Women’s Blast 2026 Quick Links
iWe earn a commission via links on this site at no extra cost to you. Learn moreVitality Blast Women 2026 guide covering all 9 Tier 1 counties, the group stage format, Finals Day at the Kia Oval, key players including Meg Lanning, and UK betting markets.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Vitality Blast Women 2026: Teams, Schedule and Betting Guide
The Blaze won the Vitality Blast Women 2026 title, beating Durham Women in the final at The Kia Oval on 17 July. Australia all-rounder Charli Knott was named Vitality Blast Women’s Player of the Year 2026, powered by OFX, topping the MVP Rankings with 85.70 MVP points to win £2,500 in prize money and a bespoke trophy.
The Vitality Blast Women is England and Wales’s premier domestic women’s T20 competition, run by the ECB alongside the men’s tournament under the same Vitality sponsorship. Nine counties compete in Tier 1 in 2026, with four progressing from the group stage to Finals Day.
The 2026 season started on 22 May and runs through to Finals Day at the Kia Oval on Friday 17 July 2026. Surrey are the defending champions after winning the 2025 competition, with Warwickshire Bears as runners-up.
The 2026 edition is notable for two reasons: Yorkshire have been promoted to Tier 1 for the first time, and Lancashire Thunder have signed Australian batting legend Meg Lanning as their overseas player, bringing the biggest name in women’s T20 cricket to the county game.
Vitality Blast Women 2026: Tier 1 Teams
Nine counties compete in Tier 1 in 2026. Each team plays 12 group stage matches, with the top four advancing to Finals Day at the Kia Oval on 17 July.
Defending Champions
Surrey
The Kia Oval, London
Captain: Bryony Smith. Overseas: Laura Harris (Australia). Won 2025 with 11 group stage victories. Lost four England internationals to T20 World Cup.
Warwickshire Bears
Edgbaston, Birmingham
Captain: Georgia Davis. Overseas: Georgia Redmayne (Australia). 2025 runners-up. Millie Taylor took 22 wickets last season.
The Blaze
Nottinghamshire / Midlands
Captain: Kirstie Gordon. Overseas: Charli Knott (Australia). 2025 semi-finalists. Lose six internationals to T20 World Cup and Scotland duty.
Lancashire Thunder
Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Captain: Ellie Threlkeld. Overseas: Meg Lanning (Australia). 4th in 2025. Biggest overseas signing in the competition by some distance.
Durham
Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street
Captain: Hollie Armitage. Overseas: Heather Graham (Australia). 5th in 2025. Suzie Bates unavailable due to T20 World Cup.
Hampshire Hawks
Utilita Bowl, Southampton
Captain: Georgia Adams. Overseas: Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia). 6th in 2025. Ella McCaughan scored the women’s competition’s first ever century in 2025.
Essex
Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford
Captain: Grace Scrivens. No overseas player. 7th in 2025. Lost Lauren Winfield-Hill and Maddie Penna since last season.
Somerset
Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Captain: Sophie Luff. Overseas: Anika Learoyd (Australia). 8th in 2025 with just one win. Heather Knight, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean likely absent for World Cup.
Promoted to Tier 1
Yorkshire
Headingley, Leeds
Captain: Lauren Winfield-Hill. Overseas: Jess Jonassen (Australia). Playing Tier 1 for the first time. Won 9 of 10 Tier 2 matches in 2025.
Squad details and overseas availability confirmed by ECB for the 2026 season. Subject to international call-ups.
Vitality Blast Women 2026 Format and Schedule
Finals Day: Friday 17 July 2026 — The Kia Oval, London
Group stage started 22 May 2026. Top 4 counties advance to Finals Day.
22 May
Season started
9
Tier 1 counties
12
Group matches per team
4
Progress to Finals Day
17 Jul
Finals Day
The Vitality Blast Women runs alongside the men’s competition and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is being played in England from 12 June. Player availability across the group stage will be affected for counties with England, Australia, Scotland, Ireland, and Netherlands internationals in their squads.
The competition is broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK. A number of matches will also be streamed free via the ECB’s YouTube channel.
Vitality Blast Women 2026 Standings
Final standings after the full 12-match Tier 1 group stage and 8-match League 2 group stage. Hampshire Hawks Women, Surrey Women, The Blaze and Durham Women reached Finals Day at The Kia Oval on 17 July, where The Blaze beat Durham Women in the final to win the 2026 title.
Tier 1
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampshire Hawks Women | 12 | 8 | 2 | 40 |
| 2 | Surrey Women | 12 | 8 | 3 | 37 |
| 3 | The Blaze | 12 | 8 | 4 | 34 |
| 4 | Durham Women | 12 | 7 | 4 | 31 |
| 5 | Essex Women | 12 | 6 | 6 | 26 |
| 6 | Somerset Women | 12 | 5 | 6 | 23 |
| 7 | Yorkshire Women | 12 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
| 8 | Warwickshire Bears Women | 12 | 3 | 9 | 13 |
| 9 | Lancashire Thunder Women | 12 | 3 | 9 | 13 |
Final standings after the 12-match group stage. Pts include tied matches and no-results. Top 4 (Hampshire Hawks, Surrey, The Blaze, Durham) advanced to Finals Day at The Kia Oval, 17 July.
