BBC Dir General Tony Hall met English cricket execs "to discuss the possibility of televising live matches" for the first time since '99, according to Ammon & Sherman of the LONDON TIMES. Hall "summoned senior officials" from the England & Wales Cricket Board for "talks about buying rights to the new city-based Twenty20 tournament" that is due to launch in '20. He told them that the corporation could "boost the profile of the competition in the same way that it has the FA Cup," which it has shown since '14. Live domestic and England cricket "has not appeared on the BBC since it lost the rights to England Test matches 19 years ago." It has not been shown on a free-to-air channel since '06. BBC sources confirmed that a meeting had taken place. A source said, "The BBC is interested in airing the T20 tournament and would like to ensure that it gives cricket a proper platform as it did for the FA Cup." The ECB is aware that allowing eight matches to be shown on terrestrial TV "may cut the amount that Sky or BT Sport is prepared to bid for the main rights," but the board feels it is a "sacrifice worth making to boost the projection of the new T20, which it hopes will attract a more diverse cricket audience" (LONDON TIMES, 3/28). In London, Matt Majendie reported The Oval and Lord's cricket grounds "will be central to the event," with two sides from the capital -- North and South -- "among the eight city teams taking part." None of the counties are "currently allowed to comment on the proposals" under ECB rules following Monday's meeting between the ECB and county bosses in Marylebone. Middlesex's exec board was "meeting throughout the course of the day to discuss proposals but neither county in the capital looks likely to pose any great opposition," despite Surrey being "outspoken against it in the past over potential concerns about the impact of the format and a city-based side playing under a different name at The Oval" (EVENING STANDARD, 3/28).