 | |
| Countries | England and Wales |
|---|---|
| Administrator | ECB |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First edition | 2021 |
| Latest edition | 2024 |
| Tournament format | Group stage andknockout |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Current champion | The Blaze (1st title) |
| Most successful | Southern Vipers (2 titles) |
TheCharlotte Edwards Cup, initially named theWomen's Regional T20, was an English and Welshwomen's cricketTwenty20 domestic competition, held annually from2021 to2024. The tournament was named after England's former captain and most capped player,Charlotte Edwards.[1] It featured eight teams, each representing a region that comprised multiplecounties. The Cup was organised by theEngland and Wales Cricket Board.
The tournament replaced theWomen's Cricket Super League, which ended in 2019. A regional T20 tournament was planned for 2020 but was cancelled in favour of the50-overRachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in the shortened 2020 season, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. From 2021, the Charlotte Edwards Cup ran alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy andThe Hundred.[2][3] In 2024, the Charlotte Edwards Cup had its last edition, and it was replaced in 2025 by theWomen's T20 Blast.[4]
With the ending of theWomen's Cricket Super League in 2019, theEngland 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 andThe Hundred.[2] However, as theCOVID-19 pandemic shortened the 2020 season, only the 50-overRachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was able to go ahead that season, with six new teams competing, plusWestern Storm andSouthern Vipers carried over from the WCSL, representing regional hubs.[5]
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 thefirst edition of the tournament getting underway on 26 June, eventually being won bySouth East Stars.[1][6][7]
The second edition of the tournament (2022) was won bySouthern Vipers, who beatCentral Sparks in the final.[8] Vipers retained their title in 2023, beatingThe Blaze in the final by 7 wickets.[9] The Blaze won the title the following year, defeating South East Stars in the final after topping the group stage.[10]
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.[4] The ECB reversed the regionalised structure of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and has replaced it with a newWomen's T20 Blast using the county structure.
The teams for the Charlotte Edwards Cup are as follows:[6]
| Team | County partners | Home grounds (2023) | Captain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Sparks | Evelyn Jones | |||
| Northern Diamonds | Hollie Armitage | |||
| North West Thunder | Eleanor Threlkeld | |||
| South East Stars | Bryony Smith | |||
| Southern Vipers |
|
| Georgia Adams | |
| Sunrisers | Grace Scrivens | |||
| The Blaze | Kirstie Gordon | |||
| Western Storm | Sophie Luff | |||
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.[6] 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.[11] 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.[12]
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: highestnet run rate, team that scored the most points in matches involving the tied parties, betterbowling strike rate, drawing of lots.[13]
| Season | Winner | Runners-up | Final Venue | Player (club) | Runs | Player (club) | Wickets | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leading run-scorer | Leading wicket-taker | |||||||
| 2021 | South East Stars | Northern Diamonds | Rose Bowl, Southampton | Evelyn Jones (Central Sparks) | 276 | Bryony Smith (South East Stars) | 14 | [14][15] |
| 2022 | Southern Vipers | Central Sparks | County Ground, Northampton | Amy Jones (Central Sparks) | 289 | Katie Levick (Northern Diamonds) | 15 | [16][17] |
| 2023 | Southern Vipers | The Blaze | New Road, Worcester | Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers) | 273 | Nadine de Klerk (The Blaze) | 15 | [18][19] |
| 2024 | The Blaze | South East Stars | County Ground, Derby | Kathryn Bryce (The Blaze) | 478 | Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze) | 22 | [20][21] |
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