The Hundred returns tomorrow for its supposedly ‘difficult second album’. However, all the feeling and excitement around the tournament, following a superb debut campaign, means that there is plenty of optimism that it will not suffer from second season syndrome and instead go from strength to strength.
Here’s everything you need to know as The Hundred's sophomore season gets underway.
When is it?
The month-long tournament will take place between the 3rd August and the 3rd September.
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What teams are taking part?
The same teams from last year are involved. They are:
Birmingham Pheonix
London Spirit
Manchester Originals
Northern Superchargers
Oval Invincibles
Southern Brave
Trent Rockets
Welsh Fire
Has the format changed?
Nope. The eight teams will play each other once in the group stage, before the top team progresses to the final. Second and third place will then face off in the eliminator to decide who plays the team that finished first in the final. It’s the same for both the women and the men.
Where can I watch?
Every match of The Hundred will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket but fear not if you want to watch for free - the BBC also show 10 mens' and 8 womens' games throughout the tournament.
What is the first match?
The men get things underway as Southern Brave take on Welsh Fire on Wednesday night. It’s a sell-out on the south coast as interest in the event continues to rise!
The green suites you @Joe_Weatherley 😉
Has the money gone up?
Salaries for male players will increase by 25% on the previous year, with each team allowed to spend up to £1m on wages for the month-long contest. Pay for female players have been more than doubled on the previous year, with each team given £250,000 to spend on salaries.
So which cricketers are playing?
There’s a whole host of names to get excited about so let’s start with the men. Jos Buttler is turning out for Manchester Originals again along with West Indies star Andre Russell. Tim David will be hoping to make a bigger impact this time around with Southern Brave, while Jonny Bairstow and Ollie Pope are at Welsh Fire. Adil Rashid is at Nothern Superchargers, Joe Root is back with Trent Rockets and Jack Leach is at Birmingham Phoenix.
This is set to be another massive year for the women. After the Lionesses Euro 2022 win there is a real buzz about women’s sport, and now it's time for the cricketers to take centre stage. Tammy Beaumont is turning out for Welsh Fire, while India star Jemimah Rodrigues remains at Northern Superchargers.
Wicket keeper Amy Jones will play for Birmingham Phoenix again while all-rounder Deandra Dottin should be eye-catching at Manchester Originals. Nat Sciver is at Trent Rockets with Meg Lanning while Heather Knight is at London Spirit. There’s a whole lot to look forward to!
Who are the reigning champions?
For the women, Oval Invincibles will look to retain their title, while for the men, Southern Brave will hope to defend their crown.
Who are the favourites?
The bookies are backing Southern Brave to win both tournaments as the women are favourites at 7/2, while the men are 11/4.
*18+ | BeGambleAware
