So the ECB’s answer to the Indian Premier League and the Aussie’s Big Bash finally arrived yesterday evening, having been postponed for a year. I’m sure most of us are aware of the premise, but if not it’s a new cricket competition where each side faces 100 balls that are divided into five (or 10) sets (rather than a six ball over), so it’s shorter than T20 cricket but otherwise still follows one day cricket in that the team who scores most wins. Unless it rains.
But was it any good? Well, it was like cricket… Only shorter. I actually liked that each innings (are they still called that) lasted less than 80 minutes. I find that in T20 the amount of overs per hour has dipped down and down in recent years. Another positive is that the men’s tournament and the women’s tournament are running side by side, lots of double header games, higher profile for the women’s game etc. And some of the games are live on the Beeb, can’t be bad. Last night’s game (are they still called that) was between the women’s franchises representing Manchester and the Oval. it was pretty close, came down to the last few balls and was pretty exciting. I enjoyed it and might take the family to a game if we can get one near to us, although I have no idea who I’d support (maybe the Nottingham team as their kit looks like a bag of skips).
Anyone else have thoughts on this.
My village team has just folded due to lack of fit and healthy players. It’s 20 years since I stopped playing due to repeatedly dislocating my left knee (and breaking my nose decades before that).
But I did like to go down and sit in a deckchair for an afternoon to watch them invariably get trounced by the visiting opposition. At least the matches were over and done with quickly.
You have to be fit and healthy to play cricket? What madness is this?
Not sure that changing ends every ten balls instead of every six is going to bring a massive influx of new fans to the game, but I don’t have any complaints about the entertainment on offer last night. Good game, exciting finish, I’ll watch again tonight
20 over cricket is always discussed as if it is a new thing. I was playing it in the 70s, starting and finishing a game in an evening.
Slight digression. Over rates annoy the hell out of me. In test matches it seems that it is impossible to get 90 overs in a normal day, they are always extended. Normal rates being 12 or 13 an hour. Occasional meagre penalties are served out. I would propose 10 runs added to opposition score for every over under 15 in an hour. That would speed them up.
I remember them discussing over rates on TMS back in the 80’s (I’m sure they did it earlier than that). The idea mooted at the time is that you get the 30 overs a session in, and you don’t get fed until the 30 overs are bowled, but still have to come out at 1.40, 4.00 etc. I’m pretty sure that would have motivated a few of them back then, not so sure now.
Yes, also a bit unfair on the batsmen (or women), unless of course they are slowing it down deliberately.
Over rates in domestic T20 have been fine since its inception (75 minutes to start the final over or it’s a five run penalty) but international T20 over rates are dreadful, much like test cricket. It does need sorting.
I liked what I saw last night, though the graphics looked like that Northern Uproar website that still seemed to be around until recently.
I do love the T20. We live in flats to the side of the Sussex Cricket ground in Hove, and the communal roof terrace is the best seat in the house. True story – two weeks ago I came out of the block and two young fellows on those electric scooters, the ones you stand on, came towards me along the pavement. They stopped, politeness itself, and one of them said ‘Do you live there? That must be brilliant for watching the cricket’ ‘Yeah I do’ I replied, ‘and I particularly enjoy watching you bowling’. And with that, Jofra Archer said ‘Cheers mate’ and sped off.
I don’t consider 20/20 or the Hundred to be real cricket. Is is contrived entertainment which is fair enough. But the balance is so much in favour of the bat that it becomes ultimately tedious. Sixes used to be a rarity that were celebrated with gusto, now they are hitting them off every second ball. Fun I suppose, but not really cricket.
Excuse a cricket ignoramus, but how does the format make sixes easier? Isn’t the same ball bowled the same way the same distance?
I’m not sure there are that many sixes. Not that I’m a statto, but I looked up a few results, and aside from the Windies the other day, there tend to be no more than four or five sixes per innings. The battle so often seems to be between fielders and batsmen trying for a second run. There’s no place for the Tuffnell style fielder doing bugger all on the boundary these days.
Shorter boundaries, different types of balls (one per end so they retain hardness), field restrictions, heavier bats, pitches that favour batting etc
https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/284019.html
One guy (Zazai) hit 16 sixes in one 20 over innings
I caught a bit of it and frankly didn’t have a clue what was going on, nor any idea what that stats in the 80s video game graphics meant. I guess it was aimed at people like me who find the idea that cricket can be entertaining a novelty. It did at least have the virtue that something appeared to be happening even if I had no idea what it was.
