ECB announces prize money boost

24 October 2008

The England and Wales Cricket Board has approved a 150% rise in prize money and reward payments to counties for next season's domestic cricket, with the total sum available for the winners of the LV County Championship rising from £100,000 to £500,000.

The players of the winning county will receive £350,000 in prize money and the county will pick up £150,000 as a reward payment.

The total prize money and reward payment for the LV County Championship will rise to £1,060,000. The runners-up will receive £225,000, of which £175,000 will go to the players and £50,000 to the county. In 2008 the runners-up received £40,000.

There are also significant rises in the prize money and reward payments for the winners of the final NatWest Pro40 competition and for the county which lifts the Friends Provident Trophy at the Lord's final in late July.

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “The ECB board strongly believe that it was important to increase the prize fund available to all competitions on the back of the rise of the opportunities provided by Twenty20 cricket and we were particularly anxious to increase the money that was available for the winners of the LV County Championship to £500,000.

“This reflects the ECB's commitment to the LV County Championship and the npower Test matches as the pinnacle of the game.

“These increases reward both players and counties and in a difficult economic climate demonstrate the strength of cricket and our confidence in the domestic game.”