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ECB chief Colin Graves wants four-day Test matches

CHELMSFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14:   Yorkshire Executive Chairman Colin Graves looks on at the end of play during the LV County Championship Division Two
Image: Colin Graves: Proposing four 105-over days

New England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves has confirmed he will press to see Test matches shortened to four days.

Reducing Tests from five to four days is not up to the ECB – it is an idea they will have to sell to their international partners.

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Warwickshire's Will Porterfield says the concept of a four-day Test is an interesting one but thinks 105 overs in a day would be extremely long.

Although Graves would like to see the matches cut, he wants each day’s play to last 105 overs instead of the current 90, so in effect matches would only be 30 overs, or one session, shorter.

The radical proposal first came to prominence via a leaked document at the start of this year.

The ECB confirmed back then, after the contents of a 'Strategy Conversation Summary' reached the public domain, that it was "in the early stages of formulating a long-term strategy for the game in England and Wales, which we anticipate will take a year to complete".

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Graves, whose five-year tenure will officially begin in May, and new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison have had initial discussions about future proposals for the County Championship and a possible 'English Premier League' Twenty20 competition. 

Graves told the MCC's website, lords.org: "Personally, I think we should look at four-day Test cricket and play 105 overs a day starting at 10.30am in the morning, and finish when you finish as all the grounds now have lights.

“Every Test match would start on a Thursday, with Thursday and Friday being corporate days and then Saturday and Sunday the family days.

"From a cost point of view you'd lose that fifth day, which would save a hell of a lot of money from the ground's point of view and the broadcasters... I would look at that."

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