ECB sign up totesport

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has finally found sponsorship for the National Cricket League - from the start of the 2004 season the competition will be known as the totesport League.

The news of the two-year deal will be a relief to the cash-strapped ECB, which failed to find a sponsor for the competition last year following Norwich Union's withdrawal at the end of the 2002 season.

The agreement represents totesport's first major sports-sponsorship deal outside its traditional support of horse racing, and includes 31 games which will be covered on television by Sky Sports. The first round of matches is on April 25.

"I am delighted that we have concluded a deal with totesport," said Tim Lamb, the ECB's chief executive. "The competition has been running since 1969, and has consistently provided excellent entertainment to cricket fans throughout England, Wales and Scotland. We look forward to working closely with totesport over the next two seasons."