English cricket has generated around $650 million from the sale of stakes in franchises in The Hundred to big-business investors from India and the United States, including consortiums involving NFL great Tom Brady and Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly.

English cricket chiefs say a windfall of nearly £1 billion ($1.25 billion) from an auction of Hundred franchises is "a seminal moment" that will safeguard the game for future generations.

Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and Welsh Thunder all received investment; the teams are valued at over £975m in total;

Auctions held over the past two weeks drew bids that value the eight teams in The Hundred at more than $1.2 billion, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Thursday. The investors who secured deals range from Silicon Valley tech giants,