Nottinghamshire will contest five four-day fixtures this summer during the group stages of the Bob Willis Trophy.

All 18 First-Class counties are involved in the competition, split into three regionalised groups.

The two sides who score the most points in topping their groups will progress to a five-day final to decide the tournament's overall winner.

The competition will have First-Class status, however some alterations to the usual County Championship playing conditions have been made to accomodate circumstances relating to COVID-19:

Playing conditions

  • A day's play will consist of a minumum of 90 overs - down from 96.
  • Each county’s first innings of a match can last no longer than 120 overs
  • The follow-on will increase from 150 to 200 runs
  • The new ball will be available after 90 overs rather than 80 overs

Loans

The loan system has been relaxed this summer so that counties can loan a player from another county for a minimum of one week.

Points system

During the Bob Willis Trophy, points awarded for a draw will be increase from five (as in the County Championship) to eight points. All other points scoring will remain the same as in the County Championship. The change in points awarded for a draw is to help mitigate against the impact of weather during a shortened competition.

Tie-breaker in final

In the event of a drawn final, the county that leads on first innings (as long as there were two fully-completed first innings) would be deemed the winner of the final. In any other circumstances a drawn or tied final will result in the trophy being shared by the finalists.

County Championship

The Bob Willis Trophy is a separate competition to the County Championship. Results in the Bob Willis Trophy will have no bearing on the divisions for next summer’s County Championship.