Kent Cricket’s Bob Willis Trophy schedule has been announced.

They will take on 2019 County Champions Essex in their opening game on August 1 at the County Ground, Chelmsford as the 2020 domestic season gets underway with all 18 first-class counties taking part in three regional groups.

The first home game at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, played behind closed doors, will be against Sussex a week later (August 8-11).

Kent are in a six-team regionalised south group and the schedule will continue with a game against Middlesex (August 15-18), an away match against Surrey at the Oval on August 22 and finally the visit of Hampshire to Canterbury on September 6.

The Bob Willis Trophy, a one-off red-ball competition, replaces the County Championship for 2020 - after 10 rounds of matches were lost due to the lockdown - but matches will hold full-class status.

There are several changes that have been brought in to mitigate against injury, including a reduction to a minimum of 90 overs in a day’s play, each county’s first innings cannot last longer than 120 overs.

The two best group winners will compete in a five-day final of the trophy.

The north group will be made up of Derbyshire, Durham, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire while the central group is to be contested by Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Somerset, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

Kent are to provide “an enhanced live-stream” of all matches on their website.

Chief exec Simon Storey said: “The players and coaching team have been working exceptionally hard to ensure they are ready for the start of the season and we are looking forward to returning competitive action.

“Three months ago, we were concerned that we might not have any season at all, so this is good news for our members and supporters.

“I understand why some fans will be disappointed that the season, for now, remains behind closed doors, but the safety of the players, staff, members and supporters has to remain our priority.

“Coupled with the recent announcement that some of Kent Women’s players will be involved in the newly formed Women’s regional competition this summer, it is good to see cricket coming back.”

The T20 Blast competition will commence from August 27 while fixtures for the women’s domestic 50-over competition are yet to be revealed.

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