The 2021 Vitality ECB National Club Twenty20 competition kicks off this Sunday with Swardeston hosting the first round featuring four clubs.
Great Witchingham, Horsford and Mildenhall will join Swardeston to play off for the right to go into the next round.
The first match at The Common starts at 10.30am with Swardeston taking on Horsford. The second game between Great Witchingham and Mildenhall has a scheduled start of 1.30pm.
Winners of both these games will compete in the day’s final which is due to begin at 4.30pm. Food will be served all day by the Wedding Pizza Company and the bar will also be open.
Restrictions on spectators at grounds were lifted by the ECB this week but social distancing guidance is still in force.
Swardeston are the country’s reigning national Vitality T20 club champions, having won the title by beating Cheshire team Toft at Derbyshire CCC in 2019. This completed a remarkable seven days which also saw them triumph the week before in the Royal National Club Championship final at Lord’s against Nantwich, also from Cheshire.
The 2020 competition was cancelled by the ECB as Covid lockdown restrictions meant it proved impossible for the competition to be staged across the country.
The ECB National Club Twenty20 was established in 2008 and Swardeston have won it three times, in 2010, 2016 and 2019. It is played initially at a local level in 32 ECB Premier Leagues across England and Wales, with the 32 winners progressing to national knockouts via eight area finals. These are followed by quarter-finals and a finals day for the last four teams.
