Cricket fans across the country have been blessed with one of the great Test series between England and India – but now it’s time for a different kind of cricket, as a month of 100-ball contests awaits us once more.
August in the cricket calendar now means one thing, The Hundred has become the new norm with all the outside noise and debate around its significance on English cricket that comes with it, writes the Cricket Paper’s Dom Harris.
It has divided opinion since its inception in 2021 but this fifth edition will be a precursor to significant development from 2026, as sales in the stakes of the eight franchises are nearly all ratified and a heavy IPL-influence is expected to shape the competition moving forward.
For now, though, there is not much change besides fresh kits and some squad alterations which, as ever, will take some getting used to in many cases.
Who are the favourites to win The Hundred?
The Oval Invincibles begin as the bookies’ favourites, aiming to win the competition for a third season in a row, with Sam Billings’ side having won the group phase in each of the past two years to qualify directly for the final.
2024 runners-up Southern Brave will once again expect to be in contention, having progressed to the knockout stages in three of the four campaigns under James Vince.
Birmingham Phoenix agonisingly missed out on a place in the final last time after losing in a ‘Super Five’ following a tied Eliminator clash, though will feel their squad is well stacked to finally end their wait for the title.
Meanwhile, Northern Superchargers and Welsh Fire have both yet to crack the top three.
Which England Test players will be playing in The Hundred?
The Hundred continues to benefit from a window free of England internationals, though despite the intense Test series with India having only just concluded, it has been announced that a number of those involved will be immediately available for selection, including Ben Duckett (Birmingham Phoenix), Harry Brook (Northern Superchargers) and Joe Root (Trent Rockets).
Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith will miss London Spirit’s opener on Tuesday and have been temporarily replaced by Dan Douthwaite and John Simpson, whilst the pace quartet of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue are expected to be managed carefully.
Ben Stokes had already decided to opt out to prioritise his fitness ahead of the Ashes this winter after suffering a hamstring injury playing in the tournament last year.
Mark Wood is edging closer to a return but remains without a franchise, whilst Chris Woakes will now not represent his new side Welsh Fire as a result of the injury to his shoulder sustained during the final Test.
Aussie duo among Hundred debutants
Two of the standout overseas signings were Australian batters Steve Smith (Welsh Fire) and David Warner (London Spirit), who will both feature in The Hundred for the very first time.
The pair were both drafted for the inaugural edition in 2020, before it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but will now get their first taste of domestic cricket in England since they both played in the T20 Blast back in 2010.
Warner, 38, will in particular relish his role as the pantomime villain at Lord’s, whilst Smith may equally be in for some mixed receptions in what is an Ashes year, on a ground his international team-mate Marnus Labuschagne has enjoyed a strong relationship in county cricket over the years.
Elsewhere, Kiwi trio Trent Boult (Birmingham Phoenix), Kane Williamson (London Spirit) and Rachin Ravindra (Manchester Originals) will also all play their first matches in the Hundred competition.
Who to watch out for?
In addition to England’s white-ball stars and a crop of exciting overseas talent, including the likes of power hitter Heinrich Klaasen and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, all eyes will be on 43-year-old James Anderson in his first experience of franchise cricket after impressing on his white-ball return for Lancashire in the T20 Blast.
There are also a number of exciting young players who may get the opportunity to showcase themselves on the big stage.
Openers Tawanda Muyeye (Oval Invincibles) and Toby Albert (Southern Brave) scored 516 and 472 runs in the T20 Blast group stage respectively, whilst wicketkeeper Matthew Hurst may be an underrated component of Manchester Originals’ box office batting line-up.
All-rounders Rehan Ahmed (Trent Rockets) and James Coles (Southern Brave) will be looking to build on their county form to push their international credentials, whilst Jafer Chohan (London Spirit) and 17-year-old Farhan Ahmed (Manchester Originals) – the younger brother of Rehan – may offer a glimpse into the future of England’s spin department.
Don’t forget about the One Day Cup!
The Hundred is not the only domestic competition getting underway on Tuesday as the 18 counties embark on their Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign and the path to Trent Bridge final on September 20.
The emphasis placed on 50-over cricket in the current landscape appears increasingly waning and given which side of the coin you’re on, this competition may be viewed as devalued with sides stripped of their best assets or a fabulous opportunity for fringe and youth players to step up, as well as the typically perceived ‘smaller’ counties to potentially compete for silverware.
That is not to say there will not be any high quality cricket on show, with a number of big overseas names still contracted to play a leading role, including the likes of Cameron Bancroft (Gloucestershire), Yuzvendra Chahal (Northamptonshire), Shan Masood (Leicestershire), Daniel Sams (Nottinghamshire) and Tilak Varma (Hampshire) who are all available for at least a section of group stage matches.
In recent times, we have witnessed wonderful scenes with Glamorgan securing the trophy in two of the past four years – their first honours since 2004 – and Leicestershire’s dramatic comeback victory over Hampshire to win their first title since the T20 Blast in 2011.
Which counties are most affected?
As ever, counties are disproportionately impacted by the loss of players to The Hundred, with the constant call-up of injury replacements and the release of Hundred-contracted players back to their counties only adding to the chaotic nature.
Surrey (14), Lancashire (13) and Nottinghamshire (9) have the most players unavailable at the start of the competition, though it can be argued the host counties are better-resourced to handle such disruption and are well-versed in dealing without their England representatives.
Somerset lose eight of their strong T20 contingent, though the West Country outfit have remained a competitive force in reaching the final last time out.
At the other end of the scale, Worcestershire will only be without the services of middle order batter Adam Hose, whilst Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire and defending champions Glamorgan are all without three of their big names.
Domestic talent to keep an eye on
The One Day Cup now offers a platform for young players to have a breakthrough campaign and there are a number of exciting prospects to track:
Will Luxton (YOR) – An ever-present for Yorkshire in the T20 Blast and a surprise omission from a Hundred wildcard deal after impressing with three half-centuries at a strike rate of 158.
Thomas Rew (SOM) – The younger brother of James looks just as ready to make a major impact in the Somerset side, after recently smashing the fastest one-day century for England U19’s against India at Northampton.
Luc Benkenstein (ESS) – Leg-spin all-rounder made useful contributions with both bat and ball in what was a disappointing Blast campaign for Essex, as well as coming into the competition off the back of scoring 197 for the County Select XI against Pakistan Shaheens.
Eddie Jack (HAM) – 19-year-old pace bowler who caught the eye of Andrew Flintoff on England Lions duty this summer, removing the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, and is widely tipped to be a future international Test bowler.
By Dom Harris
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