As discussions heat up over the future structure of English domestic cricket, Somerset County Cricket Club has made its stance crystal clear: it won’t back down without a fight.
Following a forum with club members after the recent County Championship fixture against Nottinghamshire, Somerset Chair Sir Michael Barber voiced strong opposition to the ECB’s proposed changes to the domestic schedule for 2026 and beyond — particularly those affecting the Vitality Blast and County Championship. His comments, disseminated by the club, reveal deep concern over potential fixture reductions and the implications for both Somerset’s operations and the wider game.
“We don’t want less Blast matches”
At the heart of the issue are proposed cuts to the number of Vitality Blast fixtures per county, alongside a structural shift from the current north and south groups to smaller, six-team regional pools. Barber was unequivocal in Somerset’s stance.
“We don’t want less Blast matches, and as you could see from the number of people who attended our victory over Essex that was played midweek on a Tuesday night – we like the Blast and the players like the Blast.”
He emphasized the importance of home fixtures to the club’s financial stability and community engagement:
“If you take a home game away from us we not only lose substantial revenue, but also a key opportunity to inspire the south-west through cricket, so we are against reducing the number of Blast games, even if we turned out to be the only county who believe that.”
Barber also pushed back on the regional groupings:
“However I think it is very likely that the Blast will be reduced – and we don’t like the regional groupings but prefer the north south structure. Rivalries are more than just between neighbours and for example, we know our players and supporters would not want to lose our annual Surrey clash at Taunton.”
County Championship cuts also face resistance
The ECB’s reported intent to scale down the number of County Championship matches also drew criticism from Somerset’s leadership.
“Regarding the County Championship proposals we are also opposed to a reduction in the number of matches played. On this subject we have one or two supporters among the other counties.”
“We are a county that loves to play cricket”
Somerset’s strong opposition is rooted in its culture and success as a club that consistently draws large crowds and performs across formats.
“We are a county that loves to play cricket and we don’t want to see a reduction in the number of fixtures, at least not before some creative attempts at reducing congestion are debated. It is quite simply the way that everybody at Somerset feels.”
“It almost seems that we are being punished for selling out all of our Blast games as well as attracting big attendances to all our Metro Bank and Championship matches.”
Barber argued that the ECB’s current proposals do not address the right problem:
“Somerset is united in its opposition to the proposed changes. They do not present creative solutions to the congestion challenges in the game.”
Player workload? Barber says clubs can manage it
The ECB has pointed to Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) survey data indicating player workload concerns as a driving factor behind the proposed changes. But Somerset believes there are better ways to manage that.
“A catalyst for change has been PCA player survey data indicating workload concerns. We are very sympathetic to this, particularly our players who play all formats but see this as a situation for the Club to manage in partnership with players and coaching and science and medicine staff – it is not the job of the fixtures.”
And not all players want less cricket, Barber noted:
“There are also a number of players in our squad who would like more cricket rather than less.”
Somerset won’t stop fighting
Despite recognizing the broader momentum behind change, Somerset intends to continue lobbying the ECB and fellow counties to rethink the direction of the domestic schedule.
“We are still arguing for what we want and will keep doing so both with the other counties and with the ECB. What we said to the Members who attended the forum relating to the issues outlined here was unanimously supported.”
“However we are very clear where we stand and we will fight against any proposals regarding a reduction in the number of games and for more creative solutions for improving the cricket on offer during key summer months. ‘We are a county that loves to play cricket’ – but we can’t guarantee to win that argument.”
As the ECB prepares its fixture calendar for 2026 and beyond, Somerset has positioned itself as a vocal advocate for tradition, competition, and keeping the game alive and thriving in the south-west. Whether the club’s passionate pushback will influence the final outcome remains to be seen — but they’ve left no doubt about where they stand.
