Hampshire chair backs potential expansion of The Hundred

Nick Pike, who recently replaced Rod Bransgrove at Hampshire, believes there is good potential in expanding the competition but urged against rushing into any changes

Hampshire's new chair Nick Pike has backed the potential expansion of The Hundred, believing the move "makes good sense".

At present, The Hundred features eight teams, a structure which will be maintained for 2024.

However, discussions about the future of the competition are ongoing, with an expanded 10-team tournament among the options up for debate. Other options include a two-division model, changing the format to T20 or opening the competition up to private investment.

Pike, who replaced Rod Bransgrove at Hampshire at the start of this year, believes expanding The Hundred has good potential but urged against "rushing into a solution".

^{Hampshire host Southern Brave, who are the reigning Women's Hundred champions [Julian Finney/Getty Images]}

^{Durham are among the counties keen to host a franchise moving forward [Getty Images]}

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he said: "Expanding it in a way that is profitable is important: it is good for the watching public and for the brand itself.

"We need to have strong venues to deliver that type of quality product quickly, and we need to have the best players playing in it. Rushing to a solution that doesn't retain those two things, I think would be wrong.

"I do think expansion makes good sense as long as it's managed and thought through from those points of view."

In December, Durham CEO Tim Bostock told Press Association he was "100 per cent committed" to bringing a Hundred franchise to the north-east.

Durham are affiliated with Northern Superchargers but they use Headingley, not the Riverside, as their home base.

Lancashire chair Andy Anson, by contrast, voiced his concern about expanding the tournament, stating it would be "unacceptable" if any future developments prevent county sides from playing red or white-ball cricket in August.

"We would be very concerned that a two-tier Hundred would prevent Lancashire from playing as the Red Rose in August and this is unacceptable to us," he said. "The reason this would happen is that players not drafted into the top division could go and play in the second tier, undermining county cricket in August in our opinions.

"We would not accept any expansion of the window in the schedule allocated to The Hundred, even if the number of teams is expanded."

Related Topics

• Lancashire keen for greater control of Manchester Originals, concerned by expansion of The Hundred
• Durham "100 per cent committed" to hosting Hundred franchise, says CEO Tim Bostock