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England's Test cricketers will be employed by the England and Wales Cricket Board from next spring.

The meeting of the First Class Forum voted 12-7 yesterday to introduce central contracts for up to 16 players, on six-month periods, with one-day contracts for another eight players.

The counties will be compensated for the loss of their players, whose contracts will remain ``dormant'' while they are on England duty, though they will be available for most one-day matches.

``I am delighted that the counties have taken a considered and positive decision which I believe is in the best interests of the national side,'' said Don Trangmar, the chairman of Sussex, whose committee produced the proposals.

The amount of compensation will be decided after the England management committee consult the 18 counties, some of whom feel they should be rewarded more handsomely than the proposed figure of £61,000 for producing players for the national side. Jim Cumbes, the chief executive of Lancashire, believes that a sum of £100,000 is a reasonable 'fee' for each player.

An inevitable consequence of yesterday's decision is that the registration of county players, which restricts free movement between the counties, will be amended, even abolished. It could, some people within the game feel, result in cricket becoming a semi-professional game.