Heyhoe Flint Trophy to return for 2021 summer alongside new women's domestic T20 competition

Fifty-six matches will be played across the two competitions, stretching from May 29 through to September 25, when the final of the 50-over tournament will take place

The schedule for the women’s domestic summer has been revealed, with the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returning alongside a new T20 competition in 2021.

Southern Vipers won the inaugural Heyhoe Flint Trophy, which was staged between late August and late September, after the impact of the coronavirus pandemic prevented a full launch of the revamped regional programme.

A year later than planned, then, 56 matches will be played across the two competitions, stretching from May 29 through to September 25, when the final of the 50-over tournament will take place – on a Saturday, unlike the men’s Royal London Cup final, which is scheduled for a Thursday.

Last year’s showpiece – between Vipers and Northern Diamonds – took place at Edgbaston on September 27 at the end of a watered-down group stage split into two groups of four for ease of travel, given the Covid-19 situation.

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures

Women's Regional T20 fixtures

This time around, however, the eight regional teams will compete in a single round-robin league, playing seven games each, with the top side heading straight into the final. The two outfits that finish second and third will then face off in a playoff to determine the other finalist.

Much like the men’s four-day County Championship, the Heyhoe Flint Trophy – which is retaining the name it was given in 2020 – will bookend the summer, taking a break after June 12 and only re-emerging following the conclusion of the T20 competition in September.

^{Tash Farrant, recalled by England for their tour of New Zealand, is one of 41 players with a full-time domestic contract}

The 20-over tournament features two groups split according to last season’s 50-over standings. Southern Vipers, Central Sparks, South East Stars and Lightning make up Group A; Group B comprises Northern Diamonds, Western Storm, Sunrisers and Thunder.

Teams will play each other twice, with the ‘best’ of the two group-winners heading straight into the final. The top side in the other group will take on the ‘best’ of the runners-up in a semi-final, with both matches taking place on September 5, Women’s Regional T20 Finals Day.

The first three rounds are set for early July, before a gap in the regional schedule through to late August, where The Hundred will slot in.

ECB managing director of women’s cricket Clare Connor said: “This promises to be a truly memorable summer of cricket for the women’s game.

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“We are not only set to further professionalise the game with more players on full-time contracts than ever before but, crucially, we will showcase our game to more young girls across England and Wales so that they can say cricket is a game for them.

“I am particularly proud that we will continue to move forward with Rachael Heyhoe Flint’s name, with everything she represented for women’s cricket, firmly entrenched in our journey.

“The launch of women’s regional cricket last summer, despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, was another significant step forward for our domestic game. We are now looking forward to seeing those regional teams play twice as much cricket this summer with the addition of the T20 competition.”

^{Georgia Adams was the leading run-scorer and MVP in the Heyhoe Flint Trophy}

England are due to host New Zealand and South Africa in two home series, with the availability of centrally contracted players for domestic duty to be determined by the scale of their international commitments.

Between the eight regional hubs, 41 players now hold full-time professional contracts, with England head coach Lisa Keightley hopeful that the setup of a summerlong programme will lead to greater depth in the national pool.

“I’ve seen the impact of domestic players being full-time and how quickly they can improve,” she told The Cricketer in January. “I’ve seen that happen very well in Australia. To have eight competitive teams at the top level, I have no doubt that people will perform and the pool of players will get bigger.

“It will get harder to select squads and teams in England, which is really exciting. Players will put up their hands through The Hundred and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and that is fantastic. That’s what you want to happen.”

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Women's county cricket is also set to continue in several shapes. The Cricketer revealed this week that Sussex are to join Surrey, Kent, Essex and Middlesex for the second edition of the 50-over London Championship, won last year by Surrey. The tournament is expected to be held early in the season ahead of the beginning of any regional activity.

Likewise, The Cricketer reported on Wednesday that the East of England Championship, established in 2020, will continue this year.

Meanwhile, the schedule for the Vitality ECB Women’s County T20 was confirmed in early January, with the format condensed into regional groups in order to minimise travel and overnight stays as a result of the Covid-19 situation.

Triple-header matchdays will take place over four dates in a monthlong period between April and May, with all teams involved each week.

The date for the annual London Cup – the T20 fixture played between Surrey and Middlesex – has not yet been announced. Surrey won the match last year at the Kia Oval – their first victory in six attempts – in the first domestic game played in the United Kingdom after the relaxation of the first national lockdown.