Harrison Claims Overwhelming Support for The Hundred

The Hundred has "overwhelming support", claims Tom Harrison

The Cricketer | 03/06/2019

Harrison stated his satisfaction at the discussion caused by the plans for the new eight-team tournament, which is set to begin in July 2020

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison has moved to quell doubts surrounding The Hundred, claiming that the new competition has “overwhelming support”.

Harrison, speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio Four, stated his satisfaction at the discussion caused by the plans for the new eight-team tournament, which is set to begin in July 2020.

“Ultimately, I’m pleased that there’s debate in the game because it shows there’s real passion out there,” he said.

“It’s important we have the debate with cricket fans. We will work with everybody to get everyone in the right place. Everyone has been very engaging through this process, we have had some lively debate and that’s right and proper.

“We are working very closely with all stakeholders, all counties – host counties and non-host counties – and have an awful lot of work to build on, hopefully a very successful World Cup to build on.”

The buildup to The Hundred has been questioned in many quarters, with several criticising the concept behind the new format, while others have slammed the way in which the plans have been communicated.

Harrison, though, disputed any concern over the competition’s progress. He added: “I don’t agree at all [that things are not going well]. I think we have got overwhelming support for the Hundred across the game.”

However, when questioned over the identity of the teams, following a report by the Evening Standard last week, Harrison refused to comment.

“There’s lots of speculation about whether those names are accurate or not,” he stated in the radio interview. “When the season is finished we will get to the business of revealing team identities.”

Majority of counties refusing to sign ECB Hundred deals.
Matt Hughes, Elizabeth Ammon
The Times.

Thursday, 30 May 2019.

PTG 2806-13984.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was facing another county backlash over the Hundred on Wednesday on the day that six of the eight team names were revealed (PTG 2805-13982, 30 May 2019), with the majority of clubs refusing to sign contracts required to launch the competition. It has been learnt that many of the counties are resisting the ECB’s demand that they sign ten-year staging agreements for the city-based 100-ball format, which will start next year.

The Hundred is initially scheduled to run from 2020-24 and has been underpinned by a £UK1.1 billion ($A2bn) broadcasting deal covering the same period, with all 18 counties set to receive £UK1.3m ($A2.4m) a year each for taking part (PTG 2186-11082, 2 July 2017), but in another of the project’s many controversies, the ECB is insisting that the clubs sign up for ten years.

Six team names were made public after it emerged they had been registered as trademarks — London Spirit, Welsh Fire, Southern Brave, Birmingham Phoenix, Leeds Superchargers and Trent Rockets — inviting ridicule from some fans. However, the teams to play at the Oval and Old Trafford have yet to be named because the ECB has yet to reach an agreement with the venues. One sticking point for Surrey is that their executives want the county or their ground to form part of the name while the ECB is insisting on a second team called London.

Beyond that embarrassment, the ECB’s most pressing concern is the dispute over the length of the Hundred contract, which the counties are refusing to sign despite being offered the prospect of another £UK1.3m annually for a further five years secured against future broadcast earnings. At Wednesday's meeting of the county chief executives, a clear majority indicated that they would not sign for ten years because, without a broadcast deal for the latter half of that period, the ECB could not guarantee the revenue.

Meanwhile, Somerset and Gloucestershire supporters are unhappy that their partnership with Glamorgan has produced the name Welsh Fire. Lancashire are the only county who will operate as a standalone venture without a junior partner. Surrey, for example, will be partnered by Kent while London Spirit will be run by Middlesex, Essex and Northamptonshire.