The graphics seemed to have been stolen directly from Ceefax.
I’ve tried every picture size setting on my reasonably up to date telly and only about half of the graphics on either side of the screen are showing. At the moment it’s ‘uns ired 8’, ‘score 8’ and ‘bal lef 5’.
I’ve no idea who’s winning.
As someone who previously found cricket the sporting equivalent of watching paint dry – slowly – I’ve come to enjoy 20/20 and now this. It’s not for purists for sure, but they are a diminishing breed and this format is way more accessible, particularly to TV. Off the back of this I’ve agreed to go to a 50 over Royal London Cup match, which is likely to test my staying power.
I’m off with my grandson to The Hundred at The Oval tonight. I’ll let you know what I think tomorrow. I’m looking forward to a great summers evening.
Well we had a great evening at The Oval last night. It may not be for everyone and I understand why there is a lot of oppostition but I’m sitting here this morning listening to my grandson give his opinions on the replay we are watching and he is really interested in the game. We have been to T20 before but I think that this format has been much more appealing to him. We have tickets to the final and we may get to more games. If it get’s him into the cricket and we can spend some time together I’m all for it. The atmosphere was great at the ground and the tickets are well priced(all kids £5). They seem unable to run the bars which is a pain at The Oval. Lots of staff at the bars but nobody has any sense of urgency and many just stand around looking like they don’t know what they are doing. We had a great evening and we’re looking forward to the final at Lords.
I am pleased you both had a good time. The Oval is a great place with a sizeable crowd. If it triggers an interest in proper cricket in your grandson, then maybe the ECB are spot on and I don’t know what I’m talking about. If you are going to Lords for the final, apply for a second mortgage right now if you intend to use the bars there.
Still, 100 balls… bit tedious. Takes so long. Why not 50? 30? Now THAT would be exciting entertainment.
I do understand your point of view @Slug and some of my friends feel the same.
Re your last comment re ‘100 balls…..a bit tedious’.
Classical music….. two hour operas,symphonies a bit tedious. Takes so long. Why not Lp’s/45’s? Now THAT would be exciting entertainment.
No matter how thin you cut the cake there’s always two sides!
The more cricket the merrier I say.
I love cricket in all its forms. This seems OK, although quite why we need a just slightly shorter version eludes me at the moment. The worst thing was the on screen graphics which were very intrusive and difficult to actually understand. The usual T20 style strip along the bottom would have been fine.
Not sure why it’s ‘The Hundred’ rather than T20. There’s also a T10 tournament out in the middle east and I think South Africa had a Three Team game last year- 3TC. Perhaps that’s where we’re at right now, do something different.
Didn’t mind the branding so much, but got confused as they were showing runs required rather than runs scored in the second innings.
Let’s cut to the chase and have a one over match, if that is too long we can cut it down to one delivery per team. So exciting!
Simple why it’s the Hundred. When the ECB came up with the T20 idea for first class sides, the idea was to play a game starting after office hours that could be played on long midsummer evenings in daylight (no floodlights at English grounds back in 2003). At the time, they gave no thought to any sort of copyright on the concept, so any other cricket board could launch their own version for free.
The Hundred was devised to be different so that the ECB could establish rights on the idea, so anyone else wanting to use the concept will have to pay them for a licence to do so.
The marketing man who came up with the T20 idea in 2003, a bloke called Tom Harrison.
The current chief executive of the ECB? Some bloke called Tom Harrison.
I loathe the concept of The Hundred and find myself hoping it falls flat on its bloated arse as quickly as possible. I am in the cricket purist camp. I adore Test and particularly county cricket, and have been a member of my county club since I was 15. I enjoy most sports but I frickin’ love cricket, me.
It is driven by the ineptly run ECB (the governing body of English (and Welsh) cricket) in the hope that, by dismantling the 250 year old basics of the game to the lowest common denominator, and chucking in a boy band or two, stupid made-up “franchise” (ugh) names and some fireworks, hundreds of thousands of folk who had no previous interest in the sport whatsoever will suddenly be tempted to come flocking.
