County Championship set for reshuffle into 10-team top division

The County Championship will decide next week on a proposal to restructure into a 10-team top division.

The 18 county chairmen will meet on Thursday, September 27 to discuss whether to go ahead with an ECB-approved 10-team Division One and eight-team Division Two.

The ECB board approved the changes in a meeting on Wednesday after they were put forward by a working group comprising of various county chief executives, directors of cricket, ECB representatives and Andy Flower, chaired by Leicestershire's Wasim Khan.

Sky sources expect the plans to be approved by the counties and, should that prove to be the case, it would begin in 2020 with only one top-flight team being relegated next season and three going up from the second tier.

That reverses the decision taken in 2016 to reduce the number of counties in the top division to eight teams, with 10 teams competing in Division Two.

The belief is that the proposed changes would give 12 teams the chance of playing first-division cricket every other year and, by maintaining an even number of teams in each division, every team could play in every round.

Surrey clinched the County Championship last week having gone unbeaten all season so far, while Worcestershire are bottom below Lancashire.

Warwickshire top Division Two with Kent currently in second place.