Durham aim for spot in expanded 100-ball competition

JAMES COYNE - EXCLUSIVE: New chief executive aims to make Riverside an “automatic pick” if the ECB ever decides to expand the new city-based tournament

^{Durham would like to host 100-ball cricket in time}

Durham have expressed their hope that The Hundred could expand from eight to 10 teams – including a Riverside-based side – if the early years prove successful.

Durham, the newest first-class county and the one that effectively represents the north-east, have been hit by harsh financial punishments for the debt they accrued in developing their home ground at the Riverside in Chester-le-Street.

But Tim Bostock, their new chief executive, declared Durham’s intention to play a part in the new competition – initially as an occasional ground for the Leeds team, and later as a fully-fledged entity.

“We’re disappointed not to be one of the hosting counties for The Hundred. Clearly we all have to give the competition time to bed in and we hope it will be successful,” Bostock told The Cricketer.

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“The ECB need to stick to their guns and make sure the tournament is attractive to both the new audience and the existing audience. That is crucial.

“But I don’t think the competition will end up as it starts. If it succeeds, as we all hope it will, I think there may be an opportunity for those eight teams to take matches on the road away from HQ. I can easily see the Leeds-based team bringing a game to Durham, and I think we’d be in a full-house situation for that game.

“And I think after that there’s a chance The Hundred could expand from eight teams to 10. And we need to make sure we’re an automatic pick to be one of those 10.

“You’d say logically it would move in two directions – into the Westcountry – so Taunton or Bristol, who may be in a position to host some of the Cardiff team game’s anyway – and north – and that has to mean Durham.”

Bostock also said that Durham have been holding “extremely encouraging discussions” with the ECB about restructuring the way the county repay their debts along more favourable terms.

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