On the move

This was admitted today by Gwent-born England and Wales Cricket Board chairman David Morgan, set to seek a new two-year term of office after the toughest of starts as British cricket's number one.

Glamorgan are set to receive an increase on their allocation of 1,500 tickets for this year's finals day at Edgbaston on August 7, where they have been drawn to meet Leicestershire in the second semi, after a request to the authorities.

But demand is exceeding availability and with the exciting short form of the game catching on with people new to cricket, it is set to escalate in the years ahead.

This means a likely permanent switch to Lord's, venue for other one-day finals, which has a capacity of around 30,000.

Last year's finals day at Trent Bridge was a 15,000+ sell-out and this year's at Edgbaston will be a 20,000 sell-out, so the need for a larger venue is obvious.

Asked if a permanent switch to Lord's was possible, Morgan said: "The answer to that is yes.

"It hasn't been held at Lord's because MCC, owners of the ground, couldn't obtain a licence from Westminster Council to play a match after dark with various forms of music. Progress has been made there and last week Middlesex played Surrey at the ground and it was sold out.

"The demand for Twenty20 cricket is such that we want to stage the finals day at the largest venue going forward, there's no doubt about that.

"The Oval, which will have a capacity of somewhere around 23,000, is very keen to stage the finals day next year, but in due course I could envisage it being a Lord's fixture."

Morgan added: "I've been pleasntly surprised and delighted at the success of Twenty20. Last year more than 250,000 people attended matches within quite a short window of time.

"This year it was extended to include four quarter-finals and there's quite a lot of pressure to extend it still further. Some people who are very keen would like to see it replace the Totesport League.

"I'm not sure about that because international one-day cricket is played over fifty overs and apart from the C&G competition we have only the 45-over Totesport League to give our players exposure to one-day cricket of a length comparable to internationals.

"But it is fulfilling its purpose of attracting a new audience and we would hope that that audience would gravitate to the longer forms of cricket eventually."

Morgan has had a testing two years in office, particularly with the issues arising over touring Zimbabwe, and has been criticised in some quarters for not taking a firm stance.

"It's been challenging. The ball has been moving about a bit," he confirmed.

Elections take place in September for the next two-year term and Morgan said: "I'll have to judge whether people want me to do it. If they do then I'd be very keen to do another two years."

There has been comment about a challenge from Surrey's Mike Soper again, but Morgan said: "He hasn't said anything to me. We'll have to wait and see."

As for the forthcoming one-day internationals in Zimbabwe and a possible player boycott, Morgan added: "The policy is that we should tour and fulfil our commitments so long as it is safe and secure so to do and save for any instructions from the Government to the contrary.

"I would expect the board to endorse that and to approve a programme of one-day internationals we are due to play in November.

"What I have said consistently is that we would respect any player who, for reasons of personal conscience, decided he did not wish to make the tour.

"That is our position and I am certain that will remain our position and I've not heard of any player who has decided he does not wish to go."

Meanwhile, Leicestershire were the team Glamorgan wanted to face in the Twenty20 semis, skipper Robert Croft saying "we are confident."