The 2026 Vitality Blast is finally here, and Warwickshire Bears are targeting silverware. It all gets under way later today, with both the men’s and women’s teams in action. There’s a lot to look forward to on the opening day, so we’re answering some of the key questions…
Who do the Bears face?
The women’s side, led by Georgia Davis, travel to Chelmsford to take on Essex at The County Ground. Ed Barnard will lead the men’s team out at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol for their clash with Gloucestershire.
What happened last year?
Last year marked the inaugural season that women’s county teams played in the Blast, and the Bears were in contention. Making it through the group stage, they beat The Blaze by 20 runs in the semi-final, before coming up agonisingly short in the final against Surrey. Can they go one better in 2026?
The men also made it safely through the group stages, before missing out in heartbreaking fashion in the quarter finals. Having set Somerset 191 to win, the Taunton outfit managed to reach their total with just one ball remaining.
Is this the year for the Bears?
The women’s team came incredibly close to winning last year, and will be looking to go one step further this time around. For the men, they last won the Blast in 2014, with a young Chris Woakes holding his nerve in a tense last over against Lancashire Lightning and Freddie Flintoff. Read more about it here.
There were several near moments before that, and there have been more since, with the Bears last playing in the final in 2017, but having reached the quarter finals in each of the last five years.
Which Bear should I look out for?
All of them! But here’s a few names to keep an eye on. Australian Georgia Redmayne signed for the Bears at the start of the year and is sure to score runs this summer. She has over 150 professional T20 appearances and just shy of 3,000 runs to her name.
Staying with international stars, look no further than recent signing Usman Tariq for the men. A huge character in the game, the Pakistan star made his international debut last year and has since taken 18 wickets at a staggering average of just 11.
George Garton misses out with a stress-related back injury. He is due to undergo a scan next week, which should provide a clearer timeline for his return.
What about the opposition?
For Essex Women, Esmae MacGregor will be a danger. Her return of 21 wickets was the second-best in last year’s Blast, and included a match-winning spell against Somerset where she took four for eight.
Bears Men will need to be wary of D’Arcy Short, who returns to Gloucestershire’s side in 2026 after he made an instant impact last year. Short scored five half-centuries, with a top score of 83 off just 48 balls against Middlesex at Bristol, and totalled 515 runs for the tournament.
When does it all start?
The women’s game gets under way at 2:00pm, with the men starting at 7:00pm.