Friends Provident confirmed as title sponsor of cricket's T20 competition

The ECB has announced that leading UK life and pensions company, Friends Provident, is to be the title sponsor for the new domestic Twenty20 competition, the Friends Provident T20. Friends Provident has been a long time supporter of cricket and the ECB, including three years as title sponsor of the domestic 50-over competition, the Friends Provident Trophy.

Due to a change to the domestic structure in 2010, says the Board, the sponsorship of the ECB’s Twenty20 competition provides a natural evolution for Friends Provident and its involvement in domestic cricket. The deal will run from 2010 until the end of the 2013 domestic season, and will see Friends Provident receive a comprehensive range of sponsorship assets, including extensive in-ground advertising through perimeter boards, replay screens and dugouts. John Perera, ECB commercial director, said: "We are delighted to welcome Friends Provident as the title sponsor for the T20 and to continue to develop what is already a strong working relationship. "Friends Provident has shown a commitment to the sport for over a decade and the next four years will be another important period. "T20 is set to be a hugely exciting competition next year and I am confident that, in partnership with Friends Provident, we will offer spectators an unforgettable season of entertaining cricket".     Mike Yardy's Sussex celebrate winning the 2009 Twenty20 Cup - the competition's final season without a title sponsor -------------------------------------------   Trevor Matthews, chief executive officer of Friends Provident, added: "We are thrilled to be able to build on our existing involvement with the ECB. "The new Friends Provident T20 marks an exciting development for the sport and we are delighted to be supporting this new phase. Friends Provident has a long-standing association with cricket, which we continue to support from grass roots to tournament level". The Friends Provident T20 begins in June, with finals day scheduled for Saturday, August 14th at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, Hampshire.