Wikipedia

Charlotte Edwards Cup

The Charlotte Edwards Cup, initially named the Women's Regional T20, was an English women's cricket Twenty20 domestic competition organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The first edition of the tournament took place in 2021. The tournament was named after England's former captain and most capped player, Charlotte Edwards.[1]

Charlotte Edwards Cup
Countries England
 Wales
AdministratorECB
FormatTwenty20
First edition2021
Latest edition2024
Tournament formatGroup stage and knockout
Number of teams8
Current championThe Blaze (1st title)
Most successfulSouthern Vipers (2 titles)

The tournament featured eight teams, representing regional hubs across England and Wales. The tournament was a successor to the Women's Cricket Super League, which ended in 2019. Whilst a regional T20 tournament was planned for 2020, it was cancelled in favour of the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament then ran alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and The Hundred.[2][3]

History

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With the ending of the Women's Cricket Super League in 2019, the England and Wales Cricket Board intended to launch a new regional structure for domestic women's cricket in England and Wales, including a 50-over competition, a Twenty20 competition and The Hundred.[2] However, as the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the 2020 season, only the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was able to go ahead that season, with six new teams competing, plus Western Storm and Southern Vipers carried over from the WCSL, representing regional hubs.[4]

In 2021, with a return to a full schedule, it was announced in February that the new Twenty20 competition would be called the Women's Regional T20, to run alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and to be competed for by the same teams. Two days before the tournament began, it was renamed the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with the first edition of the tournament getting underway on 26 June, eventually being won by South East Stars.[1][5][6] The second edition of the tournament was won by Southern Vipers, who beat Central Sparks in the final.[7] Vipers retained their title in 2023, beating The Blaze in the final by 7 wickets.[8] The Blaze won the title the following year, defeating South East Stars in the final after topping the group stage.[9] This was the last edition of the competition as the ECB announced it would be replaced by a new T20 Blast as part of a restructuring of women's domestic cricket in England and Wales.[10]

Teams

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Primary home ground of each team

The teams for the Charlotte Edwards Cup are as follows:[5]

Team County partners Home grounds (2023) Captain
Central Sparks
Evelyn Jones
Northern Diamonds
Hollie Armitage
North West Thunder
Eleanor Threlkeld
South East Stars
Bryony Smith
Southern Vipers
Georgia Adams
Sunrisers
Grace Scrivens
The Blaze
Kirstie Gordon
Western Storm
Sophie Luff

Competition format

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In 2021 and 2022, teams played each other home and away in their group. The two group winners and the best second-place team advanced to Finals Day. The best group winner advanced straight to the final, whilst the other two teams played off in a semi-final.[5] In 2023, teams played in one group of eight, playing each other team in the group once, with the top team in the group advancing directly to the final, whilst the second and third-placed teams play off in the semi-final.[11] The tournament expanded again ahead of the 2024 season, with teams playing ten group stage matches and four teams qualifying for Finals Day, with two semi-finals and a final.[12]

Teams receive 4 points for a win. A bonus point is given where the winning team's run rate is 1.25 or greater times that of the opposition. In case of a tie in the standings, the following tiebreakers are applied in order: highest net run rate, team that scored the most points in matches involving the tied parties, better bowling strike rate, drawing of lots.[13]

Tournament results

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List of Charlotte Edwards Cup winners
Season Winner Runners-up Final Venue Player (club) Runs Player (club) Wickets Notes
Leading run-scorer Leading wicket-taker
2021 South East Stars Northern Diamonds Rose Bowl, Southampton Evelyn Jones (Central Sparks) 276 Bryony Smith (South East Stars) 14 [14][15]
2022 Southern Vipers Central Sparks County Ground, Northampton Amy Jones (Central Sparks) 289 Katie Levick (Northern Diamonds) 15 [16][17]
2023 Southern Vipers The Blaze New Road, Worcester Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers) 273 Nadine de Klerk (The Blaze) 15 [18][19]
2024 The Blaze South East Stars County Ground, Derby Kathryn Bryce (The Blaze) 478 Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze) 22 [20][21]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Women's Regional T20 Competition is named Charlotte Edwards Cup". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "ECB launches new plan to transform women's and girls' cricket". ECB. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returns alongside new Women's Regional T20 competition". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: The special-edition 50-over competition explained". The Cricketer. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Women's domestic fixtures announced: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returns alongside new Regional T20 competition". ECB. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Final (D/N), Southampton, Sep 5 2021, Charlotte Edwards Cup: South East Stars v Northern Diamonds". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Final, Northampton, June 11 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: Southern Vipers v Central Sparks". Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Final, Worcester, June 10-11 2023, Charlotte Edwards Cup: The Blaze v Southern Vipers". 10 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Bryce Sisters Star as Blaze lift Charlotte Edwards Cup". ESPNcricinfo. 22 June 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Women's teams to enter 2025 Blast and One-Day Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Schedule for 2023 domestic season announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Domestic cricket schedule for 2024 season announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Playing Conditions – Women's Regional T20 Competition" (PDF) (pdf). ECB. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  14. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021/Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022/Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023/Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024/Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
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