Charlotte Edwards Cup

{{Infobox cricket tournament main

| name = Charlotte Edwards Cup

| country = England and Wales

| image = Charlotte Edwards Cup Logo.png

| size =

| administrator = ECB

| cricket format = Twenty20

| first = 2021

| last = 2024

| next =

| tournament format = Group stage and knockout

| participants = 8

| champions = The Blaze (1st title)

| most successful = Southern Vipers (2 titles)

| TV =

| website =

| current =

}}

The Charlotte Edwards Cup, initially named the Women's Regional T20, was an English and Welsh women's cricket Twenty20 domestic competition, held annually from 2021 to 2024. The tournament was named after England's former captain and most capped player, Charlotte Edwards.{{cite web|url=https://www.ecb.co.uk/england/women/news/2177605/womens-regional-t20-competition-named-charlotte-edwards-cup |title=Women's Regional T20 Competition is named Charlotte Edwards Cup|work=England and Wales Cricket Board|access-date=24 June 2021}} It featured eight teams, each representing a region that comprised multiple counties. The Cup was organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The tournament replaced the Women's Cricket Super League, which ended in 2019. A regional T20 tournament was planned for 2020 but was cancelled in favour of the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in the shortened 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021, the Charlotte Edwards Cup ran alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and The Hundred.{{cite web|url=https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1373377/ecb-launches-new-plan-to-transform-women-s-and-girls-cricket|title=ECB launches new plan to transform women's and girls' cricket|publisher=ECB|access-date=9 April 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/12220898/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-returns-alongside-new-womens-regional-t20-competition|title=Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returns alongside new Women's Regional T20 competition|publisher=Sky Sports|access-date=9 April 2021}} In 2024, the Charlotte Edwards Cup had its last edition, and it was replaced in 2025 by the Women's T20 Blast.

History

With the ending of the Women's Cricket Super League in 2019, the England and Wales Cricket Board intended to launch a new regional structure for domestic women's cricket in England and Wales, including a 50-over competition, a Twenty20 competition and The Hundred. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the 2020 season, only the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was able to go ahead that season, with six new teams competing, plus Western Storm and Southern Vipers carried over from the WCSL, representing regional hubs.{{cite web| url= https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/news/rachael_heyhoe_flint_trophy_women_cricket_competition_explained.html| title=Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: The special-edition 50-over competition explained| publisher=The Cricketer| date=11 August 2020| accessdate=9 April 2020}}

In 2021, with a return to a full schedule, it was announced in February that the new Twenty20 competition would be called the Women's Regional T20, to run alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and to be competed for by the same teams. Two days before the tournament began, it was renamed the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with the first edition of the tournament getting underway on 26 June, eventually being won by South East Stars.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/charlotte-edwards-cup-2021-1252410/south-east-stars-vs-northern-diamonds-final-1252436/full-scorecard |title=Final (D/N), Southampton, Sep 5 2021, Charlotte Edwards Cup: South East Stars v Northern Diamonds |publisher=ESPNCricinfo |access-date=4 April 2022}}

The second edition of the tournament (2022) was won by Southern Vipers, who beat Central Sparks in the final.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/charlotte-edwards-cup-2022-1298049/southern-vipers-vs-central-sparks-final-1298076/full-scorecard |title=Final, Northampton, June 11 2022, Charlotte Edwards Cup: Southern Vipers v Central Sparks |access-date=11 June 2022}} Vipers retained their title in 2023, beating The Blaze in the final by 7 wickets.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/charlotte-edwards-cup-2023-1347397/southern-vipers-vs-the-blaze-final-1347490/live-cricket-score |title=Final, Worcester, June 10-11 2023, Charlotte Edwards Cup: The Blaze v Southern Vipers |date=10 June 2023 |access-date=11 June 2023}} The Blaze won the title the following year, defeating South East Stars in the final after topping the group stage.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/charlotte-edwards-cup-2024-1410505/the-blaze-vs-south-east-stars-final-1410550/match-report |title=Bryce Sisters Star as Blaze lift Charlotte Edwards Cup |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |date=22 June 2024 |access-date=22 June 2024}}

2024's was the last edition of the competition as the ECB announced it would be replaced, due to another restructuring of women's domestic cricket in England and Wales.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cd73lej3p45o|title=Women's teams to enter 2025 Blast and One-Day Cup|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=21 September 2024}} The ECB reversed the regionalised structure of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and has replaced it with a new Women's T20 Blast using the county structure.

