Vitality ends relationship with cricket’s T20 Blast Sport Business Vitality has scaled back its involvement with English cricket, opting not to continue as title sponsor of the T20 Blast. The health and life insurance firm has backed England’s red-ball competition since 2018 but faces increasing competition from The Hundred, and will also downsize its involvement as sponsor of England’s home international T20 series’. The [...]
Rishi Sunak calls on PM Andy Burnham to restore £35m pledge for cricket domes Sport Business Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged current PM Andy Burnham to reinstate the £35m funding commitment to building all-weather “cricket domes” he made when he was in No10. Sunak pledged the sum in 2024 to create 22 of the facilities around the country but the Labour government scrapped the funding, labelling it “fantasy”, after [...]
What I’ve learned about English cricket finances in seven weeks chairing Sussex Sport Business Seven weeks as chair of Sussex Cricket and no major jolts to the view of the sport that I held while my nose was pressed to the window looking in, but lots of new detail to fill out my understanding of its challenges. Some of these challenges are unique to cricket, others common to many [...]
Ed Warner: Why I’m optimistic about the future for Sussex Cricket July 9, 2026 ‘What will you do about your blog?’ was one question at interview, repeated a number of times since I was announced as the chair of Sussex Cricket last week. What of my trenchant criticisms of cricket’s leadership, the sport’s confused calendar and the divide between its haves and have nots? For now, this column and [...]
Ben Stokes bombshell shows how power has swung to sport’s players and coaches July 2, 2026 Social media has allowed the likes of Ben Stokes to control their own narrative but we are no nearer to knowing the truth, says Ed Warner. Truth is a pliable concept, capable of being moulded to suit the interests of the individual, and a battleground for competing narratives. Perspective is not all; volume and reach [...]
Monzo taps into English cricket with The Hundred sponsorship June 22, 2026 English cricket chiefs have added Monzo as a partner for The Hundred ahead of the sixth season of the white-ball competition. Monzo has become the official banking partner of The Hundred and will have in-stadium branding whenever the Decision Review System is implemented. The digital bank has a growing presence in sport and is the [...]
Everton chief calls for full review of England academy talent funding June 10, 2026 Everton technical director Nick Cox, one of the most respected figures in the academy world, has questioned the Premier League’s model for investing in youth development. Cox, who worked at Manchester United’s academy for nine years – six as its director – before joining Everton last year, believes big clubs receive too big a slice [...]
Big Bash League set for split as states reject Hundred-style sell-off April 30, 2026 Cricket Australia will explore a partial sell-off of the Big Bash League after objections from some states forced it to shelve plans to seek investors in all eight teams. Queensland Cricket joined NSW Cricket in opposing proposals to copy the England and Wales Cricket Board’s sale of 49 per cent stakes in The Hundred franchises. [...]
Big Bash future in limbo as Cricket Australia’s plan to copy England stalls April 15, 2026 Cricket Australia’s plans to copy The Hundred and sell off minority stakes in Big Bash League franchises have hit the buffers after some team chiefs raised the alarm. CA is exploring the sale of 49 per cent stakes in the eight teams in the BBL, its annual T20 competition, to outside investors in a move [...]
Middlesex CCC needs saving from oblivion so ECB must take bold action April 2, 2026 As the English cricket season begins again, the demise of Middlesex should be ringing alarms bells at fat cats Surrey and the ECB, writes Ed Warner. Of course the forecast is for biting winds across the country this weekend. What did you expect? The English cricket season starts tomorrow. Expect confected hoopla about The Hundred, [...]