Kent Chief Executive Officer Simon Storey has confirmed the club is working with Surrey as discussions over the new 100-ball tournament continue.

The England & Wales Cricket Board announced in November that the short format game is scheduled to get underway in summer 2020.

Fears have since arisen over the competition's potential threat to county sides and the prominence of their long-term supporters.

Storey said: "We need to be right at the heart of that debate and discussion.

"We have a very strong working relationship with Surrey and I speak and work regularly with Richard Gould the chief executive.

"There's a lot of work to be done between now and the draft and when the tournament takes place. We are within 18 months of that tournament starting now. There's a lot to do.

"We see it as an extremely important tournament for Kent to be part of, albeit within the confines of that joint-board that will be running the men's team based out of The Oval.

"We are going to make sure we are part of that board and then obviously there will be a women's team that runs alongside that."

The Hundred will consist of eight new city-based teams made up of squads of 15 which will be pieced together by a player draft in the autumn.

It's for the early concerns that Kent remain committed to ensuring the competition will be in the best interests of both the sport and the county.

Storey added: "First and foremost, I am representing Kent and I will do that at the top table in the same way that Chairman Simon Philip does with the ECB.

"With the new tournament, which is happening and being launched next year, we need to make sure that the opportunity outweighs the threat.

"I think being part of the debate and not just allowing it to happen is how we'll do that.

"It's really important that our members, fans, sponsors and partners are able to identify with their team that will be based out of The Oval.

"Then the key piece is the legacy it leaves for us here at Kent and if we can get more people inspired to play cricket we would love them to come and watch their local county here in Kent.

"There will also be a 50-over competition at the same time, there will be more cricket on offer.

"One of the things we'll need to do is bring some new consumers and fans in for the tournament, but I also think the new tournament has to attract existing fans as well and that was something we perhaps lost along the way.

"We have to make sure the two co-exist and look to other sports to see how they do that."