The England and Wales Cricket Board have committed themselves to a two-division Twenty20 tournament, starting next summer, as their alternative to the lucrative Indian Premier League.

The ECB Board voted yesterday for the extended format following research conducted by a working party chaired by Essex chairman Nigel Hilliard, despite criticism it would provoke an overload of Twenty20 cricket in a domestic season which will also include the Twenty20 Cup.

The format will include two divisions of nine teams with three teams being promoted and relegated and the top three teams from each area group of this summer's Twenty20 Cup qualifying for the top division.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke said: "I'm sure it will be another exciting development in the domestic cricket season."

The new tournament, which will be called the P20 and will have the extra incentive of qualification for the Champions League, will be held in June next year.

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