As speculation continues over the future expansion of The Hundred, Durham County Cricket Club has positioned itself as a strong contender for a new franchise—should the tournament grow beyond its current structure. Speaking to the PA news agency, Durham’s chief executive Tim Bostock made a compelling case for the county’s inclusion and hinted at a possible leadership role for England Test captain Ben Stokes.
“Look at the quality of players we produce for England. We have high-profile players who may be interested in fronting up a Durham franchise…we’ve got the England captain here,” Bostock said. “I’m sure at some stage Ben would jump at the chance at being the face of it, definitely. All of that works. It’s all about timing, but I don’t see a better candidate than us.”
While there is no immediate plan to expand The Hundred, Bostock acknowledged the league’s current stability under its broadcast deal. “The way the sales have gone, with the money that has been committed, the clear message is they are unlikely to expand before the end of the broadcast deal,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Bostock is confident that Durham is fully equipped for expansion when the opportunity arises. “I think there will be expansion and when that day comes we are ready. In terms of facilities, demographics, having an international stadium, likely investment, putting a team together, we are ready to go,” he affirmed.
On the structure of the competition itself, Bostock believes adding one more team could even improve the format. “Nine is actually a better number than eight, everyone plays each other once, so it can be done quite easily,” he explained. “But they might decide there is a demand for more games. I don’t think they’ll be happy with just four home matches.”
He also weighed in on the concerns from traditional county cricket supporters about the competition’s growing presence. “The traditional county watcher might fear for the 27 days (the competition’s current window). It would be naive to think they won’t get more days, but I don’t think it will ever be an IPL situation of two or three months.”
As for how the tournament could expand, Bostock said: “There are two ways to increase the matches, more games between themselves or bring more teams in. I think it will organically happen.”
With a clear infrastructure, passionate cricketing base, and the prospect of Ben Stokes at the helm, Durham appears well-positioned to become a leading candidate for a future Hundred franchise.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
