Administrator | England and Wales Cricket Board |
---|---|
Format | 100-ball cricket |
First edition | 2021 |
Latest edition | 2024 |
Next edition | 2025 |
Tournament format | Round-robin league and Playoffs |
Number of teams | W: 8 M: 8 |
Current champion | W: London Spirit (1st title) M: Oval Invincibles (2nd title) |
Most successful | W: Oval Invincibles M: Oval Invincibles (2 titles each) |
The Hundred is a professional Cricket league in United Kingdom. The Hundred is the only cricket league in the world that played in 100-ball format. It is organised by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) every year in month of July and August. The Hundred is one of the "Big Four" major cricket tournament organised by ECB, others three are County Championship, One-Day Cup, and T20 Blast. The Hundred comprises 8 teams, with 7 in the England and 1 in Wales.
The format was invented with the expectation that each match would last around two-and-a-half hours. [1] The BBC showed free-to-air broadcasts of the competition, while all of the women's matches and some of the men's matches were available to stream for free on Sky Sports' YouTube channel. [2] [3]
Almost all matches take place as back-to-back double-headers at the same venue on the same day. One ticket gives access to both the men's and women's games. The men's salaries are four times higher than the women's, but the tournament prize money is equal. [4] [5] [6]
A new city-based cricket Twenty20 competition similar to the Indian Premier League was first proposed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in September 2016. Following early discussions between the 18 first-class counties, the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) they voted 16–3 in favour of developing the competition. [7] On 26 April 2017, members of the ECB voted by 38–3 to push ahead with the new competition. [8]
The idea of switching the competition from the established Twenty20 format to an entirely new type of cricket was first proposed by Sanjay Patel, the ECB's chief commercial officer, in a private October 2017 meeting with senior cricket officials. He argued that the hundred ball format would be simpler to understand for new audiences that the competition wants to attract. [9]
Former England player and Northern Superchargers head coach Dani Hazell stated that the tournament would help with investment into the women's regional structure and the tournament would be an important learning experience for domestic players. [10]
The tournament was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [11]
The profitability of The Hundred has been a subject of debate. In 2016, a report produced by Deloitte had predicted the tournament would make about £27m profit per year. The ECB reported in 2022 that The Hundred had made an £11.8m profit. A report produced in 2023 by Fanos Hira, a chartered accountant, and assisted by ECB chairman Richard Thompson, showed a loss of £9m in its first two years. These figures do not include the £24.7m promised to the counties and Marylebone Cricket Club. The ECB's chief executive Richard Gould said he expected the tournament was "here to stay" beyond the current deal with Sky Sports, which runs until 2028. [12]
For the third season of The Hundred, it was announced that the 100-ball cricket competition would be collaborating with Marvel Comics. A selection of Marvel's characters, such as Hulk, Iron Man and Black Panther featured in digital content with players from across all eight teams to introduce the competition to new audiences. [13]
One-hundred-ball cricket is a form of limited overs cricket, played by two teams each playing a single innings made up of 100 balls. [14] Games last approximately two and a half hours. [15]
The Laws of Cricket apply in The Hundred, with major exceptions: [16]
Eight city-based teams compete during the school summer holidays. All men's and women's matches are held on the same day at the same grounds. In total there are 32 matches in the league stage of the tournament. Each team plays four matches at home and four matches away, This includes one match against every other side and then a second bonus match against their nearest regional rivals. [17]
The team that finishes top of the league progresses straight into the final. The teams finishing second and third compete in the Eliminator (or semi-final), with the winner progressing into the final. [18]
The decision to create an entirely new format of cricket, with teams based in just seven major cities, has split opinion amongst cricket fans [ citation needed ].
