Sussex Sharks won the toss and elected to field.

• Northants Steelbacks won the toss and elected to bat.

• Notts Outlaws won the toss and elected to field.
• Notts Outlaws progressed to the semi-finals on account of scoring more runs in the powerplay.

Finals Day

Semi-finals

• Surrey won the toss and elected to field.
• The match was reduced to 11 overs per side due to rain.

• Lancashire Lightning won the toss and elected to bat.
• The match was reduced to 11 overs per side due to rain.

Final

• Notts Outlaws won the toss and elected to field.
• The match was reduced to 16 overs per side due to rain.

References

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External links

• Series home at ESPN Cricinfo

• 2020 in English cricket
• Cricket events postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Domestic cricket competitions in 2020–21
• T20 Blast seasons