| Dates | 25 May – 16 July 2022 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| Cricket format | Twenty20 |
| Tournament format(s) | Group stage and knockout |
| Champions | Hampshire Hawks (3rd title) |
| Participants | 18 |
| Matches | 133 |
| Most runs | James Vince (678) (Hampshire Hawks) |
| Most wickets | Richard Gleeson (25) (Lancashire Lightning) |
| Official website | Vitality Blast |
The 2022 Vitality Blast was the twentieth edition of the T20 Blast (currently known as the Vitality Blast), a professional Twenty20 cricket league played in England and Wales. The tournament was held from 25 May to 16 July 2022.[1] The tournament was run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), was branded as the Vitality Blast due to the tournament's sponsorship reason.[2] The Kent Spitfires were the defending champions, having won their second title during previous season.[3] On 20 January 2022, the ECB announced the fixtures for the tournament.[4]
On 17 June 2022, in the North Group match between the Birmingham Bears and the Notts Outlaws, the Birmingham Bears set a new record for the highest total in an English T20 match, with 261/2.[5] Four days later, Surrey became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals, with their ninth win out of ten games.[6] Following the conclusion of matches played on 1 July 2022, Somerset,[7] the Essex Eagles,[8] and the Hampshire Hawks from the South Group had all confirmed their places in the quarter-finals.[9] The Birmingham Bears also qualified, after winning the North Group.[10] The Derbyshire Falcons and the Lancashire Lightning also qualified from the North Group,[11] with the Yorkshire Vikings taking the final place in the quarter-finals.[12]
The Yorkshire Vikings,[13] the Hampshire Hawks,[14] Lancashire Lightning[15] and Somerset[16] all won their quarter-final matches to secure their places at Finals Day. In Somerset's match, against the Derbyshire Falcons, Somerset set a new record for the highest team total in an English T20 match, with 265/5, breaking the record set earlier in the tournament by the Birmingham Bears.[17] In the final, the Hampshire Hawks beat Lancashire Lightning by one run to win their third title.[18]
- ^ "Domestic fixtures for 2022 season announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "All you need to know about the 2022 Vitality Blast". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast final: Kent Spitfires beat Somerset to lift trophy for second time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "2022 Vitality Blast fixtures". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Birmingham Bears hit record total in win over Notts Outlaws, Surrey maintain unbeaten start". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Surrey beat Somerset in final-ball thriller as Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Leics & Derbyshire also win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ "Somerset in quarters as Josh Davey inflicts another defeat on Middleex". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ "Simon Harmer throttles Sussex's hopes in 28-run win". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ "Hampshire through to knockouts as James Fuller, Liam Dawson extinguish Gloucestershire hopes". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ "Birmingham ride on Paul Stirling 81 to leave Yorkshire fate in the balance". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast 2022: Final round permutations as the quarter-final race hots up". The Cricketer. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Derbyshire win over Durham gives hope of home quarter-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ "Yorkshire CCC: Jordan Thompson keen to repeat his T20 Blast heroics for Vikings on Finals Day". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Hampshire Hawks hammer Birmingham Bears to qualify for Vitality Blast Finals Day". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Steven Croft stars as Lancashire beat Essex by seven wickets to reach Finals Day". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Rilee Rossouw gives Derbyshire a rocket in record-breaking Somerset win". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast: Somerset reach Finals Day as they break records to destroy Derbyshire at Taunton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "T20 Blast Finals Day: Hampshire beat Lancashire in double final-ball thriller to win for third time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 July 2022.