KENT officials were to the fore at cricket’s headquarters at Lord's on Monday when the 18 counties voted to cut championship promotion places to two.

It was a case of third time lucky for Kent chairman Carl Openshaw who proposed the move to two-up, two-down promotion and relegation in the Frizzell Championship last year.

The resolution was finally passed at Monday’s First-Class Forum of the 18 counties at Lord’s by the required two-thirds majority as 11 other clubs joined Kent in passing the amendment.

Form 2006 two sides from Division 2 of the Frizzell Championship will replace the bottom two first division sides, while the totesport League with follow suit, but with a play-off for a third promotion place to Division 1.

The third-placed finishers in Division 2 will receive home advantage in an end-of-season decider against the 7th-placed side from the top flight.

In his written proposal to the meeting, Mr Openshaw argued that the existing three-up, three-down policy led to negative four-day cricket.

In calling for the change in policy he wrote that the decision should not be dictated by the media, but by cricketing arguments.

He added that the evidence points very clearly to the fact that teams in Division 1 of the championship have become aware that draws ensure survival and, accordingly, few risks are taken.

In backing up his claims, Mr Openshaw used telling statistics that since 2002 championship wins in Division One had dropped from 43 in the season to 34 last summer.

In welcoming the 12-6 vote in favour of change Mr Openshaw said: "Most people were persuaded that three-up three-down is too big a proportion and it was leading to too much negative cricket.

"That has been particularly the case in the first division where clubs have been looking over their shoulders fearing relegation even if they’re in fourth or fifth and that can’t be a good thing.

"It has made it difficult for some clubs in their future financial planning too, but from a cricketing point of view it was the right time to move things on.

"It is right for the game because cricket shouldn’t be seen to be protecting itself with the comfort zone of three promotion places because that might mean that no side ever stays down for too long."

Though Mr Openshaw is unaware which six counties vote against the proposal, he confirmed the main dissenting voices came from the West Country.

"We got exactly the two thirds we required to get the proposal through, but the opposition was led by Somerset who felt there was already sufficient intensity to championship cricket.

"They argued that having three up and three down made every game absolutely critical, but I think it’s just having two divisions in itself that gives us that intensity.

"But I think the system as we have it now made relegation clubs more inclined to play their more experienced players for more of the time, so I would hope that two-up two-down will allow county’s to give their youngsters greater opportunity."

Mr Openshaw confirmed the meeting also discussed a return to one 18-team championship but that move was deferred for at least three years.