Teams

{{Location map+ |England |width=300|float=right|caption=Primary home ground of each team |places=

{{location map~ |England |lat=52.4558 |long=-1.9025 |label=Central Sparks|position=left}}

{{Location map~ |England |lat=53.4563 |long=-2.2868 |label=North West Thunder |position=left}}

{{location map~ |England |lat=52.9361 |long=-1.1327 |label=The Blaze|position=right}}

{{location map~ |England |lat=51.1420 |long=-0.3423 |label=South East Stars|position=top}}

{{Location map~ |England |lat=50.924|long=-1.322 |label=Southern Vipers|position=bottom}}

{{location map~ |England |lat=51.7316 |long= 0.4691 |label=Sunrisers|position=right}}

{{location map~ |England |lat=51.0192 |long=-3.1045 |label=Western Storm|position=left}}

{{location map~ |England |lat=53.8169 |long=-1.5822 |label=Northern Diamonds|position=right}}

}}

The teams for the Charlotte Edwards Cup are as follows:

class="wikitable"
colspan="2" \| Team	County partners	Home grounds (2023)	Captain
style="background:#000000;"\| \| Central Sparks \| {{plainlist\| Herefordshire Shropshire Staffordshire Warwickshire Worcestershire }} \| {{plainlist\| Edgbaston, Birmingham New Road, Worcester }} \| Evelyn Jones
style="background:#00008b;"\| \| Northern Diamonds \| {{plainlist\| Durham Northumberland Yorkshire }} \| {{plainlist\| Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street }} \| Hollie Armitage
style="background: #FF0000;"\| \| North West Thunder \| {{plainlist\| Cheshire Cumbria Lancashire }} \| {{plainlist\| Old Trafford, Manchester Stanley Park, Blackpool }} \| Eleanor Threlkeld
style="background: #ffff00;"\| \| South East Stars \| {{plainlist\| Kent Surrey }} \| {{plainlist\| County Ground, Beckenham The Oval, London St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury }} \| Bryony Smith
style="background:#FFA500;"\| \| Southern Vipers \| {{plainlist\| Berkshire Buckinghamshire Dorset Hampshire Oxfordshire Sussex Isle of Wight Cricket Board }} \| {{plainlist\| County Ground, Hove Rose Bowl, Southampton Falkland Cricket Club, Newbury }} \| Georgia Adams
style="background: #FF8000;"\| \| Sunrisers \| {{plainlist\| Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Essex Hertfordshire Huntingdonshire Middlesex Norfolk Northamptonshire Suffolk Marylebone Cricket Club }} \| {{plainlist\| County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford County Ground, Northampton Lord's, London }} \| Grace Scrivens
style="background:#FF0000;"\| \| The Blaze \| {{plainlist\| Derbyshire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire Loughborough University }} \| {{plainlist\| Grace Road, Leicester County Ground, Derby Trent Bridge, Nottingham }} \| Kirstie Gordon
style="background:#00FF00;"\| \| Western Storm \| {{plainlist\| Cornwall Devon Glamorgan Gloucestershire Somerset Wiltshire Cricket Wales }} \| {{plainlist\| Bristol County Ground, Bristol County Ground, Taunton Sophia Gardens, Cardiff }} \| Sophie Luff

class="wikitable"

colspan="2" | Team

County partners

Home grounds (2023)

