Vitality, the health-focused insurance company, has today expanded its sponsorship of English cricket by signing up as a partner of The Hundred, the new short-format competition launching next year.

The firm is already the title sponsor of the T20 Blast, the established Twenty20 competition contested by the county clubs, in a deal that also includes the home matches in the short format of the men's and women's national teams and branding at other international matches overseen by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The Hundred, involving eight city-based teams contesting 100-ball-a-side games, starts in 2020 and sponsors signed up to date include KP Snacks and sportswear brands New Balance and New Era.

A title sponsor is yet to be secured.

Rob Calder, the commercial director of The Hundred, said today: "Vitality have been a great partner for cricket since we started working with them on the Vitality Blast and IT20s. We are really pleased that their sponsorship will now include The Hundred. Vitality have a great record of activating sponsorships to grow fan-bases and participation."

Vitality chief executive Neville Koopowitz added: "We're excited to be involved with the Hundred, a completely new type of cricket format. Driving awareness of sport, and helping people to undertake more physical activity, is at the very heart of what we do. This is why we're delighted to see so many fantastic sports stars being lined up to play. I am sure they will directly inspire many more people to take up and participate in the game, right from grassroots, to local club level and beyond."