PLANS for live television coverage of Yorkshire's first Twenty20 Cup match against Derbyshire at Headingley on Saturday, June 14, have been scrapped because of disappointing ticket sales for the game which has a 10.30am start.

And Yorkshire's director of marketing, Ian Bishop, has hit out at the England and Wales Cricket Board for not helping the county club engage top pop artists as part of the entertainment.

Yorkshire's match was scheduled to be shown on Channel 4 but following talks with the ECB the cameras will go to Bristol instead for Gloucestershire's game with Worcestershire which has been brought forward from June 16.

The new jazzed up competition, which replaces the Benson and Hedges Cup, is due to be launched on the Friday evening when Sky will cover Hampshire's game against Sussex at the Rose Bowl where Mis-Teeq will entertain the fans.

Bishop commented: "It was originally planned that we would be on TV. The ECB were looking for a full house but with the best will in the world there is no way we could guarantee that on a Saturday morning at Headingley.

"The ECB fet that Bristol would look better on camera because even if there are fewer spectators than here the ground will appear fuller.

"Chief executive Colin Graves and I fought the ECB's decision quite hard but we have to accept it.

"Hampshire received a lot of support for the Friday night match from the ECB in terms of hiring bands but we have received no support at all for this game."

In order to pack as many fans as possible into Headingley, Yorkshire have slashed prices for all three of their home Twenty20 matches to £2 for adults with children under 16 free if accompanied by an adult.

Free tickets are also on offer to all schools in Yorkshire and teachers should contact Howard Clayton on 0113 2033610.

Updated: 11:03 Tuesday, May 27, 2003