COUNTY CRICKET: Essex County Cricket Club have announced a pre-tax loss of £65,256 for last year.

David Acfield, club treasurer, said: “This year will see a new structure for county cricket and it will be interesting to see how the Sunday starts in the County Championship combined with the One-Day Cup competition at the end of the summer and the more spread out T20 programme will affect finances. “The ground development project continues to dominate the future and a great deal of time is being spent to ensure it does not impinge too heavily on the club’s financial position.”

Essex’s financial loss last year was in contrast to their 2012 figures, which saw them finish the year with a trading surplus of £17,224.