Cricket in England
Cricket in England is one of the most popular sports in the country and is known to have been played in England since the 16th century. The Marylebone Cricket Club, based at Lords, developed the modern rules of play and conduct.There are eighteen professional county clubs, seventeen of them in England and one in Wales. All eighteen counties are named after, and were originally representative of, historic counties. These clubs are heavily dependent on subsidies from the England and Wales Cricket Board, which makes its money from television and endorsement contracts and attendances at international matches. The English cricket season traditionally starts at the beginning of April and runs though to the second half of September although in recent years counties have played pre season friendly matches at the very end of March.
Day/night cricket in England
Day/night cricket has been played in England and Wales since July 1997. Since then it has become a major part in the English cricket season with Day/Night matches played in the NatWest Pro40 League (40 overs), the main competition in which day/night cricket is played alongside day matches but also floodlit matches are played in the Twenty20 Cup (20 overs) and in the Friends Provident Trophy (50 overs) although only grounds which have paramount floodlights and the final of the Twenty20 Cup are day/night matches staged in these competitions. Also England have hosted day/night ODI's (50 overs) at various grounds around England and Wales every season since 2000.