SOMERSET CCC chief executive Andrew Cornish has backed the principles behind the changes to the club membership system, but admits there is some “fine tuning” to be done.

Cornish’s predecessor, Lee Cooper, introduced a new system for the 2018 season which saw traditional club membership – which covered entry to all formats – split into a new club membership (covering the County Championship and One-Day Cup) and separate T20 membership.

This increased prices for supporters who wished to watch every competition, while there has also been consternation about the allocated seating which is now in place for T20s.

Cornish, who took over in late March, told the County Gazette: “I can only look at what the stats say - our numbers for memberships are up and our income from membership is up.

“T20s were the key to it – we were having 1,500 empty seats in a 7,100-capacity ground but we were technically ‘sold out’.

“Getting members to buy a membership and a T20 membership seems to be a sensible thing and we were certainly fuller for the last two games [against Gloucestershire and Kent] than we would have been this time last year.

“The principle is right but the fine tuning bits will be around allocated seating.

"If a friend and I are members and we want to bring a mate along they may not get a seat next to us - we need to find ways of fine tuning that.

“What wasn’t done very well last time is that people weren’t consulted.

"People didn’t get the chance to have their voice heard and that was a mistake, as it is a member’s club at the end of the day.”

Cornish, who was chief executive at Liverpool Airport Holdings Ltd prior to taking over at the County Ground, was less than two weeks into his role when the ECB announced plans to make their new showpiece domestic competition 100 balls a side.

Due to begin in 2020, the competition will not be played in Taunton – the nearest of the eight city-based venues will be in Cardiff – and could see Somerset’s top players representing franchise teams across the country.

Like much of the cricketing world, Cornish was surprised by the announcement, but does not believe it will sound a death knell for cricket in this part of the world.

He said: “I don’t think the Westcountry will be cut off.

“I’m not concerned for us but we can’t be sat on our hands. It shouldn’t impact our T20, which is really important.

“As long as we are proactive and continue to represent the interests of Somerset, which are pretty similar to the interests of purer cricket in terms of four-day, red ball cricket, then I think we’ll be OK.

“That’s one of the exciting things for me coming in as a professional chief executive with a passion about cricket – that’s what cricket needs.

"If I look around the country now there are some very good chief executives who will help shape the future of the game.

“It will be challenging, particularly regarding what cricket gets played in that block when the new tournament is on, as the members do have a right to see the best players playing here in the best format of cricket.

“The lack of geographical restrictions on the players means that a link between us, Gloucestershire and Glamorgan doesn’t really have any logic to it.

“If the Overtons, James Hildreth and Lewis Gregory can go and play anywhere in the country, why would anyone here in Somerset have any loyalty to a team in Cardiff – if anything, it might be quite the reverse.

“That said, I hope it’s a success because I don’t think cricket can afford any failures.”

In terms of ground improvements, Cornish is keen to ensure a permanent stand is built where a temporary one currently sits between the Colin Atkinson Pavilion and Andrew Caddick Pavilion, while LED floodlights are to be installed this winter.

This will enable later start times for Somerset’s home T20 fixtures, some of which this year begin at 4.30pm on weekdays, and they will also be in place in time for next summer's three World Cup matches.