Change is coming to the Hundred, with overseas investors set to press ahead with team name changes, a potential switch to the T20 format and future participation in a Champions League competition.
After several months of detailed negotiations the England and Wales Cricket Board have finally confirmed the sale of stakes in six of the eight franchises.
The two remaining deals, for Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles, are also inching closer to the line, with ECB chiefs confident they will soon be signed off.
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A total of ÂŁ520million is being ploughed in to the sport and on Thursday the governing body began the process of sharing the spoils, with each of the 18 first-class counties receiving a ÂŁ400,000 down payment with the promise of plenty more to come.
Hosts can expect a minimum of ÂŁ18m, a figure Yorkshire, Lancashire and Glamorgan have already topped up to varying degrees by selling portions of their own stake, with non-hosts set to receive around ÂŁ25m.
And with the new money comes a new chapter for the competition.
The fifth edition, which starts next week, will be the last before a radical overhaul. The ECB expect at least three of the teams to be rebranded, with Manchester Originals set to align with Lucknow Super Giants, Northern Superchargers tied up with Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Oval Invincibles likely to become the latest team in the âMIâ stable affiliated to Mumbai Indians.
In addition, there is an acceptance that the 100-ball format is up for debate. While the reduction in playing time has appealed to domestic broadcasters, it has not caught on in other territories and there is an appetite to explore reverting to a standard T20 structure.
Other matters, including increased salary caps and a move from a draft system to an auction, will also be looked at with a newly-formed Hundred board sending any recommendations to the ECB board for approval.
Vikram Banerjee, managing director of the Hundred, said: âIt would be slightly odd to bring all these great people in and leave it as it is.
âThere are things the tournament has done brilliantly that we want to hold on to, and the core DNA of the tournament will carry on, but weâll look to supercharge it.
âYou want to see innovation and growth in new things. Other people will have great ideas and Iâm looking forward to seeing what they are.
â(Moving to T20) is one of the things that will be discussed. At the moment itâs the Hundred format and that will remain for now but letâs see where we get to in the long term.â
ECB chief executive Richard Gould also made it clear that if a global Champions League gets off the ground, the governing body would be keen to send the winner of the Hundred rather than a county from the Vitality Blast.
âThere might be some pushback, but thatâs a debate to be had,â he said.
âIf thereâs a Champions League format it would be a Hundred team going forward. Of course weâd want to be involved at the earliest opportunity.â
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