Packed schedule ahead for Cheshire in both league and cup in 2018
CHESHIRE’S cricketers will be in for a busy season in 2018.
The T20 competition returns to the schedule with Cheshire having four rounds to fulfil leading up to Finals Day at Wormsley in August.
The 50-overs competition will be staged in knockout form with Cheshire having one group game before a possible quarter-final, followed by the semi-finals, then the final, also at Wormsley.
The three-day championship – in which Cheshire finished a creditable runners-up in the West Division last season under the captaincy of Chester’s Lee Dixon – begins in late June.
It consists of the usual six fixtures, including home dates with Dorset, reigning double champions Berkshire and Herefordshire, all from late July onwards. The concluding game is scheduled as late as Sunday, September 2.
Cheshire secretary, Derrick Hastings, said: “The 50 overs competition becomes a straight knockout with eight counties playing a preliminary match and the remainder qualifying for the last 16.
“Cheshire go through as they reached the quarter-finals last season. In future years, the counties playing in the preliminary round will be chosen on a rotating basis.
“The T20 competition has four groups of five counties with four going through to Finals Day.
“Each day will be a doubleheader with the same two teams playing each other twice. The draw is done so that the home T20 matches are not on consecutive weekends.
“It has not yet been decided how points will be awarded for each day.
“All one-day cricket will be played using coloured clothing and white balls. These are likely to be mid-range Dukes, although the Tiflex has not been ruled out.
“There will be one white ball per innings in the T20 and two per innings in the KO Trophy, one from each end.
“The three-day championship fixtures have not been altered significantly and it is good to know that the championship will continue for the forseeable future with the backing of the ECB, the MCCA – and most importantly, the players. There will be a full Cricket Week at Wormsley to feature both the T20 and KO Trophy finals, but the championship final in 2018 is expected to go to Banbury who did such a good job last season. It could return to Wormsley in future.” ● The County League’s 2018 season opens on April 21 and ends over the weekend September 15/16. First and second XI fixtures are expected to be available by next month. Meanwhile, clubs are asked to notify first XI competition secretary Ian Sharrock as soon as possible regarding any special 2018 dates on which they would prefer to be allotted home or away games. ● The County’s cricket committee will meet shortly to select the venues for their 2018 home matches. This information will assist the County League fixture-makers.