League 2
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glamorgan Women | 8 | 7 | 1 | 32 |
| 2 | Kent Women | 8 | 5 | 3 | 23 |
| 3 | Gloucestershire Women | 8 | 5 | 3 | 23 |
| 4 | Middlesex Women | 8 | 5 | 3 | 22 |
| 5 | Worcestershire Rapids Women | 8 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| 6 | Northamptonshire Steelbacks Women | 8 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
| 7 | Leicestershire Foxes Women | 8 | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| 8 | Sussex Sharks Women | 8 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 9 | Derbyshire Falcons Women | 8 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
Final League 2 standings after the 8-match group stage. Source: ECB, 17 July 2026.
Vitality Blast Women 2026: Players to Watch
The 2026 competition features some of the biggest names in women’s T20 cricket. Player availability varies during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup window (from 12 June). The names below are expected to feature subject to international scheduling.
Meg Lanning
Lancashire Thunder
The most decorated batter in women’s T20 history. Six-time Big Bash winner with Melbourne Stars. Lanning’s signing for Lancashire is the story of the 2026 competition and brings genuine global star quality to the county game.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Surrey
Surrey’s leading scorer with 377 runs in 2025. England international and one of the most explosive T20 openers in the women’s game. Central to Surrey’s hopes of retaining their title.
Amanda-Jade Wellington
Hampshire Hawks
Australian leg-spinner and all-rounder. Led the 2025 Somerset batting charts in her previous Blast season and brings match-winning capability with both bat and ball to Hampshire.
Ella McCaughan
Hampshire Hawks
Scored the women’s Vitality Blast’s first ever century in 2025. Returning from a season-ending injury that cut short a remarkable campaign, McCaughan is a major top run scorer market contender if fit for the full competition.
Jess Jonassen
Yorkshire
Australia’s most capped T20 spinner. Jonassen brings proven international experience to Yorkshire’s first Tier 1 campaign and gives them a bowler capable of changing matches on any surface.
Millie Taylor
Warwickshire Bears
22 wickets in 2025, the joint-best return in the competition. England international spinner who was central to Warwickshire’s run to the final last season and a strong candidate for top wicket taker markets.
Player availability subject to ICC Women’s T20 World Cup schedule and ECB selection decisions.
How the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Affects the Blast
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is being held in England, opening at Edgbaston on 12 June with England Women vs Sri Lanka. The tournament runs through July, overlapping directly with the Blast group stage and Finals Day.
Key availability impacts by county:
- Surrey: lose 4 England internationals (Danni Wyatt-Hodge among those at risk of absence)
- The Blaze: lose up to 6 players across England, Scotland, and Ireland squads
- Somerset: Heather Knight, Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean all likely absent for World Cup window
- Warwickshire Bears: Issy Wong and Em Arlott on England duty
- Hampshire Hawks: Amanda-Jade Wellington may face Australia call-up dates
- Yorkshire: Sterre Kalis (Netherlands) and Rachel Slater (Scotland) away for significant periods
Counties with fewer internationals, such as Lancashire Thunder (with Meg Lanning available throughout) and Warwickshire, may benefit from fielding more consistent XIs during the World Cup window. This is a key factor for betting markets across the group stage.
Betting on the Vitality Blast Women 2026 (UK)
UK-licensed bookmakers are increasingly covering the women’s Vitality Blast, with outright winner markets and match betting available from select operators. Coverage and market depth vary by bookmaker. Always check current availability before placing.
Match betting typically opens two to three days before each fixture. Outright markets were available from the start of the tournament, with coverage peaking for Finals Day, played on 17 July at The Kia Oval. Use our Blast Betting Tips for outright odds comparisons.
Who Won the Vitality Blast Women 2026?
Hampshire Hawks Women topped Tier 1 after the full 12-match group stage, eight wins with two ties, finishing on 40 points. Surrey Women, the defending champions, finished second on 37 points, with The Blaze third on 34 and Durham Women fourth on 31. Those four teams contested Finals Day at The Kia Oval on 17 July: The Blaze beat Surrey Women by 6 wickets in the first semi-final, Durham Women beat Hampshire Hawks Women by 4 wickets in the second, and The Blaze completed the double, beating Durham Women by 10 wickets in the final to win the 2026 Vitality Blast Women title.
Lancashire Thunder and Warwickshire Bears Women, who reached the 2025 Finals Day, finished bottom of Tier 1 on 13 points each despite Meg Lanning’s signing for Lancashire, missing out on this year’s Finals Day.
Finals Day was played on 17 July 2026 at The Kia Oval, with The Blaze crowned 2026 Vitality Blast Women champions. For outright odds and value picks across the men’s tournament, see our full Blast Betting Tips.
All betting content on Cricket Enthusiast is for informational purposes only and is restricted to users aged 18 and over in the UK.
