SHA Small Heath Alliance

Ok, that was what I was questioning.

Rasputin

It'll end up with the various t20 tournaments having a schedule over the year to enable each set of Indian owned franchises to have a set of 'centrally contracted' players playing for each of their teams

Which actually does make sense, as it's hard to identify with a team when its different players every year.

thats definitely what the franchises want, IIRC Archer + Buttler were both offered one not long ago but then the ECB stepped in with salary increases and multi year central contracts to stop it.

the irony is that they have now handed those franchises more power by selling the stakes, but they need to work with them, when it comes to money they will lose out eventually.

IanT

With all due respect, you (and mad) are not the target audience. 😜

This will run alongside other county games, just as the franchise tournaments do in other countries. In South Africa there SA20 is running at the moment whilst there's 4 day games on at the same time. It doesn't matter.

Running alongside is what I wanted all along I was never against a new comp just if it moved everything out of the way. My main gripe is with the PCA who keep lobbying for fewer matches and more dead time in the middle of prime cricket playing AND SPECTATING season

I'm probably not going to get exactly what I want which is an "IPL on Thames" and the English County season gets back to normal

So from a purely self centred point of view what I now wouldn't actually mind is if the football oriented owners like Knighthead helped merge the Blast and Hundred in some fashion then move it all to mid-late June and all of July (in between the footy seasons) I haven't checked to see if that would clash with the IPL maybe it does somebody can check for me. The English County Cricket Season can exist April thru May and August thru September with County Championship and a 50 overs knockout cup or Sunday League. Would suit me as late June and July I'm always busy. I miss the wall to wall cricket we used to be able to enjoy in the school holidays basically

When was this new seperate board for cricket introduced on here?

Mark Kleinman
@MarkKleinmanSky
EXCLUSIVE: A consortium of billionaires including the bosses of Google and Microsoft have won the battle to buy a 49% stake in Lords-based London Spirit in a deal valuing the franchise at £295m and triggering a £145m windfall for the England and Wales Cricket Board. More soon.

...Kerching 🤣😤

I was aways off thought Surrey and Lord's would be much closer together. Knighthead having one of 8 involved in all that may have got themselves a steal. Let's wait abd see the accounts first mind. London will definitely get a third franchise in time and I wouldn't completely rule out them getting a 4th especially if the London and home counties public is gagging for fixtures almost every night of the week when it's on

Even the gatemen down Edgbaston will be getting pay rises

Welsh Fire were valued at the same amount as the Phoenix, at £80m.

Wrexham Football Club's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny were among those who were interested in acquiring a stake in Fire but were not part of the final auction

These are serious long term players but I think Welsh Dire may well be the franchise that is most likely to be moved about

It'll take them 20+ years to make that sort of money back even at Lord's but those sort of companies desire fabric and history they don't currently possess. They seek a foothold and legitimacy. But it's a poxy format so they'll soon find out there is a ceiling. They'll need to stage proper first class cricket matches to attain what they really really want

If the incumbents do not feel inclined to grow beyond 8 teams they might sanction one of the smaller peripheral entities (the Welsh one most obviously) a move

They signed Jay Rodriguez instead

IanT

Welsh Fire were valued at the same amount as the Phoenix, at £80m.

Actually they were valued at £67 million so ECB will get £33m, £8 million lower than Knighthead are paying for Brum

So far ECB is making;
Lord's 145
Oval 60
Edgbaston 40
Cardiff 33

My complete guesses for the other franchises
Old Trafford 50
Headingley 35 (but they will flog their 51%)
Trent Bridge 35
Southampton 50

A 'welsh'cricket team that two of the three historic counties it is meant to represent are English.

Which sums up the dumbdred tbh - why would anyone in that region be remotely interested in supporting them??

.

A few are predicting Manchester will go for more than the Oval team.

However Lalit Modi, who founded the IPL and has been a vocal critic of the ECB’s sales process (which he called a “Ponzi scheme” last year) has chimed in. He wrote on X:

“Good to see people of indian origin pay the amount they are for a @thehundred franchise. So far apart from the @mipaltan owners the #Ambani family paid 125 million valuation for the oval franchise based in London. The other owners are just rich overseas #indians who hope to make it big with their investment. I hope they do. But I hope they realise they are paying 295 million for the lords team and NOT ACTUALLY FOR #lords cricket ground. And for a tournament gone wrong from the start. Hope #ecb @ECB_cricket is taking advance payment. As I can assure u all will bail

Do the IPL owners own the stadiums as well??