The T20 Blast returns on Friday with summer sunshine, and Grace Ballinger is ready. The Blaze all-rounder explains why the shorter format brings a different energy compared to the County Championship grind. "T20 is just more fun," she writes. "The excitement around it is easy to get a buzz from."

This season features scheduling changes, with nearly all home fixtures at Trent Bridge as double headers alongside the men's games. Ballinger prefers the earlier slot—14:30 BST on Fridays, 11:00 BST on Sundays—because it allows full pitch access and a proper warm-up before she settles in to watch the men's match.

The women's Finals Day has expanded from a top-three finish to a top-four format, mirroring the men's competition. Ballinger questions whether four teams from nine is too many, though she admits her perspective might shift if The Blaze finish fourth. English internationals will be absent throughout—the men face New Zealand and India at home, while the women's T20 World Cup overlaps with the Blast.

The Blaze will be particularly affected, losing their Scottish trio of captain Kirstie Gordon, all-rounder Kathryn Bryce, and wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce. This creates an opening for domestic players to take on larger roles.