ECB To Accept Findings Of Morgan Review

10 January 2012

The County Championship looks set to revert to 14 matches aside from 2014.

©Action Images / Ian Smith

The ECB looks set to accept the findings of the Morgan Review in full when their Management Board meets on Thursday, in spite of the reservations of several of the counties and many supporters.

This means that from 2014 onwards the county season will see two fewer Championship games and four more Twenty20 matches compared to those scheduled for 2012. The 40-over competition will also move into line with its international cousin and adopt a 50-over format.

The changes have been made necessary because of the widely held view that the volume of county cricket needs to be reduced - a situation that has only been made worse by the encroachment of the lucrative Champions League T20 into the end of the season.

The proposal will only be formally ratified on Thursday at Lord’s, but it is unlikely that the matter will rest there due to its unpopularity with many of the game’s stakeholders. Therefore, it is to be expected that the issue will rumble on well into the new season.

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