Staffordshire will play a part in a landmark season for Bignall End Cricket Club in 2025.
The county have finalised their home venues for next summer’s action across the three National Counties Cricket Association formats.
And that includes playing a Knockout Trophy fixture at Bignall End in what will be the Boon Hill club’s 150th anniversary year.
Suffolk are the visitors for the 50-over per side contest, which will be played on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5.
Staffordshire last played at Bignall End in 1990 when they drew a Championship match against Norfolk.
Next year’s fixture forms part of a hectic start for Staffordshire following tweaks to the NCCA schedule.
In recent years, the Twenty20 Cup competition has kicked off proceedings, but it has now been decided that the curtain-raiser will be the Knockout Trophy.
Staffordshire commence their 50-over Group Two campaign on Sunday, May 4 when they entertain Herefordshire at West Bromwich Dartmouth.
It’s then the eagerly-anticipated return to Bignall End the following day in an action-packed start to the season.
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Staffs then head to Shropshire on Sunday, May 11, before visiting Norfolk on May 18.
Venues for all away matches in the three competitions have yet to be finalised.
Staffordshire will be hoping for better fortunes in the 50-over format after failing to progress from the group stages in the last two seasons.
‘Wolverhampton return’
It’s then on to the T20 competition for the next block of NCCA fixtures – and includes a Staffordshire return to a venue for the first time in 30 years.
Staffordshire head back to Wolverhampton, where they last played in 1995 against Northumberland, for their final T20 Cup Group One clash against Cumbria on Sunday, July 6.
The return is part of the committee’s ambition to not only play at venues with top-quality facilities, but also to enhance interest in the Staffordshire set-up throughout the county.
The T20 Cup has been revised for next summer with four groups of five replacing last summer’s five groups of four.
Staffs, who won the competition in 2023 and reached the final last summer which wasn’t played due to rain, start their 2025 quest at Northumberland on May 25.
Burslem, superb hosts in the T20 Cup last season, will then stage Staffordshire’s home clash against Shropshire on June 8.
On June 15, Staffs hop across the county border to Cheshire, before winding up the group stage at Wolverhampton.
The top three sides from the four groups will then progress to the Super 12s stage on August 3.
From there, the winners at each of the four venues will advance to finals day.
‘Championship defence’
The jewel is the crown, the three-day Championship format, sees Staffordshire have home advantage to kick off.
Staffs, who shared the overall title with Berkshire in 2024, begin next summer’s mission against Lincolnshire at Checkley, starting on Sunday, July 27.
Head coach Andy Carr and captain James Kettleborough then take their side to East Anglia to play Suffolk on Sunday, August 10.
On Sunday, August 17, Buckinghamshire travel to Stafford for the penultimate Division One East game after the Riverway club successfully hosted the senior county side for the first time in 69 years in 2024.
Staffordshire’s three-day campaign concludes on Sunday, August 31 when they visit newly-promoted Cambridgeshire.
‘Looking ahead’
Head coach Carr said: “There will be a lot of focus in the winter on the 50-over format after falling short in the last couple of years.
“It’s now at the forefront of the fixture schedule and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t have a good go at it and be better than we have been.
“We’ve been pretty prolific in the T20s. And having that second gives us the chance to regroup after the 50-over games.
“And in the Championship, there are no easy fixtures. Everyone will want to beat us after we reached the final last season.
“It’s probably our strength and we want to maintain the ability we’ve shown.
“If we do that, then hopefully 2025 can be another successful season.”
STAFFORDSHIRE 2025 FIXTURES
KNOCKOUT TROPHY
Sunday, May 4: Herefordshire (West Bromwich Dartmouth)
Monday, May 5: Suffolk (Bignall End)
Sunday, May 11: Shropshire (a)
Sunday, May 18: Norfolk (a)
TWENTY20 CUP
Sunday, May 25: Northumberland (a)
Sunday, June 8: Shropshire (Burslem)
Sunday, June 15: Cheshire (a)
Sunday, July 6: Cumbria (Wolverhampton)
Sunday, August 3: Super 12s
NCCA CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE EAST
Sunday, July 27 to Tuesday, July 29: Lincolnshire (Checkley)
Sunday, August 10 to Tuesday, August 12: Suffolk (a)
Sunday, August 17 to Tuesday, August 19: Buckinghamshire (Stafford)
Sunday, August 31 to Tuesday, September 2: Cambridgeshire (a)
Main image: Bignall End will host a Staffordshire Knockout Trophy fixture in 2025.
