Sussex are celebrating a £40,000 windfall today after Twenty20 cricket pulled in the biggest crowd at Hove for four years last night.

The county failed to qualify for finals day despite beating Kent by five wickets.

But the 4,200 crowd took the aggregate attendance for their three home matches to more than 11,000 and gate receipts to £40,000, nearly seven times the amount Sussex had budgeted for.

The gates were closed on the first capacity crowd since a day-night National League match with Surrey in August 1999 at 8pm, 30 minutes after the start, and 20 minutes later stewards were still turning people away.

Chairman David Green believes the phenomenal success of the inaugural competition could spell the end of the 45 overs National League which has suffered from steadily falling attendances for years despite splitting into two divisions in 1999.

The first class forum are due to discuss next season's fixture list at a meeting next month and scheduling more Twenty20 matches will be high on the agenda because of the unexpected windfall it has provided for hard-up counties.

Green said: "I can see it eventually replacing the National League, perhaps even as a 30 overs a side competition.

"We have been surprised and delighted by the response it has generated and the way the crowds have really got behind the side.

"It's been like a carnival of cricket with the atmosphere you might find at a football match.

"We budgeted for a profit of around £6,000 so to make £40,000 in gate receipts alone is phenomenal."

The match itself was fairly one-sided.

Kent were bowled out for 114 in 18.5 overs with Jason Lewry (3-34) and Mushtaq Ahmed (2-12) the pick of the attack.

But by the time the county began their reply they already knew that Warwickshire had secured the best runner-up place and joined Leicestershire, Surrey and Gloucestershire in the finals at Trent Bridge on July 19.

Man-of-the-match Bas Zuiderent made 42 from 32 balls and skipper Chris Adams 34 from 33 deliveries to see their side home with 4.1 overs to spare.

The success of Twenty20 cricket has forced Sussex to abandon plans to play the celebrity side Lashings in a 45 overs match on Friday week.

Instead the contest will be played under Twenty20 rules under floodlights, starting at 6.30pm.

Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh and ex-West Indies captains Richie Richardson and Jimmmy Adams are among those who will play for Lashings.

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