County cricket urged to embrace new T20 format to halt decline

English county cricket clubs have been warned they must accept radical changes to the structure of the game or face years of decline.

The warning comes from the England and Wales Cricket Board, which has proposed a new eight-team Twenty20 competition which could mean up to 10 of the existing 18 First Class counties missing out on hosting matches.

There is significant unease at the proposals, both at counties like Somerset - which believes they and their members will miss out, and some larger clubs, including Surrey, which would prefer to retain control of their income.

Currently, domestic competitions must feature all 18 counties, a structure that has underpinned the game for more than a century.

That will change if the ECB's plans are accepted.

The governing body's proposal is for a new T20 tournament for eight teams, based in cities or regions, most likely around the biggest grounds in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds and Durham.

Played in a four-week window, it would aim to attract the best players from around the world and, in contrast to the current 18-team T20 competition, England players would be free to take part.

The model is the hugely successful Big Bash in Australia, which attracts capacity crowds and has enjoyed large audiences on both pay and free-to-air television.

The ECB hopes the new format, backed by a new and potentially more lucrative broadcast deal, will help attract a younger and more diverse audience.

ECB sources have told Sky News that participation is already falling and, without change, the game will slip into decline.

"The status quo is not an option," said one source.

The ECB is yet to convince all the clubs.

At Taunton, home of Somerset, there are serious misgivings but the scale of the challenge for the game is also obvious.

More than 2,000 people turned up on the first two days of their four-day match against Nottinghamshire to see their team try to win the County Championship for the first time in the competition's 126-year history.

Most, however, were male and middle-aged, not surprising perhaps given it was a working day in September, but representative of county membership as a whole.

Among the members Sky News spoke to there was near-unanimous opposition or scepticism - perhaps understandable at a club that fills every seat for the existing T20 tournament.

Many were concerned that a crucial part of English cricket's identity was being sacrificed.

Chief Executive Guy Lavender said the club was yet to reach a final decision on the proposals, but his misgivings were clear.

"We all have an interest in cricket being the sport of choice in the summer, but what we do want to do is in the creation of something new we don't destroy the really good things we are doing at Somerset."

No ECB directors were available to discuss the plans, which are still being finalised, but ultimately counties that do not host matches will be offered a share of the revenue.

If there are misgivings in the shires then they are unlikely to be shared by the players.

Former Kent and England batsman Robert Key, now a member of the Sky Sports commentary team, said: "I would be so excited as a player to have a chance to play in this competition.

"I can't tell you how privileged I was to play against greats like Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan in my career, and that calibre of player is just not going to come to four-day cricket again.

"As a punter it will be great - the sort of competition that you would take your kids along to. I think it should be embraced."

The counties will be presented with detailed proposals in October. Should they vote in favour, the distinctive rhythms of the summer game may never be the same again.