Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Hollywood actors who have transformed the fortunes of Wrexham Football Club as co-owners, are considering a further investment in Welsh sport with cricket side Welsh Fire.
Under the pair’s stewardship, Wrexham have enjoyed back-to-back promotions to return to the third tier of the English Football League for the first time in 19 years.
Now Reynolds and McElhenney could buy a stake in Welsh Fire, The Hundred franchise who play their home games at Glamorgan County Cricket Club’s Sophia Gardens ground in Cardiff.
Glamorgan hold a 51% stake in Welsh Fire and the club’s chief executive, Dan Cherry, told ESPNcricinfo that Reynolds and McElhenney have “made contact” over buying into the franchise.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is looking to raise around £500m from the sale of 49% stakes in the eight teams taking part in The Hundred.
“It is a feasible option. Contact’s been made,” Cherry confirmed.
“There’s not been anything substantial come back yet, but we’re in the process and I know that they’ll certainly be included in any process that we’ve got going forward.
“All bids and offers that are going to come in are going to be interesting to us, and we’re going to have to evaluate what the best bid is for us.
“There’s obvious interest in what Ryan Reynolds and the guys have done at Wrexham, which has been fantastic for football in north Wales.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean to say that it’ll be the right option for us, but if they’re interested in talking to us, obviously it’s an exciting proposition.”
Reynolds and McElhenney are part of an investment group that owns stakes in Mexican football side Necaxa and the Alpine Formula 1 team, so becoming involved in cricket would add another arm to its sporting portfolio.
The ECB has cast its net wide in courting interested parties to buy stakes in The Hundred franchises, speaking to every team owner in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL), plus owners of teams in the NFL as well as private equity funds.
The eight hosts that will get a 51% share of their The Hundred teams are Lord’s (MCC/London Spirit), The Oval (Surrey/Oval Invincibles), Southampton (Hampshire/Southern Brave), Cardiff (Glamorgan/Welsh Fire), Trent Bridge (Nottinghamshire/Trent Rockets), Edgbaston (Warwickshire/Birmingham Phoenix), Old Trafford (Lancashire/Manchester Originals) and Headingley (Yorkshire/Northern Superchargers).
These hosts can sell all or part of their stake, or keep it all. If they do sell, 10% of the proceeds will go to the recreational game.