The England and Wales Cricket Board have been defending their controversial decision to award BSkyB exclusive broadcasting rights that leaves terrestrial television without any live cricket.

David Morgan, the ECB's chairman, insisted they had to accept the offer from BSkyB to preserve the future of the sport because the satellite broadcaster was the only serious bidder.

Sky Sports will show ball-by-ball coverage of all seven home Test matches, a minimum of 10 one-day internationals and international 20-20 cricket from the 2006 season through to the Ashes series in 2009.

"We understand that the decision to place all live cricket coverage on satellite and cable television is an emotive issue for some people," said Morgan.

"Other proposals included would have resulted in a significant financial shortfall for the game and it was decided that this would not be in the best interest of the sport.

"The television deal we have struck has guaranteed uninterrupted ball-by-ball coverage of all international cricket which will not be restricted by other scheduling pressures."

Highlights of all international cricket, bar the day/night one-day internationals, will be shown in the primetime slot between 7.15pm and 8pm on Five, which will be making its first foray into cricket broadcasting.

Channel 4, which currently broadcasts six of England's seven home Tests in a partnership with BSkyB, could offer neither the funds nor the guaranteed airtime the ECB were looking for.

"There will be no switching to soaps or the news, no jumping around channels and no change of start times. Each day's play will start at the traditional time of 11am," said Giles Clarke, chairman of the ECB's marketing committee, who led the negotiations.

"It is real ball-by-ball coverage for the first time in many years.

"The alternative was a significant decline in income. It would affect every single element in the development of the game. Major cuts would have had to be made in the funding of the England team, its support structure and to county cricket clubs.

"It is debatable whether all of them would be able to cope with that."

Criticism of the ECB's decision was swift. The backlash amongst cricket supporters has been fierce and the governing body stand accused of ignoring their responsibility to promote the sport at a time when the England team is enjoying great success.

Labour MP John Grogan, a Yorkshire CCC member, told the Guardian he wants the list of "crown jewel" sports, which include the FA Cup final and Olympics, to be reviewed. Cricket was removed from the protected list in 1998.

"I think it's disastrous for English cricket," said Grogan.

"There is a real danger (cricket) will disappear from half the public's consciousness and youngsters will take up other sports.

"The government has to review what sports are included in the listed events."

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which regulates television rights deals, laid the blame with the terrestrial channels.

"It is obviously disappointing that terrestrial broadcasters will not be showing any live Test cricket between 2006 and 2009," said a DCMS spokesman.

"It is a shame that cricket will receive only the more limited exposure that satellite television offers - especially at a time when the England team is generating more interest in cricket than ever before."

Official BARB figures show BSkyB attracted 3.5million fewer cumulative viewers for England's second Test against New Zealand last year than Channel 4 recorded when broadcasting the first.

The ECB maintained the cumulative viewing figures on Sky Sports will be similar to those attracted by Channel 4, but there was very little sympathy for those who cannot afford the monthly subscription fee.

"There will always be people in certain walks of life who can't afford things - that's just the way it is," said Clive Leach, the chairman of Durham County Cricket Club who played a key role in the negotiations.

The ECB were desperate to promote the highlights package they secured with Five, insisting on Wednesday the primetime slot will open the game up to a potential audience of 21 million viewers.

"This is a very good deal for cricket as it guarantees wide accessibility to watch or listen to the action and secures the future development of the game from playground to Test arena," explained Morgan.

"You shouldn't underestimate the importance of primetime terrestrial highlights on Five."

But Channel 4 shot down the ECB's optimism by revealing they moved their highlights package to later in the evening because there was no demand at primetime, with an average audience of just 700,000.

"We hope the ECB does not come to regret its decision to turn its back on the hundreds of hours of terrestrial exposure that Channel 4 was offering," said a spokesman for Channel 4.

The highlights will clash with Eastenders and Coronation Street and the ECB admitted Five is only available in 95% of the country.

The new rights deal - which also covers radio, internet and mobile phones - is expected to total up to £220million over four years, a rise of 10% on the current agreement.

Sky's coverage will also include 31 Totesport League and Cheltenham & Gloucester fixtures, 14 20-20 Cup games and two Frizzell County Championship matches.

The BBC's Test Match Special has retained all radio rights for home international cricket between 2006-2009 while TalkSport has been granted non-exclusive rights to the 20-20 Cup.