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ScorecardDurham kept alive their hopes of reaching the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals by thrashing holders Leicestershire by nine wickets. The Foxes have now lost six out of eight games in defence of their title after struggling to 114 for 7 after being put in. Durham raced home with 6.4 overs to spare.Durham have four wins and four defeats and if they beat Leicestershire again at Grace Road on Friday they will go into next Sunday’s final game at home to Lancashire with quarter-final hopes very much alive.Leicestershire opener Abdul Razzaq batted for all but three balls of the innings for 47, while Phil Mustard made a 29-ball half-century in Durham’s opening stand of 82.Chris Rushworth began the match with the Twenty20 rarity of a maiden over. He followed up with three more dot balls, before Razzaq cut him for four and six and followed up with an off drive for four.Razzaq then went back into his shell and found the boundary only three more times in his 57-ball innings. With the ball darting around in the early overs, Razzaq left several balls and Graham Onions conceded only two off each of his first two overs.Leicestershire were restricted to 21 off five before Josh Cobb drove Onions over long-on for six, only to be struck on the boot by the next ball and fall lbw. Greg Smith made nine off 15 balls before lifting Scott Borthwick into the hands of Ben Stokes at deep midwicket.Ramnaresh Sarwan was run out for a duck when he turned Gareth Breese to backward square leg and set off for a run. It was Razzaq’s call and he did not move. Breese picked up two wickets as Razzaq’s team-mates tried to force the pace and in the final over Razzaq and Ned Eckersley both fell to skied catches off full tosses by Stokes.Durham scored only three off the opening over, bowled by Matthew Hoggard, but then the runs began to flow. Herschelle Gibbs was unbeaten on 49 when Stokes finished the match by driving Nathan Buck for a six over long-off.

ScorecardJos Buttler was the only batsman to pass fifty as Somerset edged to victory•PA Photos

Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 58 saw Somerset to a thrilling five-wicket win over Northants with one ball to spare at Taunton. Buttler, overlooked for England’s latest one-day international squad, produced two scooped boundaries off the last two balls of the penultimate over to reach a brilliant half-century off 36 balls.Northants had posted 137 for 5 after winning the toss, Cameron White hitting 47 not out and David Willey an unbeaten 30 as George Dockrell was the pick of the Somerset bowlers with 2 for 17. The visitors defended the total tenaciously, with James Middlebrook and Jack Brooks taking two wickets each but could not contain Buttler, who received valuable support from Arul Suppiah at the death.The result gave the hosts five points from their first three Midlands/Wales/West Group games and they look a good bet for another strong challenge in the competition. Even without overseas recruits Richard Levi and Albie Morkel, back home representing South Africa in a T20 series with Zimbabwe, Somerset were impressive, particularly in the field.They were rewarded for their decision to use spin in the opening power play. Dockrell was introduced for the third over and soon had Kyle Coetzer caught at cover.That encouraged skipper Alfonso Thomas to employ Suppiah’s left-arm spin and he quickly accepted a return catch off Rob Newton to make it 24 for 2. There was then an all-Irish wicket as Niall O’Brien was caught by brother Kevin attempting to reverse sweep Dockrell.It was 75 for 4 when Alex Wakely edged a catch behind off legspinner Max Waller and 85 for 5 when the out-of-touch Con de Lange was caught at long-on off Kevin O’Brien’s first delivery. White and Willey were forced to exercise some caution and, while White did his best to bolster the innings, he was only able to find the boundary three times.Somerset almost misjudged the pace of their reply and looked in trouble, when 29 were needed off the last three overs, but that presented no problem to the hugely talented Buttler.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAjinkya Rahane’s efforts went in vain•AFP

Morne Morkel bowled a sensational penultimate over to turn a straightforward chase from Rajasthan Royals on its head and snatch victory for Delhi Daredevils. The victory creates daylight between Daredevils and the rest of the chasing pack, as they remain at the top of the points table.Royals required 15 runs off the last two overs, with nine wickets in hand and victory seemed a foregone conclusion. But, Morkel gave away only three runs in an over filled with yorkers and claimed the wicket of Brad Hodge to set up a tense final over. The fourth ball was fired down the leg side but the umpire, to Hodge’s surprise, didn’t call a wide. It was a crucial decision as only one run separated the teams in the end.Umesh Yadav was tasked with defending 12 runs for Daredevils against the in-form Ajinkya Rahane. Yadav started off with a fast full toss that Rahane missed. Desperation took over as Rahane looked to smash the next delivery, no matter what its length, and ended