Pro40 to make way for new EPL Twenty20 league

Thrills and spills: Dawid Malan hits out during a Twenty20 game for Middlesex

The England and Wales Cricket Board today announced the move after meetings at Lord's yesterday and today, at which proposals for the future of Twenty20 were discussed at length.

The Pro40 competition will be scrapped after next season to make way for the new Twenty20 tournament, which will feature all 18 counties plus two overseas teams playing in two divisions of 10 teams.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke said: 'I am delighted that the board unanimously supported these creative proposals.

'I would like to congratulate everyone for their hard work and thank those who went to considerable time and trouble to produce documents for discussion.'

An ECB statement explains that the county championship's four-day two-division structure - the feeder to England's Test team - will remain unaffected, and the new calendar will also retain a 50-over competition.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke said: 'I am delighted that the board unanimously supported these creative proposals and I would like to congratulate everyone for their hard work and thank those who went to considerable time and trouble to produce documents for discussion.

'We have already received enormous broadcast and sponsor interest from around the world, which was reported to the board by the chief executive, David Collier.'

Today's announcement follows the leaking last week of an independent proposal to the ECB from MCC secretary Keith Bradshaw and Surrey chairman David Stewart.

That plan prescribed a competition involving only nine franchises, mirroring many of the features of the Indian Premier League, and stirred discontent among those counties who feared they might not be involved.

The ECB have chosen to go down a different path but have pointed out that Stewart and Bradshaw's work has not been in vain.

'There will be 10 teams in each division in a structure which also takes advantage of elements of the David Stewart and Keith Bradshaw funding proposals,' the statement read.

The EPL will take place in June - while the Twenty20 League will be played primarily on Friday nights and will span July, August and September.

The reason for that scheduling, the ECB reported, was the clear message from spectators in extensive market research that there is a demand for Twenty20 cricket in July and August.

Stewart has welcomed the new plans.

'These are extremely exciting and satisfying proposals for the future of domestic cricket in England and Wales,' he said. 'I am delighted to support them.

'They incorporate some excellent ideas, and Keith Bradshaw and I were delighted to be able to submit our ideas as part of the decision-making process and to build on the robust structure proposed by ECB as a result of detailed consultations undertaken.'