England and Wales Cricket Board to begin domestic season with Bob Willis Trophy on August 1

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday released the fixtures for its 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, with counties set to play a one-off red-ball competition for the Bob Willis Trophy starting on Aug. 1.

English cricket`s domestic calendar will also include the men`s Twenty20 Blast and a 50-over women`s competition.

The ECB said the Bob Willis Trophy, named in honour of the England pace great who died in December, will have first-class status but is separate from the County Championship. The trophy will feature a design of Willis painted by his wife Lauren.

"To have this year`s first-class competition named in Bob`s honour is a perfect gesture to a great man who is sorely missed," ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said in a statement.

Essex, the 2019 first-class county champions, begin their campaign on Aug. 1 against Kent while Derbyshire take on Nottinghamshire first and Durham host Yorkshire.

Fixtures for the women`s 50-over competition and the men`s T20 event will be announced next month.

"There has been a strong determination across the game to play men`s and women`s domestic cricket this summer and the fact that we will owes to the significant work and collaboration across the county network," Harrison said.