Cricket counties in the money

The England and Wales Cricket Board have averted a potential backlash from the first-class counties by approving a £50million-plus package for next season.

Clubs will receive around £1.275m each from the ECB following the budget announcement yesterday, an increase of five per cent on last season.

The chairmen of the 18 county clubs met with the country's governing body at Lord's and the budget, also approved by the MCC, was passed by the first-class forum.

But the figure for next summer was curbed somewhat as a result of lost ticket sales in the home series against the West Indies.

England's impressive 3-1 series victory actually cost the ECB around £3m in lost revenue because of early results and they have allocated broadcasting money from future years to balance next year's bounty.

England finished off the Windies at Headingley in just two days and ECB chief executive Tim Lamb admitted: "While 2000 was a very successful year in cricket terms, the premature end to some of the Test matches caused financial problems for the game.

"We had a very constructive meeting and I am delighted that we have agreed the budget for next year and we can now move forward with optimism towards a very exciting 2001 season."

Pruning county squads and the abandonment of ground improvements had been mooted as clubs sought a larger portion of the cash, following a number of them going into the red this year.

They had argued that an annual central handout of around £1.2m for the smaller counties - the big six clubs such as Surrey receive a bigger share - was insufficient to meet their needs.

And Test ground counties will receive substantially more cash through the ECB's staging agreement.

Concerns had been raised through the way in which the ECB had allocated money to club, junior level and women's cricket.

But with the budget passed, the ECB will continue their long-term grassroots development.

The recent success of the England team has raised the profile of the sport but some county chief executives questioned the amount of cash splashed out on the recreational game.

At the top level, while the Professional Cricketers' Association have worked hard to increase wages by something in the region of 50 per cent over the past six years, previous ECB financial distribution had failed to keep pace.

Meanwhile, England's Test series victory in Pakistan has generated an increased interest in the Ashes tour by Australia next summer.

Nasser Hussain's team were the first England side to win a series in Pakistan for 38 years and they have now won three Test series in a row.

The one-day international against Australia at The Oval on 21 June and both the Friday and Saturday of the fifth and final Test at The Oval are already sold out.

And there are also only 2,000 tickets left for the opening day at The Oval on 23 August.

Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon said: "We are delighted with the continuing strong support from the general public for the England team at The Oval.

"Ticket applications have consistently exceeded our capacity in recent years, emphasising the need to press ahead with our plans to redevelop the ground."

England have a two-match series in Sri Lanka early in the new year and face Pakistan in two Tests over here before the Ashes series starts at Edgbaston on 5 July.