Twenty20 Cup
 |
|
| Countries |
 England Wales |
|---|---|
| Administrator | ECB |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First tournament | 2003 |
| Last tournament | 2009 |
| Tournament format | Group stages, then knockout |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Most runs |
Jonathan Trott (1,564) |
| Most wickets |
 Yasir Arafat (64) |
The Twenty20 Cup was a cricket competition for English and Welsh first-class counties from 2003 to 2009.
In 2010, it was replaced as the domestic Twenty20 competition by the Friends Provident t20.
When the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the England and Wales Cricket Board needed another one-day competition to fill its place. The cricketing authorities were looking to boost the game's popularity with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship. It was intended to deliver fast-paced, exciting cricket accessible to thousands of fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game.
The first Twenty20 Cup was held in 2003 and was marketed with the slogan “I don’t like cricket, I love it” (itself a line from the popular cricket-themed pop song Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc). It was won by the Surrey Lions.
The Twenty20 format, twenty overs for each team, means a game can be completed in under three hours, making it more palatable for children and families than longer matches. Many games also feature additional activities for the spectators to provide more entertainment, such as paddling pools, bouncy castles, themed areas, bowling speed-guns, and prizes for catching a 6 ball. On Finals Day, there is also a performance by a major pop act – Atomic Kitten, Liberty X, Girls Aloud and Sugababes have performed on past Finals Days, and Mutya Buena performed on the 2007 Finals Day at Edgbaston.
Many games are played in twilight, again to enhance family spectator appeal and to allow attendance after work and school. They also feature numerous musical 'stings' for exciting events, such as the dismissal of a batsman, or the hitting of a boundary.
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