What is The Hundred Cricket: When does The Hundred Start?

What is The Hundred Cricket: Eight men’s and women’s teams would partake in the second edition of The Hundred beginning next month.

After a successful conduction of England and Wales Cricket Board’s professional franchise tournament – ‘The Hundred’ last year in the months of July and August, the second edition of the 100-ball tournament is scheduled to commence from August 3 onwards (for men), with the grand finale to take place on September 3.

As for the women’s fixtures, the second season would commence a week later from August 11 onwards, due to their involvement in the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022.

Men’s champions Southern Braves will host and take on the Welsh Fire in the tournament opener at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, while women’s champion the Oval Invincibles would host Northern Superchargers at The Kia Oval on August 11.

Each of the eight men’s teams would play against the other six teams once, and the remaining, nearest regional rivals twice.

On the other hand, due to women’s cricket’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games this year as well, there will only be six group games for them, which would mean that some teams would not meet during the group stage.

Could you handle the pressure of #TheHundred? 😰@sambillings and @tashfarrant explain how they do it, in partnership with @sure#TestedToTheLimit pic.twitter.com/M9T6YQ4UmY

— The Hundred (@thehundred) July 29, 2022

What is The Hundred Cricket

To brush it up, the Hundred Cricket tournament is a truncated version of the T20 format, although with certain new, yet interesting rules to take the entertainment value a notch-up, with each team slated to face 100 deliveries in each innings.

Firstly, instead of a six-ball Over which marks the change of ends, this format allows a change of ends only after 10 deliveries, with each bowler allowed to bowl either five or ten consecutive balls.

While the first 25-balls constitute the Powerplay in each innings, a bowler can bowl a maximum of only 20 deliveries in a match. A maximum of two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle during the powerplay.

The team which would top the points table after the end of the group stage would qualify directly for the grand finale at the Lord’s Cricket Ground on September 3, while the second and third placed sides would face each other in the ‘Eliminator’, slated to take place on September 2 at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton for both men and women.