Fears for Hundred as Covid on rise

THERE are concerns over the start of The Hundred, which is now only two weeks away.

The ECB’s new City-based franchise tournament was postponed for 12 months following the Covid pandemic.

Now the virus is set to have a huge impact on the tournament again as cases rises around the country.

A Covid outbreak has forced England’s ODI squad to selfisolate, and with the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Essex and Derbyshire abandoned yesterday due to coronavirus, it is clear further setbacks could be around the corner.

County cricket has seen several outbreaks and with the inaugural season of The Hundred due to launch on July 21 with the Manchester Originals women’s team facing the Oval Invincibles, there are growing concerns over the competition.

Should England’s Test stars be free, as planned, to play alongside their franchise team-mates, it could threaten their availability for August’s flagship Test series against India.

Given their importance to the marketing of the tournament, that would be a major blow to the ECB.

“It would be very frustrating to not be able to participate in that, a massive event for England, and we want to be part of it,” said Ben Stokes, who is playing for the Leeds-based Northern Superchargers.

“We know how big a role players play in making a franchise competition big and if the Test players were unable to play because of Covid it would be devastating.”