Some current England players have been positive about The Hundred. England's Test captain at the time, Joe Root, welcomed the ECB's plans, believing it would attract a completely new audience to the game. [19] ODI and T20 captain Eoin Morgan expressed a similar opinion. [20] Former T20 captain Stuart Broad said he was hugely optimistic about the new format. [21] Michael Vaughan echoed Broad's comments, believing that it would be an appealing concept to broadcasters, and Michael Atherton stated while a T20 match was rarely completed in a three-hour window, this can be achieved with the Hundred. [22]
However, former MCC chief Keith Bradshaw said he hoped the 100-ball tournament would not be "innovation for innovation's sake", and voiced his concern that the new format would mean that the ECB could not exploit the T20 boom. [23] The England and Wales Professional Cricketers' Association announced that, overall, players were "open-minded" about the tournament. [24] FormerIndian captain Virat Kohli cited concerns about the commercialisation of cricket and was not entirely in favour of the new version of the game. [25]
After the teams and branding was announced, anti-obesity groups criticised the sponsorship from snack food company KP Snacks. [26]
Social media reaction has also been split. During the player draft on the 20 October 2019, the Twitter hashtag "#OpposeThe100" began trending, [27] with a vocal section of cricket fans dismayed at the format of the competition, particularly fans of counties whose home grounds are not among the eight used by city franchises. Wisden noted that the response on Twitter and Facebook "has usually been cutting" but there has been less negativity on Instagram which is "mainly used by a younger age group". [9]
Women's cricketers have been particularly enthusiastic about the new format and the decision to run both competitions in parallel, with the same prize money, allowing many to turn professional for the first time. [28]
At the conclusion of the inaugural season, it was revealed that 55% of tickets were bought by people who had never bought one before, and that several records were set with regards to television viewing and match attendance figures, particularly for the women's matches. Former England women's captain Charlotte Edwards said that the tournament had "single-handedly changed women's cricket in this country". [29]
At the conclusion of the second season it was announced that ticket sales had remained relatively stable at 500,000 but that viewing figures from broadcast had dropped by around 2 million compared to the inaugural season, from just over 16 million to 14 million. [30]
The format of the tournament may be changed to T20 format as English cricket continues to debate the tournament's future following top-level discussions over the prospect of opening it up to private investment. [31]
Before the eight teams were confirmed, it was reported that they would carry a different identity from the long-established county teams and would not be named after cities, counties or venues. [32] [33] In May 2019, the team names were revealed to be: [34]
Each team is made up of 15 players, a maximum of four of whom can be overseas players. Players are signed using a draft system common in other franchise leagues. At least one England international player is allocated to each franchise in both the women's and men's competitions. The salary cap for each team for the 2022 season was £1,000,000, rising from £800,000 in 2021. [38]
Season | Date | Venue | Winner | Winning margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 21 August | Lord's, London | Oval Invincibles | 48 runs Scorecard | Southern Brave |
2022 | 3 September | 5 wickets Scorecard | |||
2023 | 27 August | Southern Brave | 34 runs Scorecard | Northern Superchargers | |
2024 | 18 August | London Spirit | 4 wickets Scorecard | Welsh Fire |
Season | Date | Venue | Winner | Winning margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 21 August | Lord's, London | Southern Brave | 32 runs Scorecard | Birmingham Phoenix |
2022 | 3 September | Trent Rockets | 2 wickets Scorecard | Manchester Originals | |
2023 | 27 August | Oval Invincibles | 14 runs Scorecard | ||
2024 | 18 August | 17 runs Scorecard | Southern Brave |
All games are televised by Sky Sports, with the BBC also showing 10 men's and 8 women's games free-to-air. [32] [8]
In Germany, Sky Sport streamed the initial tournament on their website. They used the signal from Sky Sports UK. [39]
|
|
These totals only include completed innings. They also exclude innings where the number of balls to be bowled is reduced, usually because of rain. Successful low scoring run-chases are also excluded.
|
|
|
|
Score | Player | Team | Opposition | Venue | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
101* | Will Smeed | Birmingham Phoenix | Southern Brave | Edgbaston | 10 August 2022 | [49] |
108* | Will Jacks | Oval Invincibles | Southern Brave | The Oval | 14 August 2022 | [50] |
118 | Tammy Beaumont | Welsh Fire | Trent Rockets | Sophia Gardens | 14 August 2023 | [51] [52] [53] |
105* | Harry Brook | Northern Superchargers | Welsh Fire | Headingley | 22 August 2023 | [54] [55] |
|
|
Bowler | Team | Opponent | Figures | Venue | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Imran Tahir | Birmingham Phoenix | Welsh Fire | 5/25 | Edgbaston | 9 August 2021 | [62] |
Alana King | Trent Rockets | Manchester Originals | 4/15 | Old Trafford | 13 August 2022 | [63] |
Shabnim Ismail | Welsh Fire | Birmingham Phoenix | 3/31 | Edgbaston | 10 August 2023 | [64] |
Tymal Mills | Southern Brave | Welsh Fire | 4/13 | Sophia Gardens | 12 August 2023 | [65] |
Sam Curran | Oval Invincibles | London Spirit | 5/16 | Lord’s | 4 August 2024 | [66] |
Kathryn Bryce | Manchester Originals | Northern Superchargers | 5/12 | Old Trafford | 11 August 2024 | [67] |
Twenty20 is a shortened format of cricket. At the professional level, it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for the inter-county competition. In a Twenty20 game, the two teams have a single innings each, which is restricted to a maximum of twenty overs. Together with first-class and List A cricket, Twenty20 is one of the three forms of cricket recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as being played at the highest level, both internationally and domestically.
Women's cricket is the team sport of cricket when played by women. Its rules are almost identical to those in the game played by men, the main change being the use of a smaller ball. Women's cricket is beginning to be played at professional level in 11 of the 12 full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and is played worldwide, especially in Commonwealth nations.
Moeen Munir Ali is an English cricketer, who was formerly vice-captain of England in limited overs cricket. He played for England cricket team between 2014 and 2024. In domestic cricket he represents Warwickshire, having previously played for Worcestershire. He has also played in multiple Twenty20 leagues, including for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.
