Vitality T20 Blast: Men’s 2026 guide covering all 18 county teams, group stage format, Finals Day, top players, and UK betting markets. Season started 22 May 2026.
Last updated: June 2026
Vitality T20 Blast 2026: Teams, Schedule and Betting Guide
The Vitality Blast (also known as the T20 Blast) is England and Wales’s premier domestic Twenty20 Men’s competition. For confirmed fixture details, tickets, and official tournament regulations, you can check the official England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) portal. All 18 first-class counties compete across three regional groups, with the top teams advancing to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and Finals Day.
The 2026 season got under way on 22 May and runs through to the iconic Finals Day in July. It is the longest-running T20 county competition in the world and draws significant UK betting interest, particularly around outright winner markets and player markets aka player props.
The Vitality Blast also runs a women’s competition across the same counties. See our T20 Blast Women 2026 guide for teams, schedule and betting information.
County Cricket News
Vitality T20 Blast 2026 Teams and Groups
All 18 first-class counties compete across three regional groups: North, Central and West, and South. Each team plays group rivals home and away during the group stages.
North Group
Grounds across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Durham, and the East Midlands
Derbyshire Falcons
Central Co-op County Ground, Derby
Durham
Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street
Lancashire Lightning
Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
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Leicestershire Foxes
Uptonsteel Grace Road, Leicester
Nottinghamshire Outlaws
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Yorkshire Vikings
Headingley, Leeds
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Central and West Group
Grounds across the Midlands, the West Country, Northamptonshire, and Wales
Glamorgan
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Gloucestershire
Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol
Northamptonshire Steelbacks
cinch County Ground, Northampton
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Somerset
Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
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Warwickshire Bears
Edgbaston, Birmingham
Worcestershire Rapids
New Road, Worcester
South Group
Grounds across London, the South East, and East Anglia
Essex Eagles
Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford
Hampshire Hawks
Utilita Bowl, Southampton
Kent Spitfires
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
Middlesex
Lord's Cricket Ground, London
Surrey
The Kia Oval, London
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Sussex Sharks
1st Central County Ground, Hove
Group assignments and fixture details confirmed by the ECB for the 2026 season.
Vitality T20 Blast 2026 Format and Schedule
Vitality T20 Blast 2026 started: 22 May 2026
Men's Finals Day at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Saturday 18 July 2026.
22 May
Season started
18
County teams
3
Regional groups
T20
Format
18 July
Finals Day 2026
Each county plays every other team in their regional group home and away during the group stage. The top teams from each group advance to quarter-finals, then semi-finals, with the two semi-final winners meeting on Finals Day at Edgbaston.
The Vitality Blast runs alongside the county championship during May and June before becoming the sole focus of the county calendar as summer progresses. It is broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK.
For the full match-by-match fixture list, visit the official ECB fixtures page.
2025 Season Final Standings (for reference)
The 2025 season used two groups of nine. The 2026 restructure moves to three groups of six. Somerset were the 2025 champions.
North Group 2025
| Team | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancashire Lightning | 9 | 5 | 36 |
| Durham | 8 | 5 | 34 |
| Warwickshire Bears | 8 | 6 | 32 |
| Northants Steelbacks | 8 | 6 | 32 |
| Worcestershire Rapids | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Notts Outlaws | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Leicestershire Foxes | 6 | 7 | 26 |
| Yorkshire | 5 | 9 | 20 |
| Derbyshire Falcons | 4 | 10 | 16 |
South Group 2025
| Team | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey | 11 | 3 | 44 |
| Somerset | 11 | 3 | 44 |
| Hampshire Hawks | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| Kent Spitfires | 7 | 6 | 30 |
| Glamorgan | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Sussex Sharks | 6 | 7 | 26 |
| Gloucestershire | 5 | 9 | 20 |
| Middlesex | 3 | 9 | 16 |
| Essex | 3 | 10 | 14 |
Vitality T20 Blast 2026: Key Players to Watch
The Blast draws England's leading T20 specialists alongside a strong contingent of overseas players. Player availability varies depending on international scheduling.
Jos Buttler
Lancashire Lightning
England's white-ball captain and one of the most destructive T20 batters in world cricket. A consistent Lancashire presence and a major draw for the tournament.
Liam Livingstone
Lancashire Lightning
Power-hitting all-rounder who can bowl leg-spin. One of the highest-profile English players in global T20 franchise cricket and a key betting focus for top run scorer markets.
Sam Curran
Surrey
Left-arm seam all-rounder and Surrey captain. Curran has built a strong T20 record across county and international cricket, and Surrey are perennial Blast contenders.
Jonny Bairstow
Yorkshire Vikings
Aggressive top-order batter with a long record of big T20 scores at Headingley. A focal point for Yorkshire and a name that drives betting market volume.
Moeen Ali
Yorkshire Vikings
Experienced spin-bowling all-rounder and former England white-ball captain. Signed a two-year Blast-only deal with Yorkshire for 2026, adding proven international quality to their North Group campaign.
James Vince
Hampshire Hawks
Hampshire captain and one of the most consistent T20 batters in county cricket. Vince has scored heavily in multiple Blast seasons and is a consistent pick for top run scorer markets.
Player availability subject to international schedule and squad selection decisions.
Betting on the Vitality T20 Blast 2026 (UK)
UK-licensed bookmakers offer a wide range of markets on the Vitality Blast, including outright tournament winner, top run scorer, top wicket taker, and match betting across the group stage. Use our T20 Blast Betting Guide for outright odds comparisons across all 18 counties.
Match betting typically opens two to three days before each fixture. Outright markets open at the start of the tournament or earlier with pre-season pricing. Player performance props (runs, wickets per match) open closer to each game.
Key Blast betting markets:
- Outright winner (tournament)
- Top run scorer (tournament and per match)
- Top wicket taker (tournament and per match)
- Match winner (match betting)
- First innings score over / under
- Man of the Match
All betting features on Cricket Enthusiast are restricted strictly to users aged 18 and over in the UK.
