YORKSHIRE CCC are joining forces with three midland counties in an attempt to get a better deal from the England and Wales Cricket ground over the staging of national and international one-day matches.

They have teamed up with Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and Derbyshire to send a joint proposal to the ECB giving details of what they consider would be a fairer way of distributing top games.

Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan was particularly disappointed that the ECB rejected the club's joint bid with Lancashire to stage two Twenty-20 one-day internationals between England and the West Indies at Headingley and Old Trafford next season, both games going to the Brit Oval.

And Yorkshire also lost out to Edgbaston and the Rose Bowl in their bid to bring the domestic Twenty-20 finals to Headingley in 2007 and 2008.

"We feel that there is not a level playing field at the moment when it comes to considering the bids and that is why we have linked up with three other counties in an attempt to improve the situation in future," said Regan.

"I felt particularly disappointed that our joint bid with Lancashire was rejected because we burned the candle at both ends in order to put in a very innovative and attractive offer.

"We believed that playing the two Twenty-20 one-day internationals between England and the West Indies at Headingley and Old Trafford offered the fans in the north easy access over the M62 for both matches and to get nothing was a kick in the teeth.

"The financial element is by far and away the biggest factor and we do not have access to the funding that some others have."

Updated: 09:57 Saturday, May 06, 2006