Sussex has proposed creating a T10 tournament targeted at counties that do not host matches in the Hundred competition, with the event scheduled to take place in August alongside the One-Day Cup. The initiative stems from frustration among smaller counties regarding limited cricket availability during peak summer months, with Sussex experiencing only four days of home play during this year’s Hundred competition.
Ed Warner, the recently appointed Sussex chair, has outlined the proposal as a potential solution to generate revenue and provide playing opportunities for squad members not featured in the Hundred. Warner has suggested that such a tournament could take a triangular format involving multiple counties, such as Kent and Essex, and be marketed as family-friendly entertainment timed with school holidays. He emphasized that such events would complement rather than compete directly with the Hundred.
The proposal comes as Sussex manages significant financial pressures. The club has been placed in special measures by the ECB following breaches of financial sustainability regulations and received a 12-point deduction in the County Championship this season. Sussex must reduce losses from the prior year’s £1.3m figure to £1m by October and achieve financial breakeven within 12 months to avoid further penalties.
Warner acknowledged that while Sussex operates within a structural disadvantage in English cricket that favors Test venues and Hundred hosts, the club must pursue independent solutions rather than focusing on systemic inequities. He has already implemented efficiency measures and reduced player budgets to work toward the initial ECB target. Warner, formerly chair of UK Athletics, was brought in following a governance review that attributed the club’s financial difficulties to poor management and inadequate commercial and governance expertise.
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