Bairstow and Roy set for opener
Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, England's World Cupwinning opening partners, are set to go head to head when The Hundred gets under way at The Oval on July 17.
The England and Wales Cricket Board's domestic fixtures for 2020 have been released, with the inaugural edition of its 100-ball tournament appearing alongside the existing three formats for the first time.
The new competition, which will be partially broadcastonfree-to-airbytheBBC,is a central part of the governing body's bid to build the sport's fanbase but the city-based franchise model has attracted scepticismfromsectionsofthe existing support.
Assuchalleyeswillbeonthe openingfixture,whichpitsthe OvalInvinciblesagainstWelsh Fire, with England's hard-hitting duo of Bairstow and Roy due to be front and centre.
The third and final oneday international against Australia takes place in Bristol 24 hours earlier and the top-order pair are among a host of big names - also including the Curran brothers, Tom Banton, Liam Plunkett and the Fire's overseas pair Steve SmithandMitchellStarc-who could be involved in a unique double-header.
"We want to launch The Hundred with a bang and a big crowd at The Oval on a Friday night should do that for us," said an ECB spokesman.
The men's hundred wraps up with a two-match finals day on August 15, while the women's competition begins with Birmingham Phoenix against Manchester Originals at New Road on July 22 and concludes on August 14. There will be a series of double-headers featuring men's and women's matches back-to-back at the same grounds.
The Specsavers County ChampionshipbeginsonApril 12, a week later than last season, with the final round of games beginning a day earlier than 2019 on September 22. Champions Essex launch their defence in week two, hosting Yorkshire on April 19.
Criticisms that the firstclass game has been forced intothefringesoftheschedulein recent years, to the detriment of both it and the Test team, have been partly addressed with championship fixtures slated in every month of the campaign, but there will be no domestic red-ball cricket between July 8 and August 23.