Alyssa Jean Healy is an Australian cricketer who plays for and captains the Australian women's national team. She also plays for New South Wales in domestic cricket, as well as the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and captains the UP Warriorz in Women's Premier League in India. She made her international debut in February 2010.
Jason Jonathan Roy is an English cricketer who plays for England in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket, and previously played for the Test team. In domestic cricket, he represents Surrey, and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues, including for Gujarat Lions, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League and Paarl Royals (SA20).
Tamsin Tilley Beaumont is an English cricketer who currently plays for Kent, The Blaze, Welsh Fire, Melbourne Renegades and England. She plays primarily as an opening batter and occasional wicket-keeper. She has previously played for Surrey Stars, Adelaide Strikers, Southern Vipers, Sydney Thunder and London Spirit.
Danielle Nicole Wyatt-Hodge is an English cricketer who plays for Sussex, Southern Vipers, Southern Brave and England. She plays as an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling right-arm off break. She made her England debut against India in Mumbai on 1 March 2010.
Heather Clare Knight is an English cricketer who is captain of the England women's cricket team. She is a right-handed batter and right arm off spin bowler. Knight played in her 100th Women's One Day International match for England in December 2019.
Meghann Moira Lanning is an Australian cricketer who formerly captained the national women's team. Lanning has been a member of seven successful world championship campaigns, winning two Women's Cricket World Cup and five ICC Women's World Twenty20 titles. She holds the record for the most Women's One Day International centuries and is the first Australian to score 2,000 Twenty20 International runs.
Natalie Ruth Sciver-Brunt is an English cricketer who represents England in all formats. She was the first cricketer for England to take a hat-trick in a Women's Twenty20 International match. The "Natmeg" shot is named after Sciver-Brunt, from when she has hit a cricket ball through her legs during a game.
Atapattu Mudiyanselage Chamari Jayangani is a Sri Lankan cricketer and the current captain of the women's Twenty20 International team of Sri Lanka. Chamari was the tenth captain for Sri Lanka women's national cricket team. In November 2017, she was named the Women's Cricketer of the Year for the 2016–17 season at Sri Lanka Cricket's annual awards. She is the first Sri Lankan woman to play in franchise cricket. In November 2023, it was announced that a special dedicated seating zone at the Sydney Cricket Ground would be named after her as the Chamari Bay.
Mohammad Rizwan is a Pakistani international cricketer who captains the Pakistan national cricket team in limited overs cricket. He also captains Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans. He is a wicket-keeper batsman.
Liam Stephen Livingstone is an English cricketer who has captained the England ODI team. He also plays for Lancashire. Livingstone is a right-handed batter and spin bowler, capable of bowling both right-arm leg and off spin. He made his Twenty20 debut for Lancashire against Leicestershire in May 2015. He was awarded the Most Valuable Player in the ECB's inaugural The Hundred competition. He was a member of the England team that won the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The Women's Cricket Super League (WCSL), known as the Kia Super League (KSL) for sponsorship reasons, was a semi-professional women's Twenty20 cricket competition in England and Wales operated by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The competition featured six franchise teams, partnered with a variety of county teams and boards and universities, and was envisaged as a means to bridge the gap between amateur domestic cricket and the increasingly professional international game.
Weerahandige Inol Avishka Fernando, commonly as Avishka Fernando, is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer, who currently plays limited over internationals for Sri Lanka national team. He plays for Colts Cricket Club in domestic cricket, and he made his international debut for the Sri Lanka cricket team in August 2016. He had his education in St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa.
Sarah Jennifer Bryce is a Scottish cricketer who plays for the national cricket team as a wicket-keeper-batter. At the domestic level, she plays for the Watsonian cricket club, for English teams The Blaze and Kent, and for Welsh Fire.
Kathryn Emma Bryce is a Scottish cricketer and the current captain of the national women's cricket team. An all-rounder, she plays at the domestic level for the Watsonian cricket club, and for English teams The Blaze and Derbyshire; she has also been drafted by Manchester Originals. Previously, she has taken the field for English teams Warwickshire, Loughborough Lightning, Lincolnshire and Trent Rockets. She also plays for the Warriors team in FairBreak Invitational T20 tournaments.
100-ball cricket is a short form of cricket designed to attract new audiences to the game with simplified rules, which was originally created by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for its new city-based competition The Hundred.
Northern Superchargers are a franchise 100-ball cricket side based in the English city of Leeds. The team represents the areas of North East England and Yorkshire in The Hundred competition, which first took place during the 2021 English and Welsh cricket season. Both sides play at Headingley Cricket Ground.
The The Hundred 2021 was the inaugural season of The Hundred, a professional franchise 100-ball cricket tournament involving eight men's and women's teams located in major cities across United Kingdom. The tournament was run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and took place for the first time, having been delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.