The teams based at Lord’s and the Kia Oval for the ECB’s new competition The Hundred will have “London” in their name but not all teams will be named after the city in which they are based.
Those from Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds will also have their city in their name but the team based at the Ageas Bowl look likely to have Southern, not Southampton, as their locator, while Cardiff’s team are likely to be Western.
It is still unclear what the Nottingham-based team will be called but it seems set to have “Trent” in their name.
The London teams will not reflect their northerly or southerly location in the city but each will come with a snappy moniker attached to the locator, as per other short-form competitions.
There has been much agonising over whether the teams should reflect their location as it risks alienating fans from nearby towns but the ECB’s extensive but unpublished research has convinced them of the need for a mix between cities and other locators.
The tournament is an attempt to expand cricket’s audience and the ECB say their research has centred on that aim.
The Hundred’s official branding, with its tagline “Every Ball Counts”, will be announced soon, but it could be some time before the team identities, kits and logos are revealed. They will come before October’s player draft.
The coaching teams could come sooner, with Trevor Bayliss (Birmingham), Shane Warne (Southampton) and Stephen Fleming (Nottingham) among the big names linked to roles with the men’s teams.
Andrew Strauss is also set to return to cricket with the Lord’s-based team. Counties hope their own coaches will get an opportunity with the host teams, although the PCA have long pushed for total independence.
The ECB are working with the counties to finalise the names. Some venues have been handed three or four options for feedback and consideration, while others — such as Manchester’s — are already decided. The five-week competition gets under way in July 2020.
