Taking place between 23 July and 18 August, the 2024 running of The Hundred is set to be one of the most action-packed yet. Whether you’re new to the tournament and want to find out more about its history or simply want to find out what’s on, where and when, we’ll cover everything you need to know right here.
What is The Hundred?Â
Although the sport of cricket is steeped in tradition, it’s not afraid of innovation. The Hundred is a great example of this. Launched in 2021, The Hundred was a whole new type of cricket tournament created with one goal in mind: to widen the sport’s fanbase.
When you’re watching a new sport for the first time, what’s the hardest thing to get your head around? The vast majority of the time, it’s the rules of play that newcomers struggle with – and that’s exactly what sets The Hundred apart from other cricket series.
Known as 100-ball cricket, The Hundred’s pioneering format introduced a stripped-back ruleset and shorter matches (in comparison to Twenty20 cricket). Two teams compete against each other, each over a single innings – and no more than 100 balls can be used during the match. Its organisers, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), first trialled the 100-ball format in amateur competition, but the 2021 running of The Hundred was the first time this format appeared in a professional setting.
Evidently, the format was a hit. Here we are in 2024, and The Hundred continues to grow year after year. The 100-ball format results in explosive, action-packed games that keep you on the edge of your seat – perfect for viewers who haven’t watched a full-length cricket match before. For those who have, the level of skill on display and the sheer competitiveness of The Hundred makes it utterly unmissable.
How does the tournament work?
During the 2024 edition of The Hundred, eight city-based cricket teams will compete for overall honours in seven different cities across the UK. We’ll cover these teams in more detail below, but they’re not existing squads you’ll recognise from other tournaments: they’ve each been assembled specifically for The Hundred.
Each of these teams has both a men’s and women’s lineup, who each compete in separate competitions which are run simultaneously. The tournament begins with a group stage. The winner of this phase of competition gets a free pass to the final, while the second and third-placed teams battle it out in the eliminators. The winner of the eliminators will then join the winner of the group stage in the final.
Which teams are playing this year?
As we mentioned above, The Hundred is a tournament not for existing teams, but for specially-assembled squads from across the UK. Each team has a total of 15 players containing up to four pros from outside of the UK. In the men’s competition, a maximum of two England players are allowed to join each squad.
The 2024 running of The Hundred will see the following teams take part, including star players like Jos Buttler, Tom Banton, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Jordan Cox and Hayley Matthews:
- Birmingham Phoenix (Edgbaston)
- London Spirit (Lord’s)
- Manchester Originals (Emirates Old Trafford)
- Northern Superchargers (Headingley)
- Oval Invincibles (The Kia Oval)
- Southern Brave (Utilita Bowl)
- Trent Rockets (Trent Bridge)
- Welsh Fire (Sophia Gardens)
Who will take the honours this year is anyone’s guess, but last year Oval Invincibles won the men’s competition and Southern Brave took first place in the women’s tournament. Will they be able to defend their titles this time around? You’ll have to tune in to find out!
When (and where) does it take place?
The Hundred gets underway on 23 July and wraps up on 18 August. To view a complete fixture list, head over to The Hundred’s official website.Â
In terms of venues, the competition takes place in the following locations:
- Edgbaston
- Emirates Old Trafford
- Headingley
- Lord’s
- Sophia Gardens
- Utilita Bowl
- The Kia Oval
- Trent Bridge
The first matches take place at the Kia Oval in Lambeth, as do the eliminators, while the final is scheduled to take place at the legendary Lord’s cricket ground in St John’s Wood.
How can I watch it?
The best way to catch the action is to attend a game in person by booking tickets on The Hundred’s official site – but you can still follow every single ball of the tournament from the comfort of your own home.
Sky Sports has a channel dedicated to the tournament, aptly named Sky Sports The Hundred. This is the best place to watch every single moment of the action, although you will need a Sky Sports subscription to access it.
If you want to watch along for free, BBC Sports is the place to be. They don’t broadcast every match live, however.
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