Can Yorkshire Blast their way to silverware in new format?

Will 2026 be the year when Yorkshire finally break their T20 duck?

- by Chris Waters

Some might consider an Ashes comeback by England more likely, but every success story has to begin somewhere and hope springs eternal on fixture release day.

Next summer's fixtures for the Vitality Blast map Yorkshire's quest to win the competition for the first time since it launched in 2003.

Why, England have even won a Test match in Australia since then-a whole series, in fact-with Yorkshire's best finish still their run to the final in 2012, when they lost to Hampshire in Cardiff.

They had Mitchell Starc playing for them that year - remember him? - and have only reached Finals Day two other times, when they lost to Durham in the semifinal of 2016, and to Lancashire in the semifinal of 2022, both games at Edgbaston.

Whether they can reach Finals Day at Edgbaston next year-or EdgBLASTon, as it has been renamed by the marketing bods-remains to be seen.

"Blast Off" or "Oh Blast?". That remains the question.

Their mission will begin on May 22, when they start their campaign against Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge.

Yorkshire's women's team-now competing in Tier One-will take to the Nottingham stage first that day with a fixture against The Blaze before the men's game.

The 12-match group campaign for both men and women will conclude with the return fixtures at Headingley on July 12.