ECB propose rethink on county schedule

The County Championship will involve Sunday starts from 2014 onwards, Twenty20 cricket will be spread across the season with many Friday-evening fixtures, and 50-over cricket will make a comeback, after the ECB board announced a new four-year schedule.

The proposals, which are expected to be adopted next month, include slimming down the Clydesdale Bank 50 to eight group matches per county, which would leave no place for Scotland, Netherlands or Unicorns fixtures and save four days of cricket a season. 

The FLt20 will consist of 14 matches per county, with the top eight teams progressing, as per the current arrangements, to the quarter-finals followed by the ever-popular Finals Day.

An ECB statement said: "The ECB Board noted the strong desire from counties and spectators to create an 'appointment to view' for T20 cricket spread over a longer period of the season. There was no compelling preference from spectators for 40-over cricket rather than 50-over cricket and therefore the format from 2014 will replicate the 50-over format played by the national team."

Date: 19/10/2012 09:56:44 by AMiller
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