One of the beauties of the Twenty20 Cup, in theory, was its ability to simplify a complicated game for a youthful new audience. Whether they - or anybody else - are maintaining interest amid the brouhaha now plaguing the competition must be in doubt.

The draw was made yesterday for the semi-finals, but the whole competition remains in a state of chaos after Yorkshire confirmed that they would appeal against their expulsion and Glamorgan entered the fray by suggesting that they, rather than Nottinghamshire, should take Yorkshire's place.

So, although the semi-finals will definitely involve Kent, Essex and Middlesex, not only is the fourth semi-finalist unknown, but it also remains unclear who will play Durham in the outstanding quarter-final.

On Thursday evening, an ECB disciplinary panel expelled Yorkshire from the competition for fielding an ineligible player, Azeem Rafiq, in their final group game against Nottinghamshire on June 27, which they won to qualify for the quarter-final. The panel also decided that the points from that match should go to Nottinghamshire, lifting them to third place in the North division and sending them through as the best third-placed side.

This second part of that ruling is being disputed by Glamorgan, who will cite Law 21(10), which states: “Once the umpires have agreed with the scorers the correctness of the scores ... the result cannot thereafter be changed.”

If Nottinghamshire had not been awarded the points from their game against Yorkshire, then Glamorgan, who finished third in the Midlands/Wales/West division, would qualify to meet Durham. “That result should stand in perpetuity,” Paul Russell, the Glamorgan chairman, said. “It is not open to anybody to change the result.”

Yorkshire, meanwhile, confirmed after a meeting yesterday that they would be appealing. “The club feel that the punishment is manifestly disproportionate to the offence and, as such, feels duty-bound on behalf of its players, members and staff to lodge an appeal,” a club statement read.

They are expected to challenge the panel's assertion that the club knew of Rafiq's ineligibility early last year. Yorkshire's quarter-final against Durham was abandoned ten minutes before the scheduled start on Monday after it was discovered that Rafiq, the 17-year-old off spinner, did not have a British passport, despite moving to Barnsley from Pakistan in 2001.

The issue will be resolved in Taunton on Monday, when an ECB appeals panel, chaired by David Gabbitass, the lawyer, will hear the cases presented by Yorkshire and Glamorgan.

The subtext to this unsightly skirmish is the prospect for this year's finalists of a place in the Champions League tournament, which carries prize money of £2.5 million.

When plans for the Champions League were unveiled in June, Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said: “The Twenty20 Cup will be even more fiercely contested this season.” He was presumably thinking of contests between players, rather than lawyers.

While Durham wait to learn who their quarter-final opponents are, they remain incensed that Yorkshire's error has left them trying to fit in the match before the finals day on July 26.

One note of optimism for the ECB was that yesterday's semi-final draw kept apart Middlesex and Essex, two counties without players who participated in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL). The Board of Control for Cricket in India is threatening to bar counties with ICL players from the Champions League.