COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP 2021: Group fixtures and Bob Willis Trophy final dates confirmed

The season gets underway on April 8, with the divisional stage beginning on August 30. The BWT final will take place at Lord's between September 27-October 1

County Championship fixtures 2021: Full schedule

The returning County Championship will kick-off on April 8, the England and Wales Cricket Board have confirmed.

A new format for the competition will see nine rounds - all starting on a Thursday - of the group phase take place during the first two months of the season and the first week of June.

Following a pause, Championship matches will resume for the final two group games in early July. The One-Day Cup, T20 Blast and inaugural edition of The Hundred will be played in between.

For 2021, all 18 first-class counties have been split into three divisions and will play each other home and away during the first phase.

The top two from each of the three groups will be moved into Division One and will then play those sides who they are yet to meet. The remaining dozen sides will make up Divisions Two and Three.

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That divisional stage will start on August 30, with the four rounds running until September 24. Those fixtures will be confirmed upon the group stage reaching a climax.

The winners of Division One will be crowned the winner of the County Championship, with the top two progressing to the Bob Willis Trophy final staged at Lord's between September 27 and October 1.

Starting on April 8, the standout fixtures during the opening round include reigning champions Essex taking on Worcestershire and Somerset travelling to Middlesex.

It remains to be seen whether matches can be attended by spectators after much of the truncated 2020 campaign was played behind closed doors.

Currently, just seven matches are scheduled to take place at outgrounds around the country with most pencilled in for the back-end of the group stage.

Glamorgan will play at Colwyn Bay, Gloucestershire twice at Cheltenham, Derbyshire at Chesterfield, Middlesex at Merchant Taylors while Kent will return to Beckenham. Yorkshire's home Roses match against Lancashire will take place at Scarborough while Sussex are hopeful of playing one home match at Arundel Castle.

The remaining matches of the county season and for The Hundred will be confirmed in early 2021.

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"Despite the significant hurdles that we faced this year, the domestic game still found a way to play meaningful cricket across men’s and women’s formats while ensuring that our members and supporters were able to remain close to the game through advanced live streaming of matches," ECB county cricket managing director Neil Snowball said.

"Once again we have seen an innovative and collaborative approach between the ECB and the 18 first-class counties that has enabled us to plan for 2021 with a new, County Championship structure for 2021 only, that is designed to be both exciting for players and supporters and also flexible to the possible ongoing impact of COVID-19.

"We are also working hard with all 18 first-class counties to ensure that we are able to welcome the return of crowds safely next year and will continue to work closely with government and all relevant authorities."

County Championship 2021 key dates:

Thursday, April 8 2021: Men's County Championship starts - group stage

Monday, August 30: Divisional Stage starts

Monday, September 27 - Friday, October 1: Bob Willis Trophy final (Lord's)

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