The ECB has announced that the Friends Provident t20 will be downsized from 16 games per county to just 10 in 2012.
Board to make a decision over future of 40-over competition in May
The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced that the Friends Provident t20 competition is to be reduced as part of structural changes to domestic cricket in 2012.
The decision was taken at a board meeting at Lord's on Tuesday with the aim of reducing the volume of matches in the calendar.
The 20-over competition next year will have only 10 games per team, instead of 16, during a dedicated window in June and July.
The knockout phases will retain their existing structure with quarter-finals and then finals day, which sees both the semi-finals and then the final take place at one venue.
Package
"The board agreed a package of financial measures to ensure that Counties will not suffer adverse economic impact from the reduction in the amount of One-Day cricket," a statement from the ECB read.
The County Championship, meanwhile, will continue to remain a two-tier system with nine counties in each division.
As for the Clydesdale Bank 40-over competition, two options have been put forward, the first of which would see the retention of the current three-group format with seven teams in each, followed by semi-finals and a final.
The other proposal is to change to four pools of five teams with a quarter-final, semi-final and final, therefore giving eight guaranteed matches.
Both ideas will be independently reviewed before the ECB's next board meeting in May.
"We are pleased to have agreed a range of measures today which we believe will be to the long-term benefit of the county game in England and Wales," ECB chairman Giles Clarke said.
"The changes to our domestic structure are the product of an extensive and rigorous consultation process which has encompassed Team England, county players and coaches, county members and other key stakeholders within our domestic game."
