Campaigners are calling for a minimum of one Test to be shown live on terrestrial television in the wake of the England and Wales Cricket Board's exclusive deal with BSkyB.

A Culture, Media and Sport select committee report released yesterday was critical of the deal - struck 14 months ago - and concluded that the ECB and the Government had gone against an earlier agreement which aimed to ensure a proportion of live international cricket remained on free-to-air TV.

England's Ashes success last summer gripped the nation and millions tuned in to witness the series as it progressed to a dramatic finale at The Oval in September.

Those high-profile matches against Australia pricked the nation's conscience on future coverage of England's games.

Now pressure group Keepcricketfree! are lobbying for re-negotiation so that some live action can be seen in all households, after the report called on terrestrial broadcasters to show a willingness to enter into discussions with BSkyB.

The report stated: ''If the BBC or any other broadcaster were to communicate a willingness seriously to consider negotiating with Sky for rights to broadcast live Test cricket then the committee would have no hesitation in recommending to the minister of sport to convene a meeting as a matter of urgency.

''However, we, like the minister of sport, are not optimistic.''

Keepcricketfree! spokesman Archie Berens said: ''People may have the attitude that nothing can be done now but we would urge the public to get behind this by writing to their local MPs and broadcasters expressing their disappointment.

''What we want is some kind of compromise so that at least one Test - perhaps one at Lord's as a showpiece event - was available to the whole country.

''It may be too late for this summer. But there are three more summers before any new deal comes into effect - and the final one of those is an Ashes summer.''

Channel 4 did bid to extend their run of covering live action from England's home Tests but their offer was for a proportion of matches only, allowing Sky a position of strength in negotiation.

The BBC, meanwhile, held more than a dozen meetings with the ECB before the decision date but was influenced by the fact that there would be little room for cricket in 2006, with the football World Cup and Wimbledon taking place.

Responding to the report's recommendation that the organisation could seek further negotiation, BBC head of publicity, Louisa Fyans, said: ''At the moment there is a contract in place and it would not be good policy to challenge that.

''If Sky and the ECB were willing to release any exclusivity we would be delighted to talk to them but we do not anticipate it.''

The BBC screened Test cricket until the late 1990s.

''Nobody should doubt our commitment to cricket; every England international is covered by Test Match Special and we have secured the rights to show highlights of the 2007 World Cup,'' Fyans added. We will be looking at bidding once again when the next opportunity comes up.''

The market rate has been raised, however, by Sky's financial muscle. The agreement is expected to be worth £220m over four years and they are now set to show all England's Tests home and abroad.