Yorkshire handed Durham test in opening Bob Willis Trophy match

YORKSHIRE’S FIRST match in the Bob Willis Trophy will be against Durham at Chester-le-Street beginning a week tomorrow.

Full fixtures for the tournament will be announced today by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The Trophy – named in honour of former England captain Willis, who died in December – is replacing the County Championship as a one-off this year due to the pandemic.

It will see the 18 first-class counties split into three regionalised groups of six, with each team playing five four-day fixtures and the two group winners with the most points contesting a five-day final.

Yorkshire will play Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in their second group game from August 8, followed by successive home matches at Emerald Headingley against Derbyshire (from August 15), Lancashire (from August 22) and Leicestershire (from September 6). Although the fixtures are behind closed doors for now and being live streamed to supporters, it is hoped that crowds may be allowed back into grounds later in the summer, which is why the T20 Blast fixtures have yet to be finalised.

The Blast will start on August 27 and is set to be played on the same regional lines, with clubs playing 10 group games followed by the knockout stages.

The ECB say the T20 fixtures will be announced next month alongside those for a women’s 50-over competition featuring the eight new teams in the women’s elite domestic structure.

That competition will be regionalised into two groups of four with the group winners contesting a final.

The Bob Willis Trophy, which will hold first-class status, will feature some amended playing conditions designed to mitigate the risk of injury, particularly to fast bowlers.

There will be a minimum of 90 overs in a day instead of 96; each county’s first innings can last no longer than 120 overs; the follow-on will increase from 150 to 200, and a new ball will be available after 90 rather than 80 overs.

Points will remain the same as in the Championship apart from points for a draw, which will increase from five to eight to help offset the impact of bad weather.

Player loans are permitted between counties for a minimum of one week, while in the event of a drawn or tied final, the sole tie-breaker will be the county that leads on first innings in the event of two completed first innings; otherwise, the Trophy will be shared.

Results will have no bearing on next year’s Championship divisions.

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said: “An unbelievable amount of work has gone into getting all of this put into place and everyone into a position where we’re ready to play cricket again.

“Credit to everybody concerned because the level of detail has been extraordinary with all the risk assessment protocols and things of that nature.

“Everyone’s just really relieved and pleased to be playing again, so there’s going to be a lot of effort and intensity in this competition, without a doubt.

“We’re all really looking forward to it and hopefully the weather will be kind to us now and we can get two months of really good cricket.”

Yorkshire hope to have England batsman Dawid Malan available for their first game following his close-season move from Middlesex.

Malan has been suffering with a calf injury but he is set to play in Yorkshire’s last warm-up match, a two-day friendly against Durham at Headingley starting on Monday, in an effort to prove his fitness.

However, paceman Duanne Olivier will not play in the first Trophy game as he gradually increases his bowling workload. Olivier went into quarantine on his return from his native South Africa due to the Covid restrictions, and he has since undertaken one-on-one sessions with the Yorkshire coaches, who hope to have him up to speed for the second match at Notts.

Fellow pace bowlers Mat Pillans and Jared Warner are coming back from thigh strains and unavailable for selection, while spinner James Logan has a groin strain.

Will Fraine is making good progress following knee surgery in the winter and he will bat in Yorkshire’s friendly against Lancashire today but not field; Fraine is described as having an “outside chance” of being ready for the first Trophy match.

On paper, Yorkshire, a First Division club, have a strong chance in a Trophy North Group that includes four Second Division sides and another, in Lancashire, who are newly promoted.

The Central Group features Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, while the South Group comprises Essex, Kent, Hampshire, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex.

“It’s certainly a competition that we’re setting out to win, along with the T20,” said Moxon. “We’ve got a strong team and will be giving it our very best shot.

“I think the Trophy is a great concept. We were keen to play some four-day cricket because we want to learn about some of our players for next year, if nothing else, and although it’s only a five-game competition – six if you get to the final – I think it’s really worthwhile.”

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