'Twice the action, half the time' - and three times the attendance!

Crowds for the Twenty20 Cup group matches are currently running nearly three times higher than for the equivalent games in the old Benson & Hedges Cup.

In the 18 games to date the total crowd attendance has been 80,350, which tops the figure of 68,018 spectators for all the 45 Benson & Hedges Cup group matches in 2002. A further 27 group matches remain in cricket's newest competition.

The average attendance for Twenty20 Cup matches to date is three times higher than for Benson & Hedges Cup group matches in 2002 - an average of 4,464 per Twenty20 group match so far compared to an average of 1,511 per Benson & Hedges group match last season.

ECB Marketing Manager, Stuart Robertson, said, "We have chosen to benchmark the Twenty20 Cup against the old Benson & Hedges Cup because this is the competition it replaces. These figures demonstrate that there is a healthy appetite for watching county cricket. We have produced a form of the game which is not only seems to be appealing but also, importantly, is being played at convenient times for people to come and watch. We are delighted by the response we have had so far."