ECB working towards 'ground-breaking' new Twenty20 tournament

The eight-team competition would see 36 matches played over 38 days in July and August for squads of 15, achieved via a draft system and each with three overseas players.

It could start in 2020 and could mean one of the team’s set up could play home matches at the Ageas Bowl.

The tournament looks to imitate the success of the Indian Premier League and Big Bash in Australia.

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves will seek to set the wheels in motion at a Lord’s meeting this morning.

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison and T20 project lead Mike Fordham presented updated plans for the as yet unnamed venture to representatives of 41 stakeholders - made up of the 18 first-class counties, the MCC, the Minor Counties Cricket Association and the recreational boards - at the Royal Institute of British Architects in Marylebone on Monday.

Graves said: ‘I will ask the ECB board to trigger a change in our Articles of Association to enable the introduction of the proposed new T20 competition.

‘We face a ground-breaking opportunity in the weeks and months ahead - and if our members embrace it, the ECB will work with everyone in the game to ensure this huge potential and the investment that will come with this delivers an even stronger future for the game.’

The new tournament would not overlap with the current T20 Blast competition that counties take part in already.

It would also mean each county team is guaranteed. £1.3m.