T20 Blast 2020: No crowds and few overseas stars as tournament set to start

Essex beat Worcestershire in last year's Edgbaston final, matching the holders' achievement in 2018 of winning for the first time

It's starting a little later in the season, it's a little shorter, there are fewer overseas stars, definitely fewer people at grounds watching, and it will end with the latest-ever finish to an English county cricket season.

However, three months later than originally advertised because of the coronavirus pandemic, the T20 Blast is back.

Even if it will not have the razzmatazz of previous years, there should still be plenty to keep the watching, listening and streaming audience entertained.

This is the 18th season of T20 cricket at the top level in England, and Edgbaston will have the honour of hosting Finals Day for the 12th time on Saturday, 3 October.

But which teams will be there? And will be there a crowd to see it?

Another big factor is how many of England's players will be released from their Test and T20 international bubbles to take any part - and add to the fun.

Opening fixtures

All start times BST

Thursday, 27 August

Essex v Middlesex (Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, 14:00)

Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire (Bristol County Ground, 14:00)

Kent v Hampshire (Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, 14:00)

Glamorgan v Worcestershire (Sophia Gardens, 18:30)

Derbyshire v Leicestershire (Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, 18:30)

Durham v Lancashire (Emirates Riverside, 18:30)

Yorkshire v Notts, (Emerald Headingley, 18:35)

Friday, 28 August

Sussex v Surrey (1st Central County Ground, Hove, 14:00)

Birmingham Bears v Somerset (Edgbaston, 18:30)

• Full T20 Blast fixture list

Who can win it?

Nottinghamshire, winners in 2017 and semi-finalists a year ago, are among the favourites, especially with England opener Alex Hales back in the fold. However, the pre-tournament loss of global T20 specialist Harry Gurney, who helped win titles with Leicestershire, Notts, Melbourne Renegades and Barbados Tridents, has to be a blow.

Simon Harmer's Essex must have a shout of retaining their title, although will they still be such a force without Ravi Bopara? The former England all-rounder has joined Sussex.

Worcestershire, winners in 2018 and beaten finalists in 2019 but without England duo Moeen Ali and Pat Brown, are aiming for a third successive Finals Day. And unfancied Derbyshire, the only team never to have made it to Finals Day until last year, are looking to go at least one better after their semi-final loss to Essex - especially on the back of their good form in the Bob Willis Trophy.

Glamorgan (semi-finalists in 2004), Yorkshire (finalists in 2012), Durham (finalists in 2016) and Gloucestershire (finalists in 2007) are the other four sides never to have won England's domestic T20 title.

Leicestershire are the competition's most successful side, having won three times in 2004, 2006 and 2011, but have not made it to Finals Day since.

Steven Finn helped Middlesex reach Finals Day in 2008 but missed out on the big day when they recorded their only success to date

Twice-winners Hampshire (2010 and 2012) and Northants (2013 and 2016) can never be ruled out of any bid to try to match the Foxes' treble.

As Finals Day hosts for an eighth straight year, Birmingham Bears must be contenders to repeat their 2014 triumph, while in-form Bob Willis Trophy pacesetters Somerset (winners in 2005) are surely overdue another success - on the back of last year's 50-over triumph at Lord's.

Sussex, winners in 2009 and runners-up in 2018, have a chance to give departing coach Jason Gillespie yet another title, especially with a match-winner such as Bopara on board.

Kent, the 2007 winners, have looked good in white-ball cricket in recent seasons, while Surrey (the first winners in 2003) surely have to be better than their miserable red-ball form would suggest and Middlesex (2008) are overdue another triumph.

Then there is Lancashire, winners in 2015, who will be keen to atone for last year's missed opportunity. After storming their group, they had to switch their quarter-final to Chester-le-Street 140 miles away as Emirates Old Trafford was hosting a Test match and, in an almost empty ground, lost to a Bopara-inspired Essex.

How does it all work?

Instead of the usual two-group format, this year's qualifying stage has been split into the same North, Central and South groups currently being used in red-ball cricket:

• North Group: Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Notts, Yorkshire

• Central Group: Birmingham Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northants, Somerset, Worcestershire

• South Group: Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex

All teams will play each other home and away to determine who makes it through to the knockout stages, which the authorities hope will be watched by some sort of crowds.

The latest batch of pilot events for the return of spectators to sporting venues includes some T20 Blast matches, although the games concerned have yet to be confirmed.

Overseas absentees

The soon-to-retire Jeetan Patel was part of Birmingham Bears' T20-winning team in 2014

The pandemic-related travel restrictions and safety procedures forced counties to abandon plans to bring over their usual crop of overseas signings, but one having his last Blast will be New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel with the Birmingham Bears.

Patel, now 39, has been a prolific wicket-taker and late run-getter in English cricket since first signing for Warwickshire in 2009, to start a decade's almost unbroken service, in which he has won the County Championship, the T20 Blast (in 2014) and a Lord's final.

He had already given up the Warwickshire captaincy at the end of 2019, intent on making this season his last, before the pandemic struck. And he has instead spent this year enhancing his growing reputation as a spin-bowling coach, having even been used as a consultant by England.

But to bow out in glory with a second Bears T20 triumph - and on home soil too - would be a fine way to sign off for one of Warwickshire's most successful overseas signings.

Many of England's one-day stars are involved in limited-overs series against Pakistan and Australia in the next month, but Test captain Joe Root and batsman Zak Crawley - fresh from his 267 in the final Test against Pakistan last week - have been included in squads by Yorkshire and Kent respectively for their opening fixtures.

New men in charge

Ed Barnard played a big part in helping Worcestershire reach the T20 final for the last two years, and is now targeting a third as captain

Several sides will be under new leadership, just as Essex were under Harmer when they won for the first time last September.

England Lions all-rounder Ed Barnard will have his first experience of county captaincy when he leads Worcestershire for the first time.

Meanwhile, his former team-mate Tom Kohler-Cadmore, T20 captain in 2019, is back in charge of Yorkshire for the first eight group games as David Willey will be on England one-day duty.

With Eoin Morgan on England duty, pace bowler Steven Finn will lead Middlesex in this season's competition.

Birmingham Bears also have a new man in charge - Will Rhodes, Warwickshire's red-ball captain, has taken over the role because of the unavailability of Australian spinner Chris Green.

Somerset will have England Lions all-rounder Lewis Gregory taking over captaincy duties from Tom Abell.

Durham will have veteran Australian seamer Nathan Rimmington at the helm after being captained last year by Stuart Poynter and Peter Handscomb.