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Test consortium gain ground in cash battle

England's series against New Zealand this summer looks likely to remain at the Test grounds but the dispute between the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Test Match Grounds Consortium is rumbling on.

The ECB, after a ``productive'' meeting with officials from Test-ground counties last week, are finally prepared to concede that their staging agreement should be linked with commercial profits, the crux of the disagreement. Yet there will be more talks, with time running out, before the proposed four-year deal can be signed.

Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire chief executive and a leading member of the consortium, feels that Old Trafford, Edgbaston, Lord's and the Oval will eventually be made available for this year's four Tests and said: ``We are mindful that the ECB have a few money problems so we have conceded ground. It could be that we agree to a less lucrative deal this year with guarantees that the terms improve afterwards.''

World Cup music has hit a sour note. After controversy surrounding the late release of Dave Stewart's song All Over the World which, when it hits the shops on May 31, could be released after England are knocked out, comes news that Harvey Goldsmith's showpiece concert at the Royal Albert Hall on May 11 has been cancelled.

The promoter could not attract enough big names and has, in consultation with the ECB, pulled the plug on the concert.

Problems are piling up for the World Cup. It was also suggested yesterday that LG Electronics, a World Cup supplier, are threatening to sue the organisers over their decision to award the contract for the fixed third umpire cameras to Panasonic.

A Barbados police chief is reported to be suing Australian captain Steve Waugh over comments made after crowd disturbances interrupted the final one-day international against West Indies last week. Police Commissioner Grantley Watson filed a writ on Friday against Waugh in the Barbados Supreme Court.

Waugh was quoted after the game as saying the players had no guarantees for their safety if the game was called off. ``The police said it would be a much worse situation if we didn't go back out to play, so we had no choice,'' he said. The game restarted after Australia agreed to reinstate Sherwin Campbell who was controversially run-out, sparking the crowd unrest.

Derbyshire Scorpions will not enjoy the support of a costumed mascot for National League matches - because they cannot come up with a design that bears a convincing resemblance to the poisonous creature.

The marketing men at Lord's are keen for counties to employ mascots and Leicestershire paraded not one but three - two foxes and, illogically, one Tiger borrowed from the city's rugby club - when they launched the competition against Hampshire.

But Derbyshire secretary John Smedley confirms: ``The price of these costumes is high and would only be justified if we could come up with something that looked both convincing and playful - not easy with a scorpion.''