The Cricketer answers all your questions about the stop-gap red-ball competition in English domestic cricket in 2020
Bob Willis Trophy: Team-by-team guides
The Bob Willis Trophy is the red-ball county cricket competition for 2020.
The County Championship was cancelled in 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent lockdown in the UK.
The counties voted in favour of playing both red and white-ball cricket in a reduced season.
The Bob Willis Trophy is due to start on August 1 and its group stage will conclude on September 9.
The 18 counties will all take part. They have been split in three groups of six teams, based loosely on their geographical location.
North: Durham, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire,Yorkshire
Central: Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
South: Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex
See, told you it was only loosely based on geography.
There are five rounds of group-stage fixtures, all starting on weekend days.
They are: August 1, August 8, August 15 and August 22 (all Saturdays), and September 6 (a Sunday).
You can see the full schedule for the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy by clicking here.
The two group winners with the most points will advance to the final, which is likely to be played at Lord's in late September and early October.
Winning teams in the Bob Willis Trophy will be awarded 16 points, the same as in the County Championship. More points will be on offer for a draw, however (8). This decision was made with consideration to a weather impacted tournament.
Bonus points will be awarded in the same way they are typically awarded in the County Championship: for passing 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 runs within 110 overs of the first innings, and for claiming up to three, seven and 10 wickets in the same period with the ball.
There is one tiebreaker option in the final - first-innings runs, based on both teams completing their first innings.
In the event that this is level, and a draw or tied final would result in the trophy being shared.
Two innings per side. First innings can be no more than 120 overs. The follow on is enforceable only with leads of 200 runs or more, compared to 150-plus in the County Championship.
A minimum of 90 overs can be bowled each day, down from 96 in the County Championship. And skippers will have to wait 90 overs to be offered the new ball, rather than 80.
These measures are designed to encourage more use of spin bowlers by captains, and downgrade the workload of seamers who have had a limited amount of preparation time.
Yes, all matches will be of first-class status.
Will results in the Bob Willis Trophy have any impact on promotion or relegation in the County Championship?
No, the Bob Willis Trophy is an entirely independent competition from the County Championship and will not have a bearing on the typical first-class competition in England and Wales.
So, Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire fans, don't worry, you'll definitely still be watching your side in Division One next year, whatever happens.
Overseas players are allowed to take part but the majority of overseas deals have been cancelled for 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown.
Some Kolpak players may still feature in the tournament, including Morne Morkel and Hashim Amla for Surrey, but they may not be able to leave their own countries and gain access to the UK in time given quarantine and other public health restrictions.
Unfortunately, as it stands, the majority of Bob Willis Trophy matches will be played behind closed doors, as per government guidance.
Two games in the first round of the competition - Surrey vs Middlesex at the Kia Oval, and Warwickshire vs Northamptonshire at Edgbaston - have been permitted to welcome supporters under a pilot programme testing the return of the paying public to sporting occasions in the UK.
However, at this time, there is no indication that there will be widespread access to these matches.
Counties have the ultimate decision over the streaming of their own matches during the Bob Willis Trophy.
Some - like Leicestershire - are planning to make their matches freely available via YouTube.
Other counties have substantial membership bases they wish to reward for continuing to support the club through the Covid-19 crisis, and as such are only offering access to their streams to members.
Fans should consult the websites and social media channels of each respective county to find out where they might be able to watch coverage.
The ECB social media accounts will post highlights, and clips will also be available via the governing body's match centre.
The Cricketer - the winner of the ECB's outstanding online coverage of domestic cricket award for the past two years - will continue to provide substantial match reporting, analysis and interviews over the course of the campaign. Visit our County Hub for the latest and most extensive coverage of the domestic game.
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