Jason Gillespie believes there could still be time for a big finish to the ill-fated 2020 season.

Especially if the powers that be are ready to think outside the box.

The Sussex head coach has proposed a one-off Championship season, including all 18 teams and based on a conference system.

He believes it would help make for an exciting end to the season if cricket can return later in the summer.

The idea was initially floated via Twitter as Gillespie remains at home in Adelaide, South Australia.

He wrote: “Potential County Cricket Plan - three groups of six.

“Play each other once and winner of each group (using current points system) goes into final three.

“Top team into final. 2v3 in semi-final. Winner (via points system) into final. Final at Lords. Thoughts?”

How much domestic action we get to enjoy this season is still very much in doubt.

But Gillespie would love to see it feature some first-class cricket.

He told The Argus: “My thinking is if it came down to a six-to-eight-week season, we’ve got to look outside the square.

“It’s a unique situation so you have got to come up with unique solutions. I don’t mind that.

“I’d be more than happy if there was a unique solution for just the 2020 season.

“If something goes ahead, I’ve got no problem with teams playing for the County Championship even though there were teams who were relegated from 2019.

“I’ve got no problem with that being carried forward to 2021. if everyone could just understand that 2020 is a stand-alone year.

“The world is at a standstill and do we want to play cricket or don’t we want to play cricket?

“Do you want to just play exhibition games or do you want something on it?

“Do you want to play first-class cricket and have it count towards something?

“So be it if a team who wasn’t going to be in division one in 2020 happens to find a way to win a different competition. What’s the big deal?

“History will show it was unique, a one-off. It will be a great trivia question in a few years’ time.

“But, in reality, are people going to be talking about one season in county cricket when they talk about 2020?

“No, I think people will be talking about the more important matters of this year and the state of the world.

“With all due respect to our sport and every sport, it pales into insignificance with the real things that have been going on in our world so far.

“I would welcome having something to play for.”

If his plan went ahead, Gillespie would expect the normal set-up to return next year with Sussex still in the second division.

He added: “The players and supporters don’t want exhibition games.

“In the season 2021, Gloucestershire and Northants will be back in division one, no problem.

“Notts will be in relegated and in division two, based on 2019 results.”