Tough start for Steelbacks as they head to Headingley for 2025 Vitality Blast opener

And it is one of four away fixtures in the first five North Group matches for Darren Lehmann's side.

The trip to Headingley means a speedy reunion with former County head coach John Sadler, who is now batting coach with the White Rose, and seam bowler Jack White who made the switch from Northants to Yorkshire earlier this month.

New Northants coach Lehmann is also a former Yorkshire player.

The Steelbacks’ first home game sees Leicestershire Foxes come to the County Ground on Sunday, June 1, but then David Willey’s team face a triple road trip.

Following the Foxes home date, the Steelbacks go to Derbyshire Falcons (June 4), Worcestershire Rapids (June 6) and Lancashire Lightning (June 8).

In what is a lop-sided fixture list, the Steelbacks then have five home fixtures on the spin.

They host Birmingham Bears on Wednesday, June 11, Durham on Friday, June 13, Notts Outlaws on Friday, June 20, Yorkshire Vikings on Friday, July 4 and Worcestershire on Sunday, July 6.

Lehmann's side will then wrap up their campaign with a trip to Leicestershire (July 10), a home date with Derbyshire (July 11) and two away days - going to Edgbaston to face the Bears

on July 13 and then Chester-le-Street to face Durham on July 18.

Of the seven home fixtures at Wantage Road, four are on Friday nights.

There are two double headers at the County Ground as well, with the Steelbacks playing after Steelbacks Women’s fixtures, who will be playing in the Women's Tier 2 Vitality Bast for the first time.

The double headers see David Ripley's side start their campaign against Leicestershire at Wantage Road on June 1, and the July 6 date with Worcestershire will also see them play before the men's side.

The Steelbacks Women's other games see them go to Worcestershire on June 8, host Derbyshire on June 15, travel to Leicestershire on June 27, entertain Yorkshire on June 29 and then go to the White Rose on July 13.

They wrap up their group campaign on July 18 at Derbyshire, when they will hope to book their place at Finals Day, which is being staged at the County Ground on Saturday, July 26.

Men’s Finals Day will be staged at Edgbaston on Saturday, September 13, with the quarter-finals heled between September 3-6.

It means there is more than six weeks between the completion of the group and the knockout stages.