Eoin Morgan has accepted a seat on the London Spirit board, acting as Marylebone Cricket Club’s voice once the Lord’s-based franchise finalises its joint-venture with Silicon Valley consortium Cricket Investor Holdings Limited – better known in the paperwork as the “Tech Titans”.
The former England white-ball captain will join MCC chief executive Rob Lawson and incoming committee member Julian Metherell as three of the club’s four directors on a seven-person board. The remaining MCC nominee is still to be confirmed. The Titans, fronted by Palo Alto Networks boss Nikesh Arora, will fill the other three positions after their £144 million outlay for a 49 per cent stake is rubber-stamped. MCC keeps 51 per cent and, crucially, majority control.
Morgan, who led Spirit’s men in the first two seasons of the Hundred and spent most of his county career at Middlesex, already holds the honorary post of MCC chair of cricket. His move upstairs felt logical: a recognisable face for supporters, a respected strategist for investors, and someone who understands both dressing-room culture and franchise balance sheets.
The eight Hundred ownership deals have inched forward over the spring. ECB chief executive Richard Gould admitted earlier this month that the documentation had taken “longer than we thought” but believes it has now reached “a really good state of play”. Assuming the final legal hurdles are cleared in the next fortnight, all clubs expect to present their new boards by mid-July.
While the men’s structure settles, Spirit’s women have made significant changes on the field. Charlie Dean, the England all-rounder, steps up as captain after Heather Knight’s unfortunate injury ruled her out of the summer. Chris Liddle replaces Ashley Noffke as head coach, with Noffke joining Pakistan’s back-room staff.
General manager Fraser Stewart paid tribute to the outgoing Australian. “Ashley was a highly respected coach, who will be much missed at Lord’s,” he said. “I would like to place on record our thanks for the hard work, dedication and excellence he brought to the role, and his key part in securing our first title.” Knight will remain around the squad in a mentoring capacity, while wicketkeeper Kira Chathli – a Hundred champion with Oval Invincibles in 2022 – fills the final roster spot.
Why the flurry of off-field activity? Spirit, like every other franchise, need sign-off from both joint-owners before cheques are written or contracts extended. MCC’s wish for continuity has had to dovetail with the Titans’ appetite for innovation – hence familiar names in governance and a refreshed coaching set-up.
For Morgan, the board position is less a retirement hobby than an extension of a career spent pushing English cricket forward. If the Hundred is to keep attracting fresh investment without losing its place in the domestic calendar, having someone who lifted a World Cup on the inside should help steer the conversation.
There is business still to finish, not least the final participation agreement with the ECB and the inevitable debate over scheduling in an already congested August. But with a new director who knows Lord’s corridors as well as its outfield, Spirit believe they have a bridge between tradition and whatever comes next.
