The 2022 English cricket season began on 7 April 2022 and finished on 29 September 2022.[1] It was the 122nd season in which the County Championship[2] has been an official competition and features First-Class, List-A and Twenty20 cricket competitions throughout England and Wales.[3][4][5][6][7]
The season also saw the second edition of The Hundred, for both men and women.[13][14]
In January 2022, the ECB announced that the Bob Willis Trophy, which was played to end the County Championship in 2020 and 2021, would not be played in 2022; managing director of county cricket Neil Snowball said that the ECB was discussing the future format of the trophy with Willis's family.[3]
Two international women's sides toured in England in 2022: South Africa and India. Eight teams also competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, held in Birmingham in July and August.
In June 2022, the New Zealand men's cricket team toured England to play three Test matches, part of the 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship. England won the series 3–0.[15]
In July 2022, the India men's cricket team toured England to play 1 Test match, three ODIs and three T20Is. The Test match, won by England, was a continuation of the 2021 series between the same sides, which was curtailed due to COVID-19 cases in the Indian camp.[16] India won both the ODI series and the T20I series 2–1.[17]
From July to September 2022, the South Africa men's cricket team toured England to play three Test matches, three ODIs and three T20Is. England won the Test series 2–1, whilst the ODI series was drawn 1–1 and the T20I series won by South Africa 2–1.[18] South Africa also played two T20Is against Ireland at the County Ground, Bristol, winning both.[19]
In June and July 2022, the South Africa women's cricket team toured England, playing one WTest, three WODIs and three WT20Is. The Test match was drawn, whilst England won both the WODI and WT20I series 3–0.[20]
A cricket tournament was held at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, cricket's first inclusion since 1998 and the first time a women's tournament had been included. Australia, India, Barbados and Pakistan competed in Group A, whilst England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Australia, India, England and New Zealand progressed to the semi-finals, with India beating England and Australia beating New Zealand. New Zealand beat England to claim the bronze medal, whilst Australia beat India to win the gold medal.[21]
In September 2022, the India women's cricket team toured England, playing three WODIs (part of the 2022–2025 ICC Women's Championship) and three WT20Is. England won the WT20I series 2–1, whilst India won the WODI series 3–0.[22]
The men's County Championship began on 7 April and finished on 29 September. The tournament returned to a two-division format for the first time since 2019, with ten of the eighteen Counties in Division One and the other eight in Division Two. The teams were placed into the division that they qualified for following the result of the 2019 season.[23]Surrey were crowned County Champions with a round of fixtures to spare.[24]Yorkshire and Gloucestershire were relegated from Division One, with Nottinghamshire and Middlesex promoted to replace them.[25]
The One-Day Cup ran from 2 August to 17 September with the counties separated into two groups of nine.[26]Kent defeated Lancashire in the final, winning by 21 runs.[27]
The T20 Blast ran from 25 May until 16 July with the eighteen counties divided into two groups of nine - the North Group and the South Group.[28] Despite finishing fourth in their group, Hampshire Hawks were crowned champions beating Lancashire Lightning by a single run in the final.[29]
The second season of The Hundred took place in August and September, with eight men's and eight women's teams competing.[30] The women's competition was shorter than the men's due to the women's tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Oval Invincibles defended their title in the women's competition, whilst Trent Rockets won the men's competition.[31][32]