Captain

style="background:#000000;"|

| Central Sparks

| {{plainlist|

}}

| {{plainlist|

}}

| Evelyn Jones

style="background:#00008b;"|

| Northern Diamonds

| {{plainlist|

}}

| {{plainlist|

}}

| Hollie Armitage

style="background: #FF0000;"|

| North West Thunder

| {{plainlist|

}}

| {{plainlist|

}}

| Eleanor Threlkeld

style="background: #ffff00;"|

| South East Stars

| {{plainlist|

Kent
Surrey

}}

| {{plainlist|

}}

| Bryony Smith

style="background:#FFA500;"|

| Southern Vipers

| {{plainlist|

Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Dorset
Hampshire
Oxfordshire
Sussex
Isle of Wight Cricket Board

}}

| {{plainlist|

County Ground, Hove
Rose Bowl, Southampton
Falkland Cricket Club, Newbury

}}

| Georgia Adams

style="background: #FF8000;"|

| Sunrisers

| {{plainlist|

}}

| {{plainlist|

}}

| Grace Scrivens

style="background:#FF0000;"|

| The Blaze

| {{plainlist|

}}

| {{plainlist|

}}

| Kirstie Gordon

style="background:#00FF00;"|

| Western Storm

| {{plainlist|

}}

| {{plainlist|

}}

| Sophie Luff

Competition format

In 2021 and 2022, teams played each other home and away in their group. The two group winners and the best second-place team advanced to Finals Day. The best group winner advanced straight to the final, whilst the other two teams played off in a semi-final.{{cite web|url=https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/2032210/womens-domestic-fixtures-announced-rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-returns-alongside-new-regional-t20-competition|title=Women's domestic fixtures announced: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returns alongside new Regional T20 competition|publisher=ECB|access-date=9 April 2021}} In 2023, teams played in one group of eight, playing each other team in the group once, with the top team in the group advancing directly to the final, whilst the second and third-placed teams play off in the semi-final.{{cite web|url=https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/2920225 |title=Schedule for 2023 domestic season announced |work=England and Wales Cricket Board |date=30 November 2022 |access-date=30 November 2022}} The tournament expanded again ahead of the 2024 season, with teams playing ten group stage matches and four teams qualifying for Finals Day, with two semi-finals and a final.{{cite web|url=https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/3791884 |title=Domestic cricket schedule for 2024 season announced |work=England and Wales Cricket Board |date=23 November 2023 |access-date=24 November 2023}}

Teams receive 4 points for a win. A bonus point is given where the winning team's run rate is 1.25 or greater times that of the opposition. In case of a tie in the standings, the following tiebreakers are applied in order: highest net run rate, team that scored the most points in matches involving the tied parties, better bowling strike rate, drawing of lots.{{cite web| url= https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2021/03/30/baa939fc-a777-46f2-be1e-4aeaa6bfeed5/Women-s-Regional-T20-Playing-Conditions-2021-vF.pdf|type=pdf| title=Playing Conditions – Women's Regional T20 Competition| publisher=ECB| access-date=9 April 2021}}

