Twenty20 cup for clubs

The first nationwide club 20-overs competition is being introduced next season.

The North Gear 2020 Premier League will feature over 150 club sides trading sixes for the £5,000 winner's cheque. Frank Kemp, the ECB's head of operations for non first-class cricket, said: "A high-profile national 2020 club tournament should be great fun for the players and will give the young players in each club the chance to see how their 1st XI players cope with the format that most colts play every week. It's also a great opportunity for players to make a name for themselves and I'm sure that the counties will keep an eye on the results."

First-stage matches will be organised within the participating leagues, while final rounds will be run centrally by the North Gear 2020 Premier League. The final is likely to be at a county ground.