THE temptation to expand the Twenty20 Cup, the action-packed competition that has been such a midsummer money-spinner for the counties since its introduction in 2003, has proved irresistible to the ECB. Next year, each county will play eight games in the regionally-based group stages, three more than last season. This will give them four home and four away matches and guarantee them all lucrative home games against their local rivals.

It was almost inevitable that there would be some expansion after the boost in attendances from 239,730 in 2003 to 266,717 this year but the board has wisely decided against more radical changes before the planned overhaul of the domestic structure in 2006.

“We decided to expand the competition modestly for next year,” David Morgan, the ECB chairman, said. “This reflects the growing interest in this format, with attendances up by 12 per cent from 2003 to 2004 despite some indifferent weather this summer.”

All the group games will be played in a 15-day period between June 22 and July 6, with the quarter-finals taking place on July 18 and the semi-finals and final being staged at the Oval on July 30. There had been suggestions that the semi-finals could be staged separately with the final going to Lord’s, but the finals-day format will stay the same with semi-finals played in daylight and the final under floodlights. The Oval, where redevelopment will have increased the capacity to 23,000 by next season, follows Trent Bridge and Edgbaston in staging the finals.

Richard Logan, the fastmedium bowler who was released by Nottinghamshire at the end of last season, has joined Hampshire on a two-year contract.

Sanath Jayasuriya steered Sri Lanka into a commanding position over Pakistan with an unbeaten century on the third day of the first Test in Faisalabad yesterday. With the match evenly poised at the start of the day, Jayasuriya scored 131 to lift the touring team to 285 for three in their second innings for an overall lead of 264 runs.

After Sri Lanka made 243 in the first innings, Pakistan resumed at 256 for eight but the tail added only eight to give the home side a lead of 21. Shoaib Akhtar, who took five for 60 in the first innings, then got Pakistan off to a great start when he trapped Marvan Atapattu without scoring for the second time in the match. Shoaib had Jayasuriya caught behind for nine, only to see Billy Bowden, the umpire, signal a no-ball. Kumar Sangakkara steadied Sri Lanka’s innings with 59.

Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene combined for a 118-run partnership. Jayawardene made 57, his 22nd Test half-century, before top-edging a ball from Danish Kaneria to Moin Khan.

Daniel Vettori took six wickets as New Zealand romped to victory by an innings and 99 runs against Bangladesh on the fourth day of the first Test in Dhaka. Bangladesh, trailing by 225 runs after the first innings, resumed on 41 for two but soon lost Rajin Saleh when he was caught behind off Vettori. The spinner ran through the Bangladesh order for his eighth five-wicket Test haul, finishing with six for 28.