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Sussex and Middlesex express concern over city-based T20 tournament

Northants celebrate their moment of victory
Image: Northants won this year's Natwest T20 Blast competition

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) proposals for an eight-team city-based Twenty20 tournament have been met with a mixed response from first-class counties.

A broad outline agreement on the plan was reached at a meeting of the chairmen and chief executives of the 18 first-class counties, MCC and the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) at Lord's on Wednesday.

But County Championship Division Two side Sussex have confirmed their opposition to the move via a statement released on their website on Thursday morning.

It read: "We recognise the current financial risks to counties, including over-dependence on international income, and the opportunities to develop interest in the game, including the changing media landscape.

Big Bash League - Melbourne Renegades v Adelaide Strikers
Image: Australia's Big Bash League has attracted top world stars including Chris Gayle

"The board is open to considering change in the schedule, but our strong preference is that domestic tournaments should feature all 18 first-class counties."

That premise is, in fact, written into the ECB's constitution and will have to be amended if - as expected - the governing body further commits to the new 'Big Bash'-style tournament, which could come into being as soon as 2018, at its board meeting next month.

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Sussex added in their statement: "We respect the consensus view of the first-class counties and the MCC, that was expressed on September 14, to ask the ECB executive to work up details of a new eight-team T20 competition.

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"This new tournament would be staged in addition to the existing NatWest T20 Blast."

Middlesex chairman Mike O'Farrell has also spelled out the importance of impending consultation with his county's supporters.

Image: A similar city-based women's T20 competition proved a hit earlier this summer

At Wednesday's meeting, he emphasised that Middlesex cannot vote for the new competition until they have asked their members' opinions.

"We made it very clear to the ECB that we could not consider voting for such a dramatic change to the domestic cricket landscape without first consulting our members," he said.

"Currently, we do not believe that there is enough detail on the proposal for us to give a considered opinion. The ECB have been tasked with providing that, so we can consult widely and informatively with our membership.

"I will be discussing this further with our executive board over the next week."

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