A new state schools cricket tournament is coming to England in 2026. It’s a T20 competition and was dreamt up by former England captain Michael Vaughan. The trophy will be named after two of the game’s biggest movers and shakers over the last ten years, Ben Stokes and Heather Knight.
According to the BBC the tournament will start in the summer of 2026 and will feature knockout rounds in different regions. The final will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground which adds an extra layer of excitement to the school competition.
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The Black Heart Foundation where Michael Vaughan is a trustee will fund the event. The Marylebone Cricket Club will also be involved in running the tournament along with local cricket clubs.
This fits with a 2023 report from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) which highlighted the inequalities between state and private schools in cricket. The report said that players from private schools have a better chance of making it to the international level, 58% of the men playing for England in 2021 came from private schools compared to 7% of the overall population.
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So this tournament could really help state school students and cricket across the country. The BBC also said many independent schools are willing to share their grounds for these games so clearly a lot of people are on board with this idea.
