Charlotte Edwards Cup

Charlotte Edwards Cup

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Wikipedia - Charlotte Edwards Cup

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. 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. 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.

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.

The second edition of the tournament (2022) was won by Southern Vipers, who beat Central Sparks in the final. Vipers retained their title in 2023, beating The Blaze in the final by 7 wickets. The Blaze won the title the following year, defeating South East Stars in the final after topping the group stage.

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. 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.

The Charlotte Edwards Cup is a premier domestic women's cricket tournament held in Great Britain, named in honor of the legendary English cricketer Charlotte Edwards. Launched to promote and develop women's cricket in the region, the tournament features top regional teams competing in a limited-overs format, typically Twenty20 (T20). It serves as a platform for emerging talent and established players alike to showcase their skills, foster competitive spirit, and inspire the next generation of female cricketers. The Charlotte Edwards Cup is an integral part of England's domestic cricket structure, contributing to the growth and popularity of women's cricket across the country.