ECB chairman Colin Graves under increasing pressure over 'The Hundred' plans

Counties are angered that the new tournament could now cost more than three times its original estimate

Graves is under pressure (Getty)

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves is under increasing pressure after meeting with the chairmen of the first-class counties at The Oval on Thursday and informing them that the ECB’s flagship new tournament, The Hundred, could now cost more than three times its original estimate.

The controversial new format’s already scant backing among counties was already understood to be dwindling after recent test events before Graves revealed that the projected £13m cost would be more like £40m, eating into profits that the counties were banking on to pacify anger and justify the introduction of the all-new competition with its adapted rules.

Graves’s hopes of securing a second term at the head of the ECB were described by one meeting attendee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, as “non-existent” after an afternoon when his future came into question.

Counties had headed to The Oval to see Surrey lift the County Championship trophy and so fractured was the meeting that Graves, fearing a poor reception from county fans angry at his leadership, backed out of presenting the trophy to victorious captain Rory Burns.

Jim Wood, a non-executive director of the ECB board, was on hand to take his place but few counties left the meeting happy after it overran and offered no progress on a popular proposition to increase the amount of T20 Blast matches from 14 to 16.

Clubs bank on the T20 revenue and believe the additional games will give them extra breathing room in a difficult financial climate but no assurances were given on an expanded group stage.

One agreement reached, however, was the realignment of County Championship divisions from 2020. The 18 counties split into two divisions in the year 2000 with promotion and relegation but reorganised in 2017 to make division one eight teams strong with ten in the second division. Those numbers will be reversed from 2020, meaning just one county will be relegated from the top flight next season as three are promoted.