Global Information2021 T20 Blast information
| Dates | 9 June – 18 September 2021 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| Cricket format | Twenty20 |
| Tournament format(s) | Group stage and knockout |
| Champions | Kent Spitfires (2nd title) |
| Participants | 18 |
| Matches | 133 |
| Most runs | Josh Inglis (531) (Leicestershire Foxes) |
| Most wickets | Naveen-ul-Haq (26) (Leicestershire Foxes) |
| Official website | Vitality Blast |
The 2021 Vitality Blast was the 2021 season of the T20 Blast,[1] a professional Twenty20 cricket league played in England and Wales.[2] It was the fourth season in which the domestic T20 competition, run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), that was branded as the Vitality Blast due to the tournament's sponsorship deal.[3] The Notts Outlaws were the defending champions.[4]
In June 2021, Samit Patel, playing for the Notts Outlaws, became the first English player to do the double in T20 cricket of taking 250 wickets and scoring 5,000 runs.[5][6]
In July 2021, Derbyshire's match against Essex in the 2021 County Championship was abandoned before the start of day two due to a positive COVID-19 case in the squad.[7] As a result, Derbyshire's final two T20 Blast group-stage games, against the Northants Steelbacks and the Yorkshire Vikings, were also cancelled.[8][9] Therefore, the North Group qualifications were decided based on an average points per completed match basis.[10]
Following matches completed on 9 July 2021, the Notts Outlaws were the first team to qualify from the North Group for the quarter-finals.[11] On the same day, they were joined by the Kent Spitfires from the South Group.[12] After the matches completed on 16 July 2021, the Yorkshire Vikings from the North Group had qualified,[13] along with Somerset from the South Group.[14] On 17 July 2021, Lancashire Lightning won the Roses Match against the Yorkshire Vikings to qualify from the North Group.[15] On the final day of group stage matches, the Birmingham Bears from the North Group,[16][17] and the Sussex Sharks and the Hampshire Hawks from the South Group had all qualified for the quarter-finals.[18][19]
In the first quarter-final match, the Sussex Sharks beat the Yorkshire Vikings to become the first team to reach Finals Day.[20] The Hampshire Hawks reached the Finals Day, after they knocked out defending champions the Notts Outlaws in the second quarter-final match.[21] Somerset became the third team to reach Finals Day, after they defeated the Lancashire Lightning in their quarter-final match.[22] In the last quarter-final match, the Kent Spitfires beat the Birmingham Bears to progress to the Finals Day.[23] It was the first time in the tournament's history that all the teams taking part in Finals Day had come from the South Group.[24]
On Finals Day, Somerset beat Hampshire Hawks by two wickets in the first semi-final to advance into the final.[25] In the second semi-final, Kent Spitfires beat the Sussex Sharks by 21 runs to advance.[26] It was the first time that Kent had reached the domestic T20 final since the 2008 tournament.[27] In the final, the Kent Spitfires beat Somerset by 25 runs to win the tournament and their second domestic T20 title.[28]
- ^ "County cricket: ECB confirms T20 Blast and One-Day Cup fixtures for 2021". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup fixtures announced as 2021 schedule takes shape". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "All you need to know about the 2021 Vitality Blast". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Notts Outlaws beat Surrey to win trophy for second time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Samit Patel enters record books as Notts hold off Derbyshire in rain-reduced thrash". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Holders Notts Outlaws and Glamorgan only winners on night of rain-offs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ "Derbyshire's match against Essex abandoned after positive Covid-19 test". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ "Doubts grow over viability of county competitions as clubs face difficulty putting out sides". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Club Statement: Vitality Blast fixtures cancelled by ECB". Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Derbyshire Falcons out of T20 Blast after final two North Group matches are cancelled". The Cricketer. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire openers secure home quarter-final after seven-over thrash". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast round-up: Alex Hales helps Notts book home quarter-final; Kent also qualify". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast round-up: James Vince keeps Hampshire hopes alive with scores of 63 & 102". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Somerset thrash Glamorgan to reach last eight". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "Lancashire join Yorkshire in quarter-finals after visitors' sporting act". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Bears qualify for Blast quarter-finals". Warwickshire CCC. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Josh Inglis' second Blast ton sends Worcestershire crashing out". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Sussex Sharks overcome table-topping Kent Spitfires to book place in knockout stages". The Cricketer. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Hampshire progress after hammering Glamorgan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Sussex beat Yorkshire to reach Finals Day". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Hampshire Hawks upset holders Notts Outlaws to reach Finals Day". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Tom Abell's 78 not out takes Somerset past Lancashire Lightning in quarter-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Sam Billings, Daniel Bell-Drummond fifties help Kent to victory over Birmingham Bears". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Kent beat Birmingham Bears to secure first all-South Group Finals Day". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Josh Davey seals stunning heist as Somerset come back from the dead in first semi-final". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Daniel Bell-Drummond leads command performance as Kent power into Blast final". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast Finals Day: Kent beat Sussex to reach T20 Blast final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "T20 Blast final: Kent Spitfires beat Somerset to lift trophy for second time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 September 2021.