Tournament results

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+ List of Charlotte Edwards Cup winners
scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Season !scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Winner !scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Runners-up !scope="col" rowspan="2" \| Final Venue ! scope="col" \| Player (club) ! scope="col" \| Runs ! scope="col" \| Player (club) ! scope="col" \| Wickets ! scope="col" rowspan="2" class="unsortable" \| Notes
class="unsortable" !scope="col" colspan="2" \| Leading run-scorer !scope="col" colspan="2" \| Leading wicket-taker
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 2021 \| South East Stars \| Northern Diamonds \| Rose Bowl, Southampton \| Evelyn Jones (Central Sparks) \|\| align="center" \| 276 \| Bryony Smith (South East Stars) \|\| align="center" \| 14 \| {{cite web\| url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=13890;type=tournament\| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021/Most Runs\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| accessdate=5 September 2021}}{{cite web\| url= https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_career.html?id=13890;type=tournament\| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021/Most Wickets\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| accessdate=5 September 2021}}
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 2022 \| Southern Vipers \| Central Sparks \| County Ground, Northampton \| Amy Jones (Central Sparks) \|\| align="center" \| 289 \| Katie Levick (Northern Diamonds) \|\| align="center" \| 15 \| {{cite web\| url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=14448;type=tournament\| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022/Most Runs\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| access-date=11 June 2022}}{{cite web\| url= https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_career.html?id=14448;type=tournament\| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022/Most Wickets\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| access-date=11 June 2022}}
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 2023 \| Southern Vipers \| The Blaze \| New Road, Worcester \| Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers) \|\| align="center" \| 273 \| Nadine de Klerk (The Blaze) \|\| align="center" \| 15 \| {{cite web\| url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/batting-most-runs-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2023-15158\| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023/Most Runs\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| access-date=11 June 2023}}{{cite web\| url= https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/bowling-most-wickets-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2023-15158\| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023/Most Wickets\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| access-date=11 June 2023}}
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 2024 \| The Blaze \| South East Stars \| County Ground, Derby \| Kathryn Bryce (The Blaze) \|\| align="center" \| 478 \| Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze) \|\| align="center" \| 22 \| {{cite web\| url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/batting-most-runs-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2024-15944 \| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024/Most Runs\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| access-date=22 June 2024}}{{cite web\| url= https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/bowling-most-wickets-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2024-15944\| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024/Most Wickets\| publisher=ESPNcricinfo\| access-date=22 June 2024}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ List of Charlotte Edwards Cup winners

scope="col" rowspan="2" | Season

!scope="col" rowspan="2" | Winner

!scope="col" rowspan="2" | Runners-up

!scope="col" rowspan="2" | Final Venue

! scope="col" | Player (club)

! scope="col" | Runs

! scope="col" | Player (club)

! scope="col" | Wickets

! scope="col" rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Notes

class="unsortable"

!scope="col" colspan="2" | Leading run-scorer

!scope="col" colspan="2" | Leading wicket-taker

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 2021

| South East Stars

| Northern Diamonds

| Rose Bowl, Southampton

| Evelyn Jones (Central Sparks) || align="center" | 276

| Bryony Smith (South East Stars) || align="center" | 14

| {{cite web| url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=13890;type=tournament| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021/Most Runs| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| accessdate=5 September 2021}}{{cite web| url= https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_career.html?id=13890;type=tournament| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2021/Most Wickets| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| accessdate=5 September 2021}}

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 2022

| Southern Vipers

| Central Sparks

| County Ground, Northampton

| Amy Jones (Central Sparks) || align="center" | 289

| Katie Levick (Northern Diamonds) || align="center" | 15

| {{cite web| url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=14448;type=tournament| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022/Most Runs| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| access-date=11 June 2022}}{{cite web| url= https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_career.html?id=14448;type=tournament| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2022/Most Wickets| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| access-date=11 June 2022}}

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 2023

| Southern Vipers

| The Blaze

| New Road, Worcester

| Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers) || align="center" | 273

| Nadine de Klerk (The Blaze) || align="center" | 15

| {{cite web| url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/batting-most-runs-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2023-15158| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023/Most Runs| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| access-date=11 June 2023}}{{cite web| url= https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/bowling-most-wickets-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2023-15158| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2023/Most Wickets| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| access-date=11 June 2023}}

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 2024

| The Blaze

| South East Stars

| County Ground, Derby

| Kathryn Bryce (The Blaze) || align="center" | 478

| Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze) || align="center" | 22

| {{cite web| url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/batting-most-runs-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2024-15944 | title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024/Most Runs| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| access-date=22 June 2024}}{{cite web| url= https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/bowling-most-wickets-career/charlotte-edwards-cup-2024-15944| title=Records /Charlotte Edwards Cup, 2024/Most Wickets| publisher=ESPNcricinfo| access-date=22 June 2024}}

References

Category:Women's cricket competitions in England

Category:English domestic cricket competitions

Category:2021 establishments in England

Category:Women's sports leagues in England

Category:Sports leagues established in 2021

Category:2024 disestablishments in England

Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 2024

Category:Defunct cricket competitions