Covid-19: ECB may prioritise The Hundred, T20 Blast over county cricket

The England Cricket Board is likely to prioritise the inaugural season of 'The Hundred' and T20 competition 'Vitality Blast' as the board looks to draw contingency plans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The cricket season in England is most likely to be curtailed, and there is a growing possibility that the cricket board chooses not to go ahead with the County Championship, cricket news website ESPNCricinfo reported.

The ECB has held talks with various representatives and all the recommendations will be discussed later today.

If the talks are held smoothly, then the board is likely to announce a decision within three or four days.

However, the board is likely to announce the delay of cricket season in England by a minimum of six or seven weeks.

If this happens, the seven scheduled rounds of the County Championship would be wiped out.

The Hundred is scheduled to start from July 17 and the board will be looking to draw contingency plans as the participation of overseas players has now been put in jeopardy.

Things to know about The Hundred tournament

The Hundred is a franchise-based 100-ball cricket tournament scheduled to start in England from July 17, 2020. The tournament will be administrated by the ECB. The league will consist of eight city-based franchise teams, each of which will field one men's and one women's team.

Format of The Hundred tournament

• The match will have a total of 200 legal deliveries with 100 balls per innings.
• One over will consist of 10 balls.
• One bowler can bowl a minimum of five and maximum of 10 consecutive balls
• One bowler can bowl a maximum of 20 balls in a game
• There is one strategic time-out of two-and-a-half minutes per innings
• Powerplay is of 25 balls
• Only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle during powerplay

What is T20 blast championship in England?

The T20 Blast is a professional Twenty20 cricket league tournament in England and Wales. The league consists of 18 first-class county teams divided into two divisions of nine teams each.

What is County Championship?
 

The County Championship is a first-class competition which currently involves eighteen first-class county clubs — seventeen English and one from Wales