By the end of 2001, £1m could be raised to help attract more youngsters to cricket from an affinity deal with Test Series title sponsors essential services provider npower and the ECB.

During the npower Test Series this summer, cricket lovers will be challenged to take the npower Test and purchase both gas and electricity from npower to realise a saving of £76 on their annual combined bills.

For each household that takes up this offer, the ECB will receive up to £45 from npower. This income will go directly to help fund the ECB's grassroots development programme 'Howzat'.

'Howzat' is a five year programme being run by the ECB in conjunction with Channel 4.

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