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Caption: The Hundred is all geared to go again this August
Despite its delay and, it’s safe to say, less than enthusiastic reaction when it was initially announced, the first season of The Hundred was an unqualified success. Crowds flocked to the matches, new teams were embraced, and crucially, the cricket did not disappoint .With the cricket season already upon us in England, everything is gearing up for the second season of The Hundred. The clubs and players have been selected once again, promotions and marketing is in full swing, the bookies are ready with their no deposit free bets and fans are preparing themselves for another rollercoaster festival of cricket. If the weather behaves, it looks like it could be an incredible summer of cricket in England, with The Hundred front and center at a domestic level. If you are still unsure what The Hundred is, our whistle-stop guide will tell you all you need to know.
What is The Hundred
Board. Not only do the rules differ from every other form of the game, they created 8 new teams, getting away from the traditional county bias that has been in English cricket since it began, and basing the teams around home cities instead.
Those teams are:
Birmingham Phoenix
London Spirit
Manchester Originals
Northern Superchargers
Oval Invincibles
Trent Rockets
Southern Brave
Welsh Fire
The players are picked via a draft system, like with the IPL, with players from home and overseas being selected regardless of their county teams. Details of this year’s draft and teams can be found here.
The games consist of 2 innings, with 100 balls per innings. Instead of overs, the game is divided into groups of ten balls, with the fielding side changing ends every ten balls. A bowler bowls the whole ten balls, or swaps after five. Each bowler bowls a maximum of 20 balls per innings. Like with other short formats of the game, there is a powerplay. In The Hundred, this is in place for the first 25 balls, with only two fielders being allowed outside the 30-yard circle.
Another feature of the format is that it gives equal precedence to the women’s and men’s game. With both teams playing after each other in double headers. One ticket gets access to both matches.
The Hundred 2021
The format for the inaugural season was the same as or the 2022 one, with the eight teams playing each of the other teams once. The team that finishes top progresses to the final, with the second and third placed teams playing off for their chance to get into the final.
In the women’s game, the Southern Braves dominated the league, winning all but one game, and finishing top with 14 points ahead of the Oval Invincibles on 9. Birmingham Phoenix on 8 points went into the eliminator courtesy of a superior net run rate over London Spirit. Oval Invincibles beat Birmingham in the eliminator to face Southern Braves and, despite finishing well below them in the league, beat them by 48 runs to win the trophy for the London based side.
It was a lot closer in the men’s game. Birmingham Phoenix won the league with 12 points, edging out Southern Brave and Trent Rockets on 11 and 10 respectively. Southern Brave won the eliminator by 7 wickets, and then triumphed in the final, beating Birmingham by 32 runs.
Caption: Every ball counts in this new format of the game.
When does The Hundred Start?
The 2022 season begins on the 3rd August, with the Southern Braves facing Welsh Fire at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The games come thick and fast with fixtures taking place every day for the rest of August. Friday the 2nd September sees the eliminators take place , again at the Ageas Bowl, before the finals on the following day at Lord’s
The game certainly captured the enthusiasm of the cricketing public, with huge crowds flocking to the matches which are put on in the evenings on weekdays and then at weekends. It is a chance to see the world’s best short-form players in a format designed to ensure that every ball counts and looks set to become a much loved part of the cricketing calendar.
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