'Reynolds and McElhenney could be huge for Welsh cricket'

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s imaginable finance successful Welsh Fire could beryllium a “huge opportunity” for cricket successful Wales, according to Glamorgan main executive Dan Cherry.

Reynolds and McElhenney, nan Hollywood stars who person transformed nan fortunes of Wrexham Football Club arsenic its co-owners, person held talks astir buying a liking successful Welsh Fire, nan Cardiff-based The Hundred cricket franchise.

Those negotiations are portion of a wider effort from nan England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to waste 49% stakes successful each of nan 8 Hundred franchises, which nan ECB hopes will raise astir £500m.

Glamorgan clasp a 51% liking successful Welsh Fire and, if Reynolds and McElhenney were to move their liking into patient investment, nan region dream they could “grow nan marque globally” arsenic they person done pinch Wrexham.

“I deliberation it's a awesome opportunity financially for america to beryllium capable to put backmost into nan stadium present astatine Sophia Gardens, into nan squad astatine Glamorgan... and build nan crippled successful Wales recreationally, support nan awesome activity that Cricket Wales, our partners, are doing connected that front," Cherry told BBC Sport Wales.

“It gives immense opportunity to nan crippled to grow its footing and to turn it, arsenic we've seen pinch nan Hundred, pinch tons of awesome crowds, family crowds coming in. I deliberation it tin animate nan adjacent procreation of players to prime up a bat and ball.

“We want nan champion woody successful nan liking of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. We're very keen connected protecting and making judge that we tin prolong our nine present successful Cardiff, and we want to turn Welsh Fire arsenic a marque globally.”

Reynolds and McElhenney are portion of an finance group that owns stakes successful Mexican shot broadside Necaxa and nan Alpine Formula 1 team, truthful becoming progressive successful cricket would adhd different limb to their sporting portfolio.

The ECB has formed its nett wide successful courting willing parties to bargain stakes successful Hundred franchises, speaking to each squad proprietor successful nan Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL), positive owners of teams successful nan NFL - arsenic good arsenic backstage equity funds.

The 8 hosts of nan Hundred teams person been fixed a 51% stake, which they tin waste aliases keep, but nan remaining 49% successful each franchise will sold by nan ECB.

When IPL owners person bought teams successful different franchise leagues - specified arsenic South Africa's SA20 - it has often resulted successful sanction changes and nan anticipation is The Hundred will beryllium nary different.

It has been reported immoderate imaginable investors would want much than a 49% liking successful bid to person much control, and Cherry says Glamorgan will not "rule retired anything" during negotiations for Welsh Fire.

“We're open-minded astir our 51% and astir control, and I deliberation we'd beryllium unfastened to having discussions pinch nan correct partner to spot what that would mean for nan future," he added.

"I deliberation different deals person been staged successful sport. I deliberation nan Jim Ratcliffe 1 astatine Manchester United is an absorbing 1 wherever he's taken a benignant of lesser stake, but he's taken connected power of nan shot operations astatine nan club.

"So erstwhile we find nan correct bidder and we get astir nan table, that speech will return spot and we'll spot what useful for some parties. I wouldn't norm retired thing moving forward.”