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Adams: Make Friday a T20 night
Chris Adams
Chris Adams

Friday night should be Twenty20 night, according to Sussex captain Chris Adams.

The Sussex captain is opposed to franchise or city-based Twenty20 but believes there is room to expand the hugely successful domestic competition, possibly at the expense of the Pro40 League.

Texan billionaire Sir Allen Stanford has offered to bankroll an English Premier League comprised of eight regional or city-based teams.

The majority of counties, including Sussex, have already said they would not support the plan to start an English version of the Indian Premier League.

Any changes to the county calender are unlikely to be implemented until 2010 after the next review of the domestic structure, but there is a mood to cash in further on the success of Twenty20.

Adams said: "Since it started Twenty20 has become such a strong product and the ECB are right to want to expand and promote it.

"Although Twenty20 here does not generate the money of the Indian Premier League it still stands on its own and I think it's entitled to have the premier slot in our season.

"For me, that means a Friday night league in mid-summer. And if that means two divisions playing home and away then why not?

"You could compartmentalise the season so that Championship is played in three blocks, the 50 over competition in another and Twenty20 in the high summer months.

"We have seen at Sussex that Friday nights work in terms of attracting a family audience to Twenty20 and I think if you had every county playing on a Friday it would make for a fantastic spectacle around the country."

Adams also envisages a time when Twenty20 matches are played on all-weather grounds with drop-in pitches.

He said: "As players we always make an even greater effort to play Twenty20 even if conditions are not always ideal. You have a duty to people if a family paying £100 for four tickets turn up expecting to be entertained.

"The purists would shudder at the prospect of all-weather outfields but the technology is moving on all the time so I can see it happening, although it will probably be after I retire!"

Adams and his Sussex side could have done with an all-weather outfield at Hove yesterday.

The first day of the Championship match against Surrey was washed out because the surrounds of the square were too damp.

Umpires Neil Mallender and Richard Kettleborough carried out two inspections before abandoning play at 1.30pm although, with an improved forecast, the game should get under way today.

6:17am Thursday 1st May 2008

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