Essex County Cricket Club are resigned to the fact they will be without star players Nasser Hussain and Ronnie Irani for much of next season.

Cricket's 18 counties on Monday agreed to implement central contracts for leading players, which gives England the control to limit both the amount of cricket they play and supervise treatment and training.

England are set to play ten one-day internationals and seven Tests next summer against the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

And that, says Essex secretary/manager Peter Edwards, means the county will not see much of Hussain or - if he is selected - Irani, regardless of the contracts.

Edwards said: "We are in favour of it. We've got to get the England team right and most leading countries in world cricket, such as Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, employ their cricketers so it makes sense.

"Clearly it is unfortunate for the counties but they will be compensated.

"It should have a good effect on all our younger players who will have more chance to gain experience of playing county cricket.

The First Class Forum, comprising the 18 First Class counties and the MCC, have agreed an extra £1million to cover the cost of the contracts.

That extra finance will also cover compensation to the individual counties who will lose their leading players, although England are expected to release them for the big one-day knockout competitions.

Around 16 contracts, which will be issued after this winter's tour and will run to September 2000, will be granted and there will also be 12-month deals for a limited number of players.

Essex's teenage batsman Ian Flanagan struck an impressive half-century as England under-19s turned the screw in the second Test against their Australian counterparts.

Flanagan, who plays in the Shepherd Neame League for Colchester and East Essex, hit 65 as England surpassed Australia's total of 153 on the opening day of the match at Bristol.

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