Smaller counties fear growing divide with lucrative Hundred venues

[Robert Henderson]

Smaller counties fear growing divide with lucrative Hundred venues will render them second class
All 18 clubs receive £1.3m a year from the ECB for the competition but the eight hosts can rake in considerably more, widening the gulf

By
Tim Wigmore
4 August 2022 • 7:42pm
London Spirit's Eoin Morgan batting during The Hundred match at The Kia Oval
Eoin Morgan finds his long lost form for London Spirit against Oval Invincibles in the 2022 Hundred CREDIT: John Walton/PA Wire

Concerns are growing that the Hundred is creating a new divide between the eight first-class counties that host Hundred sides and the other 10, creating a two-tier county game.

The Hundred, which launched last year, began its second season on Wednesday. While accepting its place in the domestic calendar, counties are increasingly concerned by the impact of the Hundred upon the divide between counties.

“There’s an undeniable gap and it’s only going to get bigger as the Hundred grows,” said one county chief executive. “That wasn’t felt as much last year when the Hundred started in the middle of a pandemic. The eight Hundred venues will just get wealthier and wealthier.”

All 18 first-class counties currently receive £1.3 million a year from the England & Wales Cricket Board as part of the agreement for the Hundred. But the Hundred venues are able to boost this with significant extra revenue.

Each venue received an £85,000 staging fee per match from the ECB – equating to £340,000 over their four home games – with the London venues receiving a staging fee of £110,000 per game. Venues also receive a 30 per cent share of ticket revenue from the ECB, and some could stand to earn £100,000 per game from food and drink sold during matches this season, when there are no Covid-19 limits on crowd sizes.

The total revenue from these sources related to the Hundred this season could equate to £800,000 for venues, with the biggest grounds – notably the Oval – likely to earn even more. While bigger grounds have greater costs – in security, upkeep and maintenance – the extra earnings will far outstrip these extras costs. As such, counties are concerned that the Hundred venues could have several hundreds of thousands of pounds a year extra to invest in their first-class sides.

Early indications suggest that first-class sides with Hundred venues might also be benefiting on the pitch. Three of the four teams to make finals day in the Twenty20 Blast – including the winners, Hampshire – share their home ground with a Hundred team. Surrey, Hampshire and Lancashire, the three realistic contenders for the County Championship title, all host Hundred teams. The three Hundred-hosting counties in Division Two, Nottinghamshire, Middlesex and Glamorgan, currently make up the top three teams in the division.

There are also concerns that, over time, more leading players could gravitate towards first-class teams that have Hundred venues, partly because of a belief that playing for the county will increase their chances of getting a Hundred contract.

Any changes to the county structure or schedule must be approved by a two-thirds majority of county chairs – 12 out of 18. It is hoped that any changes can come into force for next season, with a vote expected at the end of the current season.

Read more at

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2022/08/04/smaller-counties-fear-growing-divide-lucrative-hundred-venues/

RH