There is nothing wrong with the current 20/20 Blast competition, which is based on the traditional county structure. Its has plenty of attacking strokes, exciting finishes, it draws large crowds, it brings in the money, and is an entertaining day or evening out. It particularly attracts those who have minimal interest in cricket and mainly fancy a boozy outing. Not really my cuppa, but still.
You will find an almost negative level of support for The Hundred amongst those people who actually regularly pay out to attend the real thing. Why? Because it adversely affects the county game, which is the font of England qualified Test players. It takes away the counties best players and insists that the County Championship can continue anyway with reserve and youth players. It thoroughly diminishes real cricket and thus threatens the future of the England test side. The ECB had to bribe each of the first class counties, many of whom operate at regular financial loss, with a one-off 20k payment to buy their agreement to it.
We are informed that this is all to attract those with no prior interest in cricket, especially women and children. If people whose first reaction to cricket is “it’s soooo boring!” need to be attracted by sparkly bells and whistles, then bless their cotton socks but they are probably going to lack the patience for even a couple of hours play. What are they supposed to find enticing? Oh look, yet another six hit by someone I’ve never heard of, playing for an artificial team who were formed last week by a marketing company. Be still my beating heart, I can barely contain my excitement, and at least little Damian and Kylie got a free hat each and a flag to wave. That girl singer at half time wasn’t too bad, was she? Oooh, look, more fireworks. Yay! Go South London Superblasters!!
Imagine a new football league consisting of no offside rule, no defenders, double sized goals, bigger and lighter balls, brand new teams you have zero affiliation to, singers and dancing troupes at half time with music you don’t like, and your own club has to allow its best players to disappear to play in it with no compensation.
To hell in a handcart with The Hundred, and may it disappear up its own tailpipe rapidly, if only to humiliate the ECB hierarchy and highlight their gross stupidity.
Post of the year!
“strokes, exciting finishes, it draws large crowds, in the money”
Paging Moose – I think he’s talking about Dogging.
“disappear up its own tailpipe”…oh dear
No ball!
Thanks for posting this @slug It pretty much mirrors my thoughts. I do however love T20 it does all they want The Hundred to and more. Oh except the BBC can’t fit it into their schedules…. I’m going to a Hundred game with my lads out of curiosity. The Blast this year and the 3 match International series against Pakistan have set a really high standard for The Hundred to match. I think it’s doomed before it’s started
When the BBC signed up for their current broadcasting deal with the ECB, they thought they were getting a new T20 competition. The stupidity that is The Hundred came after the deal had been signed.
Mind you, the way the BBC are promoting and obsessing over The Hundred is absolutely sickening.
Agree 100%
When the Big Bash started in Australia it was along the same state lines as the Sheffield Shield and it was a bit of fun to watch on a summer evening. Then it started to become popular and it was realised more games could be played with more teams so city based franchises were created.
Inter-state rivalries have existed for generations and you are born into it and its what makes Australian cricket tick. There are only six states, so only six teams, and they each have their own personality. No matter who you are playing you hate losing to them.
Once the marketing gurus got involved it was no longer Victoria vs New South Wales but Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers. I don’t give a shit about them! No one does!
I’ve only seen one Big Bash game in Brisbane and I hated it. The right frame of mind for watching cricket is contemplative, with occasional bursts of mild excitement; stupid team names, hyperactive commentators yelling in my ear, giant migraine-inducing screens and capering idiots in bear suits are not what I want. Fortunately the game was rained off after one innings.
I am 103.
Can I put you down as a maybe, @slug ?
I’ll think about it.
Meanwhile, the women’s first Hundred game saw the biggest TV audience ever – around 1.6m (with a peak of nearly 4m) and the biggest attendance for a women’s domestic game.
We should be happy for the TV companies even at the expense of the good of the sport?
Given that womens’ cricket has only been televised for about five years – and indeed only from last year on terrestrial television in highlights form, usually at 11.45pm or later – are the viewing figures so surprising? Particularly when it was shown at a prime evening slot, simultaneously on both BBC 2 and Sky. On at the same time on more than one channel? Only football World Cup finals and major terrorist atrocities normally have that honour these days. Oh, and it was live streamed on YouTube as well. It was pretty hard to miss, really.
