The Hundred: England's New Cricket Format Fully Explained
The Hundred is a 100-ball-per-innings format launched by the ECB in 2021. Each bowler delivers either 5 or 10 consecutive balls, teams change ends every 10 balls, and the format is designed for evening broadcasts and new audiences.
What Is The Hundred?
The Hundred is a franchise cricket competition created by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2021. It is played between eight city-based teams (Manchester Originals, London Spirit, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets, Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire, Birmingham Phoenix) in a 100-ball format — not the usual overs of 6 balls. Each innings is 100 balls. The competition runs in August each year. Men's and women's competitions are played simultaneously, with double-headers at the same grounds.
The 100-Ball Format: Key Rules
1. Each innings lasts exactly 100 balls (equivalent to 16.4 overs in traditional cricket). 2. Bowlers bowl either 5 or 10 consecutive balls — the captain can choose when to switch (after 5 balls minimum, the current bowler can be relieved). 3. Teams change ends every 10 balls (instead of every 6 balls in standard cricket). 4. Each bowler can bowl a maximum of 20 balls per innings. 5. There is a strategic timeout (one per team, like basketball) that lasts 90 seconds. 6. There are 25-ball 'power surge' periods at the start when only 2 fielders are outside the inner ring (similar to powerplay).
Why 100 Balls? The Design Rationale
The ECB designed The Hundred to be broadcast-friendly (roughly 2.5 hours per game including the interval), easy for new fans to understand ('100 balls and it's done'), and schedulable for evening slots on free-to-air TV (BBC TV has broadcast rights, the first time cricket has been on free-to-air BBC in 20 years). T20 is 120 balls per innings; The Hundred's 100 balls is slightly shorter and its scheduling against school holidays in August maximises family attendance.
The Teams and Players
Each team is assembled via a player draft and salary cap. Teams can sign overseas players (maximum 5 per squad). English players are assigned to teams through a bid process. Top international players — Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Pat Cummins, Jofra Archer — have played in The Hundred. Women's teams include England internationals and top overseas players. The format's appeal to top overseas talent has grown since 2021 as the competition's profile has risen.
Controversy: County Cricket vs The Hundred
The Hundred has been controversial since its launch. County cricket supporters argue it: disrupts the county championship schedule, devalues traditional cricket, prioritises marketing over cricketing quality, and was created from scratch rather than evolving organically. Supporters argue: it attracted 3 million new fans in 2022, introduced cricket to children who had no prior engagement, and its free-to-air BBC broadcast (not on subscription Sky Sports) reaches audiences that county cricket cannot. The debate reflects a wider tension in cricket between tradition and accessibility.
The Hundred Finals Day
The men's and women's finals are played on the same day at Lord's Cricket Ground in August — Finals Day. The women's final is played first, followed by the men's final, creating a full day of cricket at the home of the game. Finals Day has sold out in every year since the competition launched and is considered one of English cricket's signature event days. The format guarantees a result in the final (no draw is possible in a limited-overs match).