With the ending of the Women's Cricket Super League in 2019, the England and Wales Cricket Board intended to launch a new regional structure for domestic women's cricket in England and Wales, including a 50-over competition, a Twenty20 competition and The Hundred.[4][5] As the 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new Twenty20 competition was postponed, with only the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy taking place. In February 2021, it was announced that the competition would begin that year, as the Women's Regional T20.[3] In June 2021, the tournament was renamed the Charlotte Edwards Cup.[1] Fixtures were played in two blocks, after the first half of the 2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and with a break in the middle for The Hundred.[6]
The competition featured eight teams that represent regional hubs. Teams were divided into two groups, based on finishing positions in the 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and played each team in their group twice, home and away, with the two group winners and the best second-place team advancing to Finals Day. The best group winner advanced straight to the Final, whilst the other two teams played off in a semi-final.[7][8]
Teams receive 4 points for a win. A bonus point will be given where the winning team's run rate is 1.25 or greater times that of the opposition. In case of a tie in the standings, the following tiebreakers will be applied in order: highest net run rate, team that scored the most points in matches involving the tied parties, better bowling strike rate, drawing of lots.[7]