The BBC are blowing the trumpet frantically for The Hundred, having invested in it very heavily. Their website even deems the fact that – get this – “More than 3.8m people watched at least three minutes of the game” worthy of note. Three whole minutes! Wow, well done ECB, a real social break-through there. Well worth killing off the sport you are supposed to be looking after for that.
I grew up on televised cricket, watching JPS games on a Sunday and Test Match in the school holidays (cheaper than a baby sitter, apparently), so I am grateful of the live cricket on the telly. I hope that it attracts young ‘uns to the game, just like it did for me in the ’80’s. Clearly the Hundred is not for the purists, but neither was T20 or the years of messing with the formula for domestic one day cricket (40, 50, 55, 60 overs).
Looking at your point about the county game, I suspect that the problem we have in England and Wales is that there are a lot of counties and to make a similar tournament to the IPL or BBL over here (with the view of attracting more people to enjoy the game) means that some of the less fashionable counties (of which I include my own) would either have to take a back seat or have a less fashionable second division competition.
Both the IPL and BBL are competed for by artificial franchise teams, so it is perhaps logical that the ECB believed they had to go down that route. Indian domestic cricket is a rather different case anyway, as the international team has always drawn much more interest than the state sides there.
Really, my point is that the ECB has bet its house and the financial future of English cricket on a creation that the fans of the sport do not recognise and feel absolutely no connection with. In that, it is no different to football’s proposed European Super League that met with so much derision a few months back.
Moreover, it has marginalized and belittled the very competition on which English cricket has been built for well over 120 years, removing it from the prime period of mid summer to the far edges of the season, when the weather is more likely to be poor.
Couldn’t have expressed it better.
Spot on posts from Slug. Sums up my utter antipathy to the concept.
The onslaught of positivity from Sky and the Beeb and the talking heads employed by both is predictable. Interesting no comments allowed as yet on the Beeb’s coverage.
Very noticeable how they have light entertainment comedy duo Vaughan and Tuffnell fronting up the commentary and have kept “serious” cricket commentators like Agnew far away from it. Tuffnell is just about bearable but Vaughan makes me want to pull my own teeth out. He has a strange obsession with players’ haircuts, so he’s ideal for this.
Jonathan Agnew has never gone anywhere near T20. The reason the bellend Vaughan has an obsession with hair is his own lack of it, being well known for promoting the same hair restoeing studio as Shane ‘plastic man’ Warne.
I agree with much of what has been said. But unlike others, I don’t think there is a future for 18 countries, whatever the format of the game, especially as the longer and shorter forms of the game increasingly require different skills and different squads. As a supporter of a relatively inpecunious county, I take no pleasure in saying this, but I am being realistic.
Yes, I fully accept that the long term financial future for teams like Derbyshire and Leicestershire is grim, and some form of regional merger may well be necessary to keep first class cricket going in those areas. I believe only two counties (Lancashire and Surrey) of the 18 run at a regular profit, and obviously that is an unsustainable situation.
Cricket fans are not the entrenched, blazered traditionalists we are portrayed as. The rapid acceptance and popularity of the T20 competition is evidence that we understand the sport needs to generate money. But it does not need to loose its heart and soul in the process, and The Hundred does just that.
Oh lord, that was a poor presentation last night. Interviewing kids live on TV is rarely a good idea (do you give them two possible answers to your question or hope they’ll come up with something themselves?), and doing so whilst action is going on in the background detracts further still. A judiciously hit six would’ve shut up the musicians. They may as well go the whole hog and have the batsmen wear masks like wrestlers, so the bowling side don’t know who they are. Or better still, have a Fred Willard character in the commentary box like in Best In Show, asking the questions we really want to hear.
I thought this was a post about the @pencilsqueezer designed designer Ts that are arriving on lucky doormats today!!
https://weare1of100.co.uk/clothing/all-t-shirts/t-shirts/mantle-brewery-x-pete-billington/
(Yup, I’m a lucky doormat)
I’d post my own thoughts but they’re pretty well summed up by this gentleman so I’ll just put the link instead – https://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/love-minus-a-hundred/
Looks like not much of a crowd at Trent Bridge. A 70s/80s era Gillette Cup Q-final would be a sell out.
Wow the on screen graphics are horrendous, whose idea was that? Looks like children’s television (pre teens)
“Welsh Fire” win, this is a great competition 😉
Johnny Bairstow sounds great in a Welsh accent too…
Just realized he was playing for “us”, teams seem a bit random
@dai
Is a tad random. Middlesex players playing for Oval Invincibles?
