The England and Wales Cricket Board have been forced into an embarrassing climbdown after they were obliged to agree to the registrations of three players they had previously blocked.
Justin Kemp (Kent), Andrew Hall and Johan van der Wath (both Northamptonshire) - all of whom have taken part in the rebel Indian Cricket League - were originally prevented from registering due to a technicality that involved their participation in domestic or international cricket in South Africa in the last 12 months.
Yesterday, however, an ECB appeals board over-turned the original decision; a tacit admission that the ECB's stance was unlawful and amounted to a restraint of trade.
At one stage, the ECB sought to prevent all foreign players involved with the ICL from taking part in the domestic season.
Meanwhile, Wavell Hinds, the former West Indies batsman whose registration was also blocked, has signed as an overseas player for Derbyshire for the group stages of the Twenty20 Cup.
* Rain prevented any play yesterday on the first day of the Second XI Championship match between Worcestershire and MCC Young Cricketers at Bromsgrove School and on the first day of the two-day friendly match between Lancashire and Warwickshire at St Anne's.