up mistiming his slices and breaking his bat. Owais Shah stole a single off the inside edge before Rahane hit the first six of the Royals innings, off a full toss to take back the advantage.Two more runs came off the penultimate ball, which left two to get off the final one. Yadav kept it full, Rahane missed but ran anyway and Shah was not quick enough. Naman Ojha hit the stumps to run Shah out and deny Rahane victory, leaving him unbeaten on 84.Rahane and Rahul Dravid are the most successful opening pair in this edition of the IPL and they showed why with a stand of 99 to set up the chase. Rahane started their reply in quietly confident fashion when Rahane flicked the first ball he faced – a poor one on legstump line from Irfan Pathan – for four.Dravid rolled out his vintage drives and showed off powerful pulls as the Daredevils bowlers’ lines and lengths presented no challenge. The two combined in a partnership that looked too easy, Dravid played with Sehwag-esque styled aggression while Rahane, once again, impressed with his timing and poise.By the end of the eighth over, Royals needed less than 100 runs to win and Rahane and Dravid had racked up the same number of runs, 27 each. Rahane eclipsed his captain, reclaimed the orange cap and brought up his 50 with a finesse-filled flick to on the leg-side.Daredevils thought they had some success when Dravid began walking after a cut that was thought to be caught behind but umpire Rod Tucker called him back. Tucker said he gave Dravid out when he saw him walking as it was the end of the over, but the misunderstanding gave Dravid a lifeline. He added only three more runs after that incident and was caught at long-on by a leaping Ajit Agarkar.Rahane was unmoved by the dismissal and marched on, right to the brink of victory. He was only tripped up in the penultimate over and even then did not give up without a fight, as he scooped Yadav for six and very nearly gave Royals victory.Daredevils may have thought their total was not enough after an underwhelming effort with the bat, save for Virender Sehwag’s half-century and a last-over blitz from Nagar. Sehwag became the first player to score four consecutive half-centuries in the IPL and rebuilt Daredevils innings by himself after two early blows.Mahela Jayawardene and Kevin Pietersen were dismissed in the first three overs but Sehwag’s full range of shots was on hand to resurrect matters. He pulled, reverse swept, drove and struck two stunning sixes over long-off and long-on. Just as he threatened to take the innings away from Royals, they dismissed him when Ashok Menaria took a well-judged catch off a back foot cut.Ross Taylor had been an almost absent partner in the stand with Sehwag and was bowled the over after Sehwag departed. Taylor looked to take a Pankaj delivery from outside off and flick on the leg-side but did not make contact and was bowled.Brad Hogg’s wrong un’s and Cooper and Amit Singh’s changes of pace ensured Ojha and Nagar could barely get away. Ojha managed a six before mistiming a shot to long-on but Nagar enjoyed a good last over, hitting two full tosses for six to push Daredevils past 150. In the end, it was enough.

Farhaan Behardien and Alfonso Thomas’ late exploits helped Titans edge out Knights in a one-over eliminator in Centurion to set up a clash with Lions in the final on Sunday. Titans, who batted first in the eliminator, had middle-order batsman Behardien to thank as he smashed a six and a four over extra cover to give Knights a target of 20 runs. But it was the Thomas’ stranglehold on the Knights batsmen that closed the contest as he gave away only six runs.Chasing 145 for a victory, Titans were in trouble early as they were reduced to 29 for 4 after Johan van der Wath removed the dangerous pair of Roelof van der Merwe and Faf du Plessis in his third over. Titans’ problems were further compounded when tournament’s top wicket-taker, Jandre Coetzee removed Martin van Jaarsveld after he had scored 24. With 78 still required in nine overs, Albie Morkel, who scored 25 off 21 balls, combined with Behardien in a 53-run partnership to bring the Titans close. In the last three overs, 26 runs were required and Titans let the game slip as both their set batsmen were removed. When the last over started, the home side needed 13 and were in a dire situation when Thomas swung and missed first three balls off Coetzee. However, he connected in the fourth and the sixth ball, well enough to launch the ball out of the boundary to tie the score.Knights were put into bat and openers Morne van Wyk and Rilee Rossouw immediately stuck into van der Merwe’s spin to take 15 runs. However, van der Merwe got his revenge in the next over as he took a diving catch at deep-square leg to remove Rossouw. Two more diving catches later by Morkel, one of them one-handed at the long-on boundary, Knights started to falter. Spinners Eden Links and du Plessis slowed the Knights with few tight overs in the middle of the innings. However, Ryan McLaren, who scored 42 off 28 balls, stayed unbeaten till the end to set up a competitive target, which proved just a little short in the end.With this victory, Titans have also qualified for the Champions League.

