New form of Cricket aims to entertain the crowd

The highly-anticipated Hundred Cricket competition, following a 12-month delay due to the global pandemic, is a chance to see cricket in a new light, with shorter 100-ball innings, and eight city-based teams who have men and women sides.

Each innings is split into 20, five-ball overs, where the same bowler must deliver all five balls. The captain decides whether the same bowler should continue for 10 consecutive balls. The Hundred has brought a breath of fresh air to cricket not only in England and Wales but worldwide, providing an additional option to a county system that has been so dominant in both countries since the 17th century.

The new format of cricket represented by eight teams from seven UK cities simplifies the game by abolishing the six-ball “overs”, traditionally played in cricket, and the 120 balls in each innings during Twenty20 matches. The Hundred’s matches last for two-and-a-half hours, the duration for which is far more watchable for television audiences who won’t have to learn too much cricket jargon to enjoy the sport.

Similar to basketball and NFL, Hundred Cricket has a player draft system. For instance, in the women’s game at stage one, all players who signed The Hundred’s 2020 campaign were given the option to roll over their contracts to 2021. This allows them to play for the same team, receiving the same fee. From October 2020-May 2021, each team selects the remainder of their 15-player squads and must sign a minimum of 13 players before the end of stage two. Teams can sign three England Women’s centrally-contracted players (maximum) and three foreign players (maximum). During stage three, if any team is yet to sign a full squad, they have the chance to do so. By the end of this stage, each squad will contain 15 players.

Moreover, the audience thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere that the shorter innings, bring to games, and players’ performances to attract a younger audience. Hundred Cricket has provided a huge platform for millions of fans worldwide to watch talented international players’ performances. It’s hardly surprising that Milne has become the Hundred Cricket’s most valuable player during the tournament so far – he’s been outstanding. As Birmingham Phoenix will be looking to use Milne’s international experience with New Zealand to close in the top two.
The Hundred aims to promote women’s cricket when having a parallel league to the men’s game while pledging equal prize money in both competitions. The one downside is the unequal payments female players receive compared to their male counterparts. Female players contracts are valued at between £3,600-£15,000, compared to male players who receive between £24,000-£100,000. As entertaining as The Hundred is, organizers must implement measures to ensure that male and female players are paid equally. After all, many play for the same teams and share the same responsibilities on and off the pitch.

The Hundred competition’s women’s matches will be followed by men’s games. In both the men’s and women’s competitions, all teams will compete among a group of eight teams, except “rivals” they are paired with who face each other twice. The first-placed side at the end of the group stages progresses to the final while the second and third-place teams battle it out. The Hundred is a much shorter competition than traditional cricket. Matches last for two-and-a-half hours One hundred balls are played in one inning. The scorer of the most runs wins.
Despite still being in its infancy, there is a huge future for Hundred Cricket at the international level.

Consequently, Hundred Cricket appears to be a leading competition that sets an example for world cricket, by creating a simplified match format for millions of people to understand. The similarities between this and county cricket are that even with multiple divisions, many counties will play similar teams over five years. However, with Hundred Cricket, the competition’s celebrity endorsement and entertaining nature will lead to nations under-represented within professional cricket, looking to get involved or create domestic leagues for their clubs.

The Importance of Securing Social Media Platforms

AJK Elections 2021: PM Imran Khan Surprises All

Humanity Before Politics: Practicing kindness & humility

Kashmir: Indian Exploitation & Hindutva Regime