London is in contention to add a third team to the Group of Hundred if the competition expands to 10 sides, potentially putting the capital in a battle with the North East and South West to qualify for an expanded tournament.
The future of the Hundred is still heavily contested, as debates about the future shape of both private investment and competition continue. In the event of expansion to 10 sides, it was thought that the North East with Durham and possibly the South West with a combination of Bristol and Taunton would win the team.
However, London’s Third Hundred side have now emerged as a possible alternative. A third team in the capital is a possible option as discussions with stakeholders continue. Potential investors may be particularly interested in a team in London, especially if the team currently plays at Lord’s, home of the London Spirit.
The idea would be controversial, particularly with supporters in the North East and South West. But London has a population of around nine million and has demonstrated the ability to consistently sell out matches across all formats of the game, including Hundred. Six out of 20 clubs in Premier League football are based in London, and this figure has been even higher in recent seasons.
Last month Marylebone Cricket Club chairman Mark Nicholas said he hoped the MCC could field a Hundred-man team. MCC does not currently feature in any professional team’s branding and Nicholas has stated that he would like the club to feature his side in the professional game.
“There is some support for that,” Nicholas told The Cricketer magazine. “We are waiting for the ECB to announce the details. In principle, it would be great if MCC members could have their own teams and support them.
“I think overall it’s a shame that a big cricket club doesn’t have a team to support and when the ECB launches The Hundred it could be a real opportunity for us to fix that.”
London Spirit, the Hundred franchise headquartered at Lord’s, is currently 100% owned by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The team is managed by a combination of MCC, Middlesex, Essex and Northants.
If a new Face team were formed in London, MCC could potentially either take full control of the London Spirit, expand their existing relationship with the team, or become the new side. The other Hundreds team in the capital, the Oval Invincibles, play at The Oval.
It is thought that a third team could increase the capital’s efforts to engage with the inner-city population. Research has found that a disproportionately low proportion of professional cricketers in England come from London. However, there will be concerns that the opportunity to expand competition to more areas will be missed.
While there are no other venues in London other than Lord’s and The Oval capable of hosting Hundred matches, Kent recently received planning permission to increase the capacity of Beckenham, which can currently host around 10,000 spectators. Over time the ground could potentially host hundreds of matches and act as a secondary ground for the London team.
Any change in the hundred teams would require a three-quarters majority (15 out of 19 votes) from the 18 first-class counties plus the MCC. It will also require three-quarters of all ECB members (30 out of 39 first-class counties, national counties (formerly called minor counties) and MCC).
Private investment is expected
In practice, a decision on private investment in the competition is likely to precede any decision on admitting new teams – staying with eight sides, expanding to 10 and expanding to 18, including all venues in the 18 first-class counties, are all options. The new structure of competition may not come into force until 2029, after current debates about private investments are resolved.
Prospectuses to potential investors in Hundred are expected to be distributed around May. This will be a significant step in the potential sale of Hundred teams to private investment, with the expectation that the eight existing Hundred teams will be launched later in the year.
Indian Premier League franchises, private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds are all likely to be interested in buying the Hundred side. Venky Mysore, CEO of Kolkata Knight Riders, first revealed to Telegraph Sport that he was looking to invest in a team in 2020.
Each of the Eight Hundred teams is wholly owned by the ECB. One proposal being discussed is that the ECB could sell half its shares in each team to private investors. These funds can be pooled to benefit the entire game; This money is split equally among the 18 premium games, with a portion of the pot also reserved for recreational gaming.
The ECB can then grant a 50%+1 stake to the county that is each team’s main home ground; for example Surrey in the case of the Oval Avengers. Teams can then make a decision on how to use their controlling interest as they see fit; They can sell or continue to be involved.
This arrangement was designed to enable the wider British game to benefit from private investment in the Hundred. But there are still concerns that this will further increase the financial clout of the counties that play in the biggest venues, further widening the gap between the 18 top-tier counties.