ScorecardSteven Finn took three wickets in the second innings as England won easily•AFP

England still harbour doubts about their batsmen as they approach the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, but their bowling attack has quickly found the groove. The England attack was largely blameless during a 3-0 defeat against Pakistan and they could not have made better use of the first warm-up match, dismissing a Board President’s XI for 119 on the final day to force victory by an innings and 15 runs.James Anderson took three more wickets to finish with 7 for 40 in the match and there were also three apiece for his fellow fast bowler, Steve Finn, and the offspinner Graeme Swann. With Monty Panesar also among the wickets in the first innings, England only need Stuart Broad to prove his fitness in the final practice match to reach Galle in good heart.Anderson said the intensity with which his team played the practice match will serve the tourists well. “I thought it was a pretty good three days for us with both bat and ball,” he said. “We could not have asked for more. There are sterner challenges ahead but all we can do is play what is put in front of us. We know full well it is going to get harder throughout the tour with the heat and the opposition.”The only downside was that their victory was so swift it prevented any of their out-of-form batsmen, primarily Ian Bell, from spending more time at the crease. They had declared on 303 for 8 overnight, a lead of 134, their authority established largely through Alastair Cook’s unbeaten 163.Sri Lanka cricket will be unnerved by the extent of the defeat. They selected a young side, but only two of the top seven reached double figures second time around.It took England only three balls to strike when Ashen Silva, who top-scored with 66 in the first innings, carved the third ball of the innings, from Anderson, to point. Finn also struck with the new ball when Bhanuka Rajapaksa, an attacking left-hand batsman who impressed in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, edged an attempted drive to Swann at second slip.One unexpected blemish in England’s display came from Anderson, whose reliability at slip is taken for granted, but who dropped three chances off the spinners in the match. Dimuth Karunaratne benefited from a let-off, a difficult chance, but after he raised the fifty he was bowled by Swann for 31.Prasanna Jayawardene, with 43 Tests to his name as well as a Test hundred against England, was the most recognisable opponent to the England attack, but he made only two runs in the match, falling for a duck second time around when Finn had him caught at second slip with the first ball of his second spell. Five wickets fell by lunch as Swann had Sachithra Serasinghe caught at short leg.England’s progression through Sri Lanka’s lower order during the afternoon was marked by several moments of ill temper. Swann’s frustration showed through when Panesar made a comically inept attempt to catch Dilruwan Perera off Swann.England fielders then reacted angrily when the captain, Andrew Strauss, claimed a catch off Anderson, but Perera refused to take his word for it and stood his ground. The umpires conferred before Ravindra Wimalasiri, the umpire at square leg, indicated that he had not seen whether the ball had carried or not so could not confirm the catch. Perera was surrounded by half-a-dozen England players, protesting that in the absence of technology the captain’s word should have been accepted.The refusal of a run-out appeal against Malinga Bandara moments later further inflamed tensions, but it merely delayed the victory.

