Plans to ditch the toss in some county matches next season have met already with a hearty welcome from the playing ranks.
The England and Wales Cricket Board's executive board is reportedly due this week to discuss the proposal of doing away with the age-old tradition of a coin toss - in Division Two of the championship only, for a one-year trial period from next summer.
Instead, the travelling county would be given the choice of whether to bat or bowl first - or request the toss take place as it has done throughout cricket history.
The intention appears to be to prevent home teams banking on winning the toss and unleashing a seam-heavy attack on a pitch which makes batting hazardous, and continues to dissuade the development of potential international spinners.
Kent opener Daniel Bell-Drummond is a player who will be directly affected - and he is enthused at the prospect of batting on what he hopes will be better surfaces for all.
He said: "I found [the suggestion] interesting, because certain teams maybe don't have the strongest bowling attack - and the amount of games we've played away from home where you couldn't tell the pitch from the outfield was a bit annoying, especially as an opening batsman."
Bell-Drummond, whose county remain in the second division, recalls making a century against the touring Australians last summer - and then finding himself on an awkward pitch in his next championship match.
The 22-year-old, currently with the England Performance Programme in Dubai preparing for a series of white-ball fixtures against Pakistan A, made seven and five against Leicestershire at Grace Road in early July - when Kent won by eight wickets and 32 fell exclusively to seam in a three-day finish, with no frontline spinner on either side.
Bell-Drummond said: "I played against Australia, and got the hundred, and then turned up at the next game - the greenest wicket ever - and in the second innings I ended up having a hack and just got out, because I didn't feel I was going to get past any other way.
"That is a bit of a shame, but at the same time I understand why counties do it - as they want to get out of the division.
"You can't have a go at them for that, but as an opening batsman I do find it tough."
As for the proposed remedy on the table with the ECB, he added: "It will be brilliant.
"Teams then can't just bank on having a good toss.
"If we turn up and see it's going to 'rag' [turn sharply for spinners later in the match], we'll definitely bat - and if it's green, we'll bowl.
"I think that will make the cricket fair, and bring spinners into it as well.
"We've obviously seen the lack of spin bowling that there is, because of the wickets."
Source: PA