Bizarre, guess they are trying to even up the teams?
The teams were selected by a US style draft selection process that was held about 18 months ago, hence the strange situation of established county players appearing for teams in areas they have no historical connection to.
Damn. Just been telling all my friends that Jonny Bairstow is actually Welsh…
Half century (raises bat, signals to pitch side dugout).
Was at Headingley today for two excellent games. The 19 year olds had a great time, which is I think the point.
I listen to a lot of cricket online and on the radio, it being my preferred background ‘noise’ for working. I’ve found it an odd listen, I think because of the 5-ball ‘overs’ and end changes. Six-balls and change ends has a certain cadence to it in the commentary, which to my ear The Hundred lacks.
I’m not a fan of T20, and prefer four/five day matches and 50-over.
I certainly don’t have a problem with the commentators; its nice that BBC can deploy both a test side, and limited overs.
My main gripe with the 100 is that there’s a perfectly good T20 series in existence, which could have been tweaked – more overseas players for the existing counties, say – and retain the links to the existing counties. As a long term Somerset supporter, I’m afraid I’m somewhat detached from the 100.
I am confused, don’t they change ends after 10 ball “overs”, but they can be delivered in sets of 5 by 2 different bowlers?
Yes, end change after ten balls. Bowlers can deliver five or ten consecutive balls. Each bowler can deliver no more than twenty balls.
…and the ECB are under the impression that this is all much, much easier for the novice to grasp than rules that have worked perfectly well for nearly all eternity.
they might say that, but what they actually want is a city franchise model along the lines of the IPL that is just different enough from the existing T20 competition that Sky’s lawyers don’t phone up and start wondering about all the money they paid for those rights…
The free-to-air audiences for the T20s BBC have shown are impressive, so I suspect you’re right KD.
There’s been some pressure from the ECB in recent years to re-organise the county structure, and reduce the number of sides to about the number of Hundred franchises. Bob Willis was quite vocal about this, so slightly ironic that the counties are playing for a championship trophy named for him.
Problem is, who’s going to say to Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Durham or whoever that they have to merge with someone or they’re defunct?
The county structure – like many things in this country – is a mess, arrived at by accident, but the clubs are just that – clubs, owned by their members, who just happen to be able to field sides good enough to be professionals.
I’m only familiar with Somerset, but their sides have players from Cornwall, Devon and Dorset in them.
County clubs are mostly owned by and run as membership clubs. Hampshire for one, however, are owned by Rod Bransgrove, who took over to stop the club going bankrupt, and subsequently financed the construction of the Rose Bowl.
I’ve got the commentary on the radio for tonight’s game while I eat my tea.
Malan has just been given out but before that the commentary said “Malan is taking his time, 3 rd ball and he’s yet to score…”
Root Golden Duck now!
Not saying I’m a convert as clearly the Hundred lacks the ebb and flow of a five dayer but that was good fun!
I’ve just got home from Trent Bridge after what turned out to be a cracking game. More a case of the Superchargers losing the game than the Rockets winning it with Stokes dropping an absolute dolly which Hales took full advantage of. I really do hope he gets another crack at the England side. I’d argue that he has more than served his time for those silly misdemeanors.
Some observations:
Not sure about the format. It’s no different to T20 with the exception of some quirky rules which probably detract rather than add to the game.
Given all the star players, home grown and overseas, I’m not convinced the standard is any better than the Blast. I’d back the Notts Outlaws to beat any of the teams I’ve seen so far, either live or on TV. Four Notts players scored over half the Rockets’ runs this evening.
The entertainment was very hit and miss. The live act was actually okay albeit not a genre I listen to much. The DJ frankly needs shooting (if I’m allowed to say that). He played a load of dross when all people wanted was something they knew and could sing along to.
It felt weird, really weird being in such a crowded environment after so long. Who knows, I might end up regretting it but hopefully everyone there keeps safe and well.
I’ve got a ticket for one more home game but not sure I’d go to the other two. I think 16 months of peace and quiet has had an effect on me and I’m not sure I could put up with much more of the racket served up at every opportunity. Grumpy old git or what. 🤣
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/30/pom-bears-popchips-and-hula-hoops-why-the-hundred-is-so-hard-to-digest