Virender Sehwag has said that he was not aware that one of the reasons MS Dhoni wanted to rotate the three openers in the Commonwealth Bank Series was that Dhoni thought playing all three would cost 20 runs in the field. Sehwag captained India, in Dhoni’s absence, against Sri Lanka, and he, Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar played together for the first time in the tournament. Sehwag said Dhoni had chats with all three individually, saying that youngsters should get enough exposure in these conditions keeping in mind the next World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand. Sehwag said he was fine with that reasoning but was unaware that Dhoni had said, after the February 19 match against Australia, that he couldn’t fit all three openers in a given XI because of their slowness in the field.”No we didn’t know that,” Sehwag said. “I didn’t know what he said and what’s going on in the media. But we decided, we had a meeting, he chatted with everyone, with Gautam and myself and Tendulkar; he explained that he wanted to give chances to youngsters so youngsters can play all the matches here because the next World Cup is also here, so they’ll get an idea of how the pitches behave in Australia.”Sehwag was asked if accommodating all three openers in an XI was not feasible. “I don’t think so, we played together in the World Cup and we won games,” he said. “We want to give chances to youngsters and it’s good for every team to just keep rotating players so they will be fresh for the next game; so that’s what I think [it is about].”When asked about their fielding, Sehwag asked: “Did you see my catch?” and smiled. He was referring to the full-length diving catch he took at midwicket to send Mahela Jayawardene back. “We are same for the last 10 years. Nothing has changed,” he said.Sehwag was then asked if the 20 runs that the younger legs are supposed to save in the field are a good enough reason to keep persisting with then even as they continue to flounder with the bat. “You have to ask Dhoni again,” he said. “What he told us is he has to give chances to youngsters; they will come here and play the next World Cup. That’s what he told us.”Is he now going to have a chat with Dhoni? “Why should I have a chat with him? He is the captain, he is the leader; if he and the coach think we should give breaks to the top order, that’s fine, I am okay with that. I don’t have any issues with that.”Is Sehwag surprised at this apparent lack of communication? Shouldn’t he now confront the captain? “I am available for all the matches. It depends on the captain and the coach, what XI they pick. If they give the reason that we want to give chances to youngsters and you take a break, I am happy with that.”In principle, though, Sehwag remains a supporter of the rotation policy, and said he had been advocating it for a long time. “I have been saying for a couple of years that we have got to rotate. Give more chances to youngsters because they will play more matches in the coming years. I told Dhoni before the last World Cup that if [Suresh] Raina, Rohit [Sharma], Virat Kohli play 100 matches they will get good experience so that they can fire at the right time. So it’s good thinking.”On the surface, there seems to be a serious lack of communication in the Indian camp. After India win a game, Gautam Gambhir says the game should not have been taken into the last over. The next day, Dhoni says the set top-order batsmen should finish games off. There are various reasons given for the rotation policy, and if Sehwag is to be believed he has learned from the press that Dhoni thinks the top-order trio is too slow in the field.Despite all that, Sehwag says the team is one happy unit. “We are one unit. We are very happy. He is the captain. He can say whatever he wants to say, and he has been addressing the media for the last couple of years. We are okay with that.”Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Such has been the excellence of Alastair Cook in the first two ODIs between Pakistan and England that it would be easy to overlook the impressive performances of a couple of his teammates.Cook scored his second successive century as England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. It means his ODI average since returning to the side as captain in June 2011 is 55.93 at a strike-rate of 92.5. It is understandable that such figures overshadow those of his colleagues.But Cook is not the only England player enjoying a good series. Steven Finn, bowling with pace, control and skill, has underlined the impression that he is fast maturing into a high-quality international cricketer and, in taking four wickets in each of the first two ODIs, has played a key role in England’s success. Displacing Stuart Broad or James Anderson from England’s Test team still appears unlikely in the short term but Finn surely has an exciting future.It is, perhaps, the batting of Ravi Bopara that has been the biggest surprise. Had Jos Buttler been fit, there is every chance Bopara would have been the man omitted from the ODI side, but the 26-year-old Essex batsman has taken his chance and responded with two important half-centuries. From a precarious position on the periphery of the Test and limited-overs teams, Bopara has re-established himself in England’s long-term plans.Bopara’s talent has never been in question. It has long been accepted that he was capable of playing attractive strokes and, just days after his 24th birthday, he joined a select group of England players – Herbert Sutcliffe, Denis Compton, Geoff Boycott and Graham Gooch – by scoring Test centuries in three successive innings, after 108 against West Indies at Chester-le-Street. The