The England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Thursday that a trial will be held in September for the proposed 100-ball tournament.
Loughborough will host a number of women’s games between 13-16 September and men’s teams will play at Trent Bridge from 16-18 September.
Different formats of the tournament – proposed by a steering group chaired by the director of women’s cricket Clare Connor – will be tested for the eight-team city-based tournament set for a 2020 launch.
‘After the proposed 100-ball format was announced in April, consultation with PCA members has been regular, with numerous conversations and meetings between the ECB, PCA and player representatives to discuss playing regulations,’ said PCA chairperson Daryl Mitchell.
‘The trials will provide an opportunity for players to get involved and to experiment various elements of the playing conditions which will be tested before providing feedback to the ECB on if the format is workable.’
Mitchell, who heads the body representing first-class cricketers, continued by saying that match fees will be allocated to players if they are selected, once approved by their respective counties.
‘We are hopeful the majority of counties will have a representative although with some counties having first XI and second XI fixtures it will not be possible to have a player from each of the 18 counties.’
The tournament, dubbed ‘The Hundred’, has received criticism for killing off the game. With T20 tournaments dominating the world, the need for a new format has been questioned.
