Jewell strikes form and counties set for Hundred 'windfall'

Early this morning, rising early as I tend to do after a lifetime of doing so for work, I went out into the garden. 

It was a little less chilly than of late and the realisation dawned that it was now just 36 days until Derbyshire stepped out on to to a cricket field again, for a pre-season friendly. It will be my 58th supporting the county and I still feel the excitement building as the season approaches. Sometimes the sense of anticipation is justified and a fine season ensues, but either way we will all soon be watching OUR team in action once more. 

With timing that I hope is replicated throughout a long and run-filled summer, Caleb Jewell made a delightful unbeaten century for Tasmania last week. It came against a Victoria side that had Australian opening bowlers Scott Boland and Peter Siddle in their ranks, as well as new Yorkshire overseas signing Will Sutherland.

Like many of you I saw and enjoyed the highlights reel, which told more of the player so highly regarded in that country than anything he did in the recent Big Bash. It contained proper cricket shots and a plethora of stylish strokes through the offside. I didn't see too many of those in the T20 competition and it highlighted why many good judges in that country still rate him as an Australian possible. 

He is apparently coming over here well before the season starts to acclimatise and that will stand him in good stead when the season begins. So too will his experience in league cricket here, as well as the fact that Tasmania, more than anywhere in Australia, has wickets similar to England.

With Blair Tickner having enjoyed a fine winter for Central Districts/Stags, perhaps the pieces are going to properly align this year. We can only hope so and of course get behind our team.

The advent of The Hundred has, of course, changed the cricket landscape in this country, possibly forever. As regular readers will know, I haven't watched much of the competition because it holds little appeal for me, but the recent auction of the participating teams has generated revenue for the county and recreational game, which has a direct consequence for Derbyshire and the other non-host counties.

They will benefit from significant value, which will help them to drive sustainability and purpose. They will also continue to benefit from the £1.3m annual distribution linked to The Hundred, with the potential for additional money depending on future growth. As The Hundred grows, there may be the opportunity to add more teams to the competition and for non-host professional counties to form a new team. This would bring additional benefits both to the new hosts and remaining non-hosts.

It is encouraging but it should be remembered by supporters that the money will be available on a phased basis and its use is going to be ring-fenced. While some will want to see the money go into playing budgets, the reality is that its use will be for debt repayment, the building of reserves and for income generation / capital projects.

Counties will need to apply to the ECB for the money, it won't just land in county bank accounts and where Derbyshire are at an advantage is that they don't need to use it to wipe out debt, unlike many others.

The likeliest scenario is that it is used to enhance the ground to enable revenue generation. So we may see more seats, enhanced matchday offerings, larger hospitality areas and facilities for out of season growth. These projects would generate additional income which could then impact positively on the playing budget.

I understand that a figure north of twenty million pounds each is likely to be available for Derbyshire and other counties, which on the face of it is very good news. However, the key to the success of the venture will be how this money is used. Counties with sizeable debt will have to use a considerable amount to reduce that, so it could perhaps be argued that it just keeps them ticking over, deferring the problem but not solving it. 

I am confident however, that Derbyshire have a very strong team off the pitch, who will ensure the money is put to the best possible use. 

The full impact of The Hundred will only be felt in ten years time. At that point we will look back on this period in the game's history as either its salvation, or the point at which the overseas involvement and investment ruined the game we have all loved, probably forever. 

My concern remains that venture capitalists and private equity will not be content with 49% of anything. They will have a medium to long term goal of wanting to fully control the direction of their investment. Who is to say that in a few years time, when some of those haemorrhaging money and continuing to do so need another transfusion, they might not hand over a controlling percentage in return? Then an already parasitic competition, that has high summer in which to operate, would be able to place demands that render the rest of the game untenable in its current form. 

I have read suggestions that the non-host counties should seek to run an alternative competition. That is all well and good, but when? Unless we totally ditch the fifty-over format in which we look increasingly poor as a nation, or run the season to the end of October, I struggle to see how that would work. My understanding is also that it would require twelve counties to vote it through, so the sums don't add up.

Yorkshire, riddled with debt, has already handed over 100% of the Northern Superchargers to the Sun Group, who already own Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

While that ensures that they have a tomorrow, what that tomorrow looks like is anyone's guess.

For now we celebrate. Me too, but keeping a wary eye on the involvement of those who might not want to be on the same bus as the rest of us for too long...