questions have more been over his temperament under pressure and ability to grind out runs in adversity.So it must have been particularly pleasing to see Bopara prosper in Abu Dhabi. On begrudging pitches that have inhibited strokeplay, Bopara has twice come in with his side under some pressure and succeeded in grafting for runs in circumstances where most others have failed. It was a welcome sign of maturity from a player who may yet develop into a fine batsmen in all formats of the game.”Taking responsibility had been a massive thing for me,” Bopara said. “We knew we had soak up the pressure as it was going to be tough in the first 15 or 20 minutes. It gets easier as the innings goes on. Once you’re in for about five overs you get used to the pace of the wicket and the bowlers. Once you give yourself a chance, you have every chance of catching up and scoring at a run a ball.”If you’re going to bat in the middle order you have to give yourself 15-20 balls. I’m not saying you go in there and block 15-20 balls but you can’t put yourself under pressure if you’re not scoring in those first 10, 15, 20 balls. You just hang in there because you do get those little bit of luck – maybe runs past third man or fine leg – and you can catch up.”Luck was a key ingredient in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi. A better wicketkeeper than Umar Akmal – and that is a very large constituency – might have stumped Bopara when he had just one in that game. But Bopara has experienced too many triumphs and tragedies already in his career to start pondering the tiny twists of fate than can make or break a player. He is determined to simply concentrate on the present and is reluctant to be drawn on his own future or that of his team.”Things can change so quickly,” Bopara said. “I’m not analysing where I am at the moment. I remember in the summer, against India, I had a good series but then I went out to India and didn’t have such a good series. I’m just keeping my feet on the ground. I’m just thinking about Ajmal and how I’m going to deal with him.”I wouldn’t want to think about winning this series 4-0. We’ve done that in the past. Individually we’ve got a bit giddy and things just go wrong. So we’re not going to look too far ahead. We’ll just keep doing what we’ve been doing in the last couple of matches and worry about our skills and dealing with that Pakistan bowling line-up.”We haven’t had a good one-day record in the sub-continent so it’s a big thing for us to win out here. It will give us confidence to know we can do it in sub-continent conditions.”Obviously, I want to play Test cricket for England. That’s the ultimate goal and achievement: to stay in that side and win things. That’s my main aim. That’s what I’m working towards.”Bopara was more effusive on the subject of his teammate and old friend Cook. While many on-lookers have been surprised by Cook’s much improved ODI batting, Bopara is not. Indeed, Bopara now believes that Cook – who is currently not part of England’s T20 squad – can force himself into the reckoning in the shortest format.”He’s someone I’ve seen adapt so much over his career so far,” Bopara said. “I’ve played with him since I was 14 or 15 and with the amount he’s changed over the years, there’s no reason why he can’t change and become a T20 player as well. I’ve seen him play some class T20 knocks for Essex. There’s no reason he can’t do it for England. He’s someone I’ve seen adapt more than anyone in my whole career. Most definitely I think he’s the sort of person who will play for England in T20.”He just grinds out runs, doesn’t he? I don’t know how he keeps doing it but he knows his areas, he’s a tough man, he’s hard on himself and he’s a really good player.”The England and Pakistan squads travelled from Dubai to Abu Dhabi on Thursday. England reported no new injury concerns, with Tim Bresnan and Jos Buttler improving by the day and the sore back that forced Bopara off the field for a short period on Wednesday not thought to be a serious issue.It is Pakistan who have more to think about. In both games they have been let down by the part-time wicketkeeping of Umar Akmal and their brittle batting. None of their batsmen have yet registered a half-century in the series, highlighting their long tail and need for more all-rounders. Pakistan’s fielding will also have to improve substantially if they are to challenge in the 2015 World Cup. The third ODI takes place in Dubai on Saturday.

Nottinghamshire have declared a record surplus in financial results for last year. The surplus further establishes the county as one of the most financially stable in the country.Strong ticket sales for international matches at Trent Bridge, higher attendances for T20 and an increase in membership contributed to a surplus of £542,210 to September 30, 2011.The results enhance the legacy of outgoing chief executive Derek Brewer, who left the county in December to succeed Keith Bradshaw as secretary and chief executive of MCC. Brewer has overseen the continued renovation of Trent Bridge and recently helped the club secure the gold package of international matches, guaranteeing Ashes Tests in both 2013 and 2015.Nottinghamshire chairman Peter Wright said delivering a record surplus and securing major matches reflected “tremendously well” on the staff at Trent Bridge. “International cricket is vital to our financial prosperity and having a guaranteed supply of matches to 2016 will allow us to continue to invest in our team and our venue,” said Peter.”We’re very proud of what we have achieved but a lot of hard work remains and it is very important that our members and cricket supporters in general continue to attend matches at Trent Bridge.”

Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Cutting have been named as the Australian pace quartet for the first Test against New Zealand after the new selection panel took a balanced approach to the injury dramas surrounding the naming of the squad.The selections, announced by the national selector John Inverarity, suggest a combination tailored to the Gabba, as Trent Copeland, a Test debutant in Sri Lanka and first reserve in South Africa, was overlooked.”Unfortunately Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, Patrick Cummins, Ryan Harris and Shaun Marsh are unavailable for selection due to injury and Michael Beer and Trent Copeland are the players to have missed selection after being part of the Test squad in South Africa,” Inverarity said.”The absence of these players obviously provides a great chance for David Warner, James Pattinson, Ben Cutting and Mitchell Starc to come into the squad and perform on the international stage and I know that is an opportunity they are all looking forward to Although injuries to those key players are not ideal, this provides an opening for these promising young players to come into the Australian squad and further their development.”David, James and Mitchell have been in and around the Australian limited overs squad at various times recently and showed that they have the talent and skills required to perform on the international stage This is obviously the first time Ben Cutting has been included in an Australia squad and he has impressed us with his performances in the Sheffield Shield this year and this is reflected in his success at the competition’s leading wicket-taker.”Trent has had a lack of opportunities to push for selection in recent times. He will be disappointed but will work hard with New South Wales and I have no doubt he will again be putting his hand up for inclusion with good performances for his state.”Starc, Cutting and Pattinson provide the youth and aggression in the attack, with Starc’s imposing record at the Gabba and left-arm variety helping to earn him a berth. In first-class matches Starc has taken 12 wickets at 18.41 at the ground, while he also claimed 4-27 against Sri Lanka in his one ODI appearance in Brisbane last year.Cutting has enjoyed a strong start to the summer for Queensland, impressing with his aggression, speed and also his lower order hitting.Pattinson has been around Australia squads for some time, touring India last year and Sri Lanka in 2011. He was a narrow omission from the South Africa Test squad to make room for Pat Cummins, but is now in line for a debut at the Gabba.As expected, David Warner was named to open the batting, while Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin were retained following their contributions to the Australian victory over South Africa in Johannesburg. Haddin has been named vice-captain to Michael Clarke in the absence of Shane Watson.Test squad: Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin (vice-capt, wk), Peter Siddle, Ben Cutting, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson.

The ECB will consider a proposal to reduce the County Championship season to 14 matches from 2014 having received recommendations from the review into the English domestic game while a return of 50-over cricket is imminent.The review was led by David Morgan, the former ECB chairman and ICC president, and was presented to the board on Wednesday at Lord’s. If the recommendations are accepted in full, and another presentation will be made at the next board meeting in January before a vote, the 2014 season would also compromise ten 50-over matches – to bring the county game into line with the international arena – and 14 Friends Life t20 games, which is an increase on the 10 matches set for the 2012 season.Losing from one competition and adding to another is an example of compromises Morgan has felt he needed to make having gained input from over 300 people – including players, media, spectators and sponsors – while compiling his report. It also means there will not be a drastic reduction in the volume of cricket played.There were no immediate recommendations over how to achieve the cutting down of four-day matches although another attempt to introduce a conference, or three-tier, structure has been suggested. However, the retention of two divisions is also possible with counties no longer playing all opposition home and away.In 1997, the Raising the Standard report led by Lord MacLaurin, the ECB chairman, proposed a conference structure including play-offs but it didn’t gain widespread support and the current two division set-up was implemented for the 2000 season. Then again, in 2007, the Schofield Report, implemented following the Ashes whitewash, highlighted the volume of Championship cricket but no action was taken. A year ago another proposal to slim the Championship to 14 matches was rejected.Creating a more understandable and coherent fixture list was also part of the review and Morgan has recommended that t20 cricket is played on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays, and that County Championship matches begin on Fridays in the early season, on Sundays in mid-season, and Mondays at the end of the season.”There are divergent opinions concerning the optimum structure to strengthen the domestic game,” Morgan said. “There was however a consistency of views expressed that the success of the Team England and Cricket Partnerships departments within ECB should be complimented with the strengthening of the department responsible for the domestic professional game.”The volume of domestic cricket has made it impossible to schedule consistent start dates and I believe that spectators, players and administrators alike would welcome the certainty which a predictable programme would provide.”I am convinced that there are no substantive commercial benefits evident from a 40-over format in comparison with the 50-over format which is the standard for international one-day cricket. I have therefore concluded that the board should adopt the 50-over format from 2014. I am pleased that the Board recognised the value of the extensive consultation which has been central to this review and appreciate the kind comments expressed by the board on my initial presentation.”David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “The board was highly impressed with the diligent consultation and findings presented by David Morgan. It is clear from David Morgan’s initial work that in order to compliment the Team England goal of mirroring success in the Test and Twenty20 formats at the forthcoming World Cups, the format of ODI cricket must be introduced within domestic cricket from 2014.”To support and strengthen the domestic county game, 14 FL t20 matches should be played, and to provide preparation time for high quality four day cricket, the County Championship should be reduced to 14 matches. The board unanimously endorsed the Morgan Review comments to create an appointment to view with consistent start dates in the County Championship and FL t20 competitions.”Another of Morgan’s recommendations involves the salary cap that each county operates under and he has said that this should be reduced slightly, with an increase in the incentive payments for fielding younger players.