Clubs start on road to Lord's

The Friends Provident Trophy, the only domestic competition with a final at Lord’s, kicks off this weekend with holders Essex Eagles taking on Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Chelmsford on Sunday.

The first round matches will be played in the early part of the season from April 19 to May 20. Quarter-finals and semi-finals remain a key stage in this year’s tournament with all four quarter-finals scheduled for Saturday May 23 and both semis set to be played on Sunday July 5.

Both rounds have reserve days, on Sunday May 24 for the quarter-finals, and Monday July 6 for the semis. The final will be held earlier than usual on Saturday July 25, with July 26 as a reserve.

The 50-over county tournament continues to emulate the international one-day format and is therefore the perfect breeding ground for county players to showcase their talents to the England selectors.

Essex celebrate winning last year's Friends Provident Trophy Final where they narrowly edged past Kent

With three NatWest one-day internationals against West Indies in May and then a further seven against Australia towards the end of the summer, the Friends Provident Trophy provides the perfect platform for county players to perform.

The tournament again consists of four groups of five teams with the inclusion of Ireland and Scotland, but they are no longer regionally-based. The new groups were selected in a free draw in October at Lord’s and are as follows:

Group A

Ireland, Hampshire Hawks, Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Worcestershire Royals, Leicestershire Foxes

Group B

Scotland, Warwickshire Bears, Kent Spitfires, Somerset Sabres, Middlesex Panthers

Group C

Surrey Brown Caps, Durham Dynamos, Gloucestershire Gladiators, Yorkshire Carnegie, Sussex Sharks

Group D

Essex Eagles, Glamorgan Dragons, Lancashire Lightning, Derbyshire Phantoms, Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

The Friends Provident Trophy theme days continue and are as diverse as ever in 2009, with Sussex Sharks going for a world record coaching attempt on May 10 at Hove. Other counties are offering face painting and bouncy castles, as well as introductions to cricket with coaching and road shows.

There is a wide variety of ticket offers across the counties from free entry for under-16s to two-for-one offers to entice even more people through the gates in cricket’s biggest year. The theme days run throughout the first round matches. For more information click here

The Road to Lord’s is a new initiative which will see the Friends Provident Trophy travel to the majority of grounds offering fans the opportunity to have their picture taken with one of the most prestigious pieces of silverware in English cricket. This too runs from April 19 with Chelmsford the first port of call while the final destination will be the Home of Cricket on July 25.

Giles Clarke, ECB chairman said: “The Friends Provident Trophy is one of our key domestic competitions with the exclusivity of a final at Lord's.

"This year sees four new groups with each one comprising five teams. However, this year the emphasis is no longer on regions following the draw in October last year. Various initiatives surround this year's competition in order to attract as many fans as possible to the game in what is set to be cricket's biggest year. Friends Provident are a very valued sponsor of the ECB and we are proud to continue our association with them through this esteemed competition in 2009."

Sunday April 19

Gloucestershire Gladiators v Sussex Sharks, Bristol
Warwickshire Bears v Somerset Sabres, Edgbaston
Nottinghamshire Outlaws v Leicestershire Foxes, Trent Bridge
Hampshire Hawks v Worcestershire Royals, The Rose Bowl
Essex Eagles v Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Chelmsford
Durham Dynamos v Yorkshire Carnegie, Riverside
Lancashire Lightning v Glamorgan Dragons, Old Trafford