ECB to experiment with split one-day innings

The ECB will experiment with two-innings one-day matches in their Second XI competition this season. The 40-over matches will be split into two 20-over innings, with the second starting from the point the first innings finished.

There will be 20 overs of Powerplays of which 10 will be at the start of the first innings and the other 10 split into blocks of five, one to be taken by the fielding team and one by the batting side as is the case in one-day internationals.

The idea of splitting one-day innings into two halves has been suggested as a way of livening up ODIs, although it is a method that has been experimented with before without gaining much support. For example, on England's tour of Australia in 1994-95 they played a two-innings one-day match against Western Australia at Perth.

The tournament will also continue with the experiment of using pink balls to assess how the balls perform in English conditions, while the players will wear whites instead of coloured clothing to see how the two work together.

MCC play Durham in Abu Dhabi next week also using the pink balls but that match will be under floodlights.