England board accept Morgan's review

The ECB have formally agreed to accept the Morgan Review in principle.

ESPNcricinfo understands that, while some minor details will be clarified at a later date, the board has resolved to cut the number of matches each team plays in the County Championship from 16 to 14, and to return to 50-over cricket from 2014. The reduction in first-class cricket will, the ECB believe, allow them "to facilitate appointment to view for Twenty20 cricket on Thursday, Friday and Saturday."

The county chief executives will meet at Lord's on January 23 to discuss the finer details of the salary cap and to decide how to split the two divisions in the Championship. While Morgan has recommended a continuation of two divisions of nine teams, the ECB will consider a top division of eight teams and a bottom division of ten.

An ECB media release stated: "The board concluded that the review was holistic in its approach and therefore determined that the review should be adopted in full or not at all."

ECB Chief Executive David Collier commented: "The ECB Board is most grateful to David Morgan for the clear recommendations and conclusions reached in this review. The board welcomed the wide consultation which has taken place in reaching these conclusions and we shall now meet with stakeholders within the game to discuss the detail and rationale behind these recommendations."