T20 Blast 2022: Format, History, Past Winners, Performances

The T20 Blast 2022 got underway from May 25 with Yorkshire Vikings taking on Worcestershire Rapids in the inaugural contest. The domestic T20 tournament in England is known as the ‘Vitality T20 Blast 2022’ due to its sponsorship reasons. The inaugural edition of the tournament took place in 2003 and 2022 will host its 20th edition. It has been a large success in England with not only the national talents and rising players participating in it but also the T20 specialists from across the world being a part. 

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T20 Blast 2022: Format

The 2022 edition will feature 18 county teams. The teams are divided into two groups; North Division and South Division. The defending champions Kent Spitfires will be a part of the South Division group. The league stage of the tournament will run from May 25 to July 3 with the top four teams qualifying for the quarterfinals slated to take place between July 7 to 10. The semifinal and final will take place on July 16.

T20 Blast 2022: History

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) were in dire need of a 50-over tournament after the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002. However, due to lack of sponsorship and dwindling spectators, the board decided to go ahead with a T20 format which would attract much fanfare. The board wanted to deliver a tournament which will produce quicker results unlike the longer 50-over format and thus the idea of the T20 Cup was proposed. The inaugural event was held in 2023 with the slogan “I don’t like cricket, I love it” – a line from the cricket-themed pop song Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc.

The official name of the tournament has changed according to the sponsorship rights over the years. In its year of inception, back in 2003, the tournament was called the Twenty20 Cup. However, after the end of 2009 season, the ECB changed the name to Friends Provident T20. The next change in name of the tournament came in 2014 when ECB acquired NatWest as the sponsors of the tournament. The tournament was named NatWest T20 Blast from 2014 to 2017 with Vitality taking over as the new sponsors from 2018.

T20 Blast 2022: Past Winners and Performances

Leicestershire Foxes has been the most successful team in the T20 Blast with three titles to their name. Notts Outlaws, Hampshire Royals and Northants Steelback, meanwhile, have won two titles each at the T20 Blast. Warcikshire Bears, Gloucestershire Gladiators, Yorkshire Carnegie, Durham Jets are among the teams which have narrowly missed out on their maiden title after making it to the summit clash for only a single time. Let us have a look at the list of past winners and their performances at the T20 Blast.