Vitality Blast Off will return bigger and better next summer with a four-day festival of men’s and women’s domestic Twenty20 cricket.
An expanded Vitality Blast Off will feature seven men’s and women’s T20 double headers, in addition to Edgbaston again hosting a Vitality Blast double header with two Midlands rivalry games.
With the men’s county and women’s regional domestic fixtures to be announced next Thursday, the early release of the Vitality Blast Off schedule gives fans the chance to start planning for next season.
Northern Diamonds are set for a double starring role as they take on South East Stars at Seat Unique Riverside on Friday 31 May, and then face-off against the Sunrisers at County Ground, Northampton, ahead of Yorkshire Vikings clash against Northamptonshire Steelbacks, on Sunday 2 June.
Yorkshire Vikings & Northern Diamonds T20 Team Picture 2023.
Diamonds’ Head Coach Dani Hazell, said: “We’re delighted to be part of the Vitality Blast Off and all the players and coaching staff are really looking forward to representing Northern Diamonds in next year’s competition.
“It’s brilliant to be part of some early great clashes and we’ll be ready to put in some good performances for supporters.
“This year we had some really good moments and some low ones. But we have some solid foundations to build off and we’re working hard this Winter.”
Northern Diamonds’ Hollie Armitage team-talks in a huddle prior to taking the field against the Sunrisers, at Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street.
Vitality Blast Off begins with two Charlotte Edwards Cup and Vitality Blast double headers on Thursday 30 May at The Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford.
The opening day features Charlotte Edwards Cup champions Southern Vipers hosting Western Storm while Hampshire Hawks and Surrey, who both reached Vitality Blast Finals Day in July, also meet at The Ageas Bowl. Thunder, who played in their first Finals Day in June, welcome Central Sparks to Manchester while Lancashire Lightning meet Durham.
A rematch of this year’s Vitality Blast final headlines the Friday action as Somerset begin their title defence against Essex at the Cooper Associates County Ground, while Trent Bridge and the Seat Unique Riverside will also stage double headers.
Edgbaston will then host its marquee men’s double header – the only matches scheduled for that day – with Birmingham Bears taking on rivals Notts Outlaws, while near-neighbours Derbyshire Falcons and Leicestershire Foxes clash.
Vitality Blast Off will conclude with two more double headers at The Kia Oval and at the County Ground in Northampton on Sunday 2 June. Both reigning T20 champions travel to The Kia Oval where South East Stars will host Southern Vipers and Surrey will bid to reverse their semi-final defeat to Somerset.
Yorkshire Vikings v Lancashire Lightning – Headingley Stadium, Leeds, England – Yorkshire’s William Luxton celebrates the win in June this year.
More than 14,000 people attended the first-ever Vitality Blast Off at Edgbaston this summer as fans enjoyed all-action entertainment on and off the field.
With 2024 Vitality Blast Finals Day already a sell-out, Blast Off provides all cricket fans with the opportunity to enjoy Edgbaston’s famed atmosphere and supporters can now register for priority access here with tickets going on general sale on Tuesday, 5 December.
ECB Managing Director of County Cricket, Neil Snowball, said: “It is hugely exciting to be able to confirm that Vitality Blast Off will be expanded to include eight venues next summer as we aim to attract more people to watch men’s and women’s domestic cricket.
“We have scheduled some of the highest-profile men’s and women’s games during the four-day window, which will also launch the new Vitality Blast season in style.
“We saw how successful Vitality Blast Off was this summer when Edgbaston did a remarkable job, as they always do, to put on a show for fans on and off the field and we’re determined to build on that.
“I know supporters will also be excited to know that the men’s county and women’s regional schedule is just a week away from being announced, and now is the perfect time to get in contact with your local county about memberships for next season.”
All Yorkshire and Diamonds fixtures will be released next Thursday, 23 November.
2024 Vitality Blast-Off fixtures:
Thursday 30 May
Southern Vipers v Western Storm; Hampshire Hawks v Surrey – The Ageas Bowl
Thunder v Central Sparks; Lancashire Lightning v Durham – Emirates Old Trafford
Friday 31 May
Northern Diamonds v South East Stars; Durham v Birmingham Bears – Seat Unique Riverside
The Blaze v Central Sparks; Notts Outlaws v Northamptonshire Steelbacks – Trent Bridge
Western Storm v Sunrisers; Somerset v Essex – Cooper Associates County Ground
Saturday 1 June
Birmingham Bears v Notts Outlaws; Derbyshire Falcons v Leicestershire Foxes – Edgbaston
Sunday 2 June
South East Stars v Southern Vipers; Surrey v Somerset – The Kia Oval
Sunrisers v Northern Diamonds; Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Yorkshire Vikings – County Ground, Northampton
