Oval Invincibles could be rebranded with the three-feathers crest of Surrey County Cricket Club, according to chairman Oli Slipper, who has told county members that the Hundred needs to be embraced to help shore up the whole of English cricket, including the County Championship.
Surrey were notable sceptics when the Hundred was conceived in 2018, in part because of the impact its hosting would have on red-ball cricket at the height of the English summer, and also because its existence would undermine the existing T20 Blast, for which the club had long attracted full houses at the Kia Oval, the largest venue in the country.
Now, however, Slipper says the club hierarchy has been won over by the Hundred's revenue-generating potential and, in an end-of-year letter to the club membership, says Surrey will use their share of any equity from the ECB's review of the tournament's ownership model to bring Oval Invincibles under the club banner, and reinforce their claim to be "the greatest club in the world".
"For many long-standing and committed members of this club, the greatest challenge to the red-ball game is the Hundred," Slipper wrote. "I fully understand and appreciate those concerns, but I want to assure you that, as chair, I will do nothing that will imperil the future of either this club or County Cricket.
"The reality is the Hundred has been a huge success both from a ticketing and TV perspective," he added. "It is also an extremely important revenue stream for the game of cricket, generating roughly 25% of the ECB's revenue which funds the broader game of cricket, and helps maintain a viable 18 county ecosystem."
Despite the ECB's ongoing review into the Hundred, in which various options have been tabled - including a rise to ten teams and an "open pyramid" option featuring all 18 counties in a two-division format - Slipper noted that the competition's broadcast deal with Sky Sports is locked in until 2028 and therefore scrapping it is "not an option".
Instead, he said that the desire of the ECB and its 19 shareholders to "evolve and improve" the Hundred, including by handing ownership of the competition back to the counties and MCC, presented a "unique opportunity" for Surrey to exert a greater influence on the direction of the sport in England and Wales.
"Whilst other counties will undoubtedly opt to sell equity in their team, under my stewardship Surrey will take a longer-term view and look to own and operate our own team within this tournament," Slipper wrote. "We must find a way of ensuring the history, heritage and legacy of this club is represented in each month of the English summer.
"We are not just a venue rented out to the highest bidder, we are the greatest club in the world. We are the pacesetters in English cricket and if any club expects to play domestic cricket at The Kia Oval, they should also expect to wear the Three Feathers of Surrey.
"Therefore, it is my ambition, that we get to a point where anyone who plays domestic cricket at this ground does so in the knowledge that they are standing on the shoulders of giants such as Edrich, Hobbs, Stewart and Hollioake."
That ambition also extends to the women's game, with Slipper signalling the club's intention to take full ownership of the regional side, South East Stars, so that the "Three Feathers are represented at all levels of women's domestic cricket". The club is also exploring options to build a second venue outside of Kennington, to help address the growing pitch-capacity issues at the Kia Oval.
Surrey's men claimed a record-extending 22nd County Championship this summer, successfully defending the title they won in 2022, and Slipper promised to use their growing influence within the ECB to protect the sanctity of first-class cricket, which he described as "the pinnacle of our game and the prize we cherish more than any other".
"I believe that it is our seat at the table that will allow us to wield the power and influence necessary to not only further the interests of Surrey County Cricket Club, but also protect and even grow the red-ball game in this country," he wrote. "The Counties will need strong voices in the coming years, not just from the sidelines but from within the game at all levels, and I intend ours to be a leading voice."