Counties prepare to oppose plans to revive 50-over cricket in support of the national team Counties are on a collision course with Team England after they opposed plans to turn the domestic one-day competition back to a 50-overs format to help improve England's performances in one-day internationals. David Morgan, a former chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council, recommended in a report discussed by county chairmen and chief executives at Lord's yesterday that the format of domestic one-day cricket should mirror that played at international level. But counties told the ECB that the existing 40 overs competition, with most matches played on Sunday afternoons, is more popular with spectators than 50-overs cricket, which require a morning start, and that their commercial considerations had been overlooked in the Morgan Report. Although no formal vote was taken The Daily Telegraph understands that the mood of the meeting was overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the 40-overs format, which presents the ECB with a dilemma when they meet again in March. The ECB board accepted Morgan's report in principle at a meeting 12 days ago and announced that the recommendations had to be accepted in full or not at all. That would appear to leave no room for tinkering with Morgan's proposals. But, if the ECB insists on reverting to 50 overs they run the risk of a revolt in the shires. If they stick with 40 overs they will be accused of not supporting England team director Andy Flower in his attempt to improve England's one-day international ranking. Counties accepted Morgan's recommendation that the County Championship should be reduced from 16 matches to 14 per county, but disagreed about the proposed structure of the revamped competition. Morgan has recommended that the existing system of two divisions of nine counties should be retained. But counties were unhappy that might create an asymmetrical format in which sides would play some counties in their division twice but others only once. Counties overwhelmingly supported an alternative structure of a first division of eight and second tier of 10 to produce a more balanced fixture list. Counties also accepted Morgan's recommendation that the Friends Life T20 competition should be increased from 10 matches per county - a new format for this season - to 14 when the changes are made, probably for the 2014 season.