Essex has welcomed the prospect of more changes to the structure of county cricket.

Only months after the popular Benson and Hedges Cup competition was thrown on to the scrap-heap, Essex are among a number of counties currently rallying to reinstate the competition - or one like it.

And there are also prospective plans for the introduction of a new 25 overs a side short-form competition to be staged in the early evening.

Essex secretary-manager Peter Edwards said: "At the moment nothing is set in concrete, but there is a broad agreement to resurrect a Benson and Hedges-type early season knockout competition.

"It has been agreed there will be a new 50-over competition starting next year.

"It will definitely happen, but it is just a matter of sorting out the fine tuning. The ECB are still working on the competition and are talking with prospective sponsors. We were among the counties who were very sorry to lose the Benson and Hedges Cup in the first place.

"It was always a very popular competition with us and our supporters and a lot of counties are already saying how much they are missing it.

"There has been a lot of disquiet among some counties that this year's Super Cup will only involve the teams that finished in the top ten of last season's County Championship.

"They have realised the other eight counties have nothing else to play for."

Edwards also confirmed that there is speculation surrounding a new 25-over evening competition.

He said: "If it comes off the idea is to play it in the evenings when the schools are closed down for the day so that children, families and businessmen can come into the grounds to watch it.

"They play a similar 25-over competition in New Zealand where I understand it has proved very popular."

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