English domestic cricket season could be cut by 12 days

The England and Wales Cricket Board structure group met earlier this week in the first of two meetings and recommended to the ECB board to reduce the season by between eight and 12 days “to enable a coherent and balanced domestic schedule to be delivered”.

Changes are set to be made to the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition to bring it in line with international one-day cricket from 2011.

A statement said: “The group will recommend that quarter-finals for the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition be delivered from 2012 and that the competition should be played in four pools of five teams.

“The group further noted that following the ICC World Cup in 2011 the format of international ODI cricket will be reviewed and recommended that the format of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition should mirror the international format.”

The statement added: “The group will meet again prior to the ECB board meeting in mid-November to consider the number of LV County Championship and Friends Provident Twenty20 matches to be played in future seasons.