The Hundred: England's 100-Ball Format Explained
The Hundred is England's 100-ball cricket competition launched in 2021 — a new format designed to attract new audiences with faster gameplay, TV-friendly scheduling, and city-based franchises. This guide explains the rules, franchise structure, controversies, and how The Hundred compares to T20.
The Hundred is a 100-ball cricket competition run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), launched in 2021 after a one-year COVID delay. Each team faces 100 balls (not overs) — with bowlers bowling either 5-ball or 10-ball spells (to create variety and TV clarity). The format was specifically designed to: attract non-cricket fans with a simpler ball-count concept; fit a 2.5-hour broadcast window; use city-based franchises (rather than county names) to build non-traditional audiences; and create a women's competition with equal prominence to the men's.
The 100-Ball Rules
The Hundred's distinctive rules: each innings is 100 balls (not 20 overs); bowlers bowl in blocks of 5 balls from one end, then 5 from the other (or 10 consecutive from one end — the captain chooses); the scoring follows standard cricket (boundaries, running); powerplay is the first 25 balls (only 2 fielders outside the inner ring); after 25 balls, 5 fielders can be placed outside. The 'change of end' mid-over is The Hundred's most visible innovation — creating the unusual sight of a bowler bowling from both ends in the same spell.
The Women's Hundred
The Hundred was specifically structured to give equal prominence to women's cricket — women's matches are doubleheaders with the men's equivalent franchise (same team names, same venues, same broadcast slot). This 'doubleheader' model has been credited with significantly increasing women's cricket attendance in England: the 2022 women's final at Lord's attracted 17,000 spectators, and the women's competition's average attendance exceeded England's previous women's county matches by factors of 10 or more. The model has been studied by other boards considering women's cricket investment.
The Hundred vs T20 Blast
The T20 Blast (county-based T20 competition) and The Hundred now coexist in England's domestic cricket calendar — both competing for player attention, broadcast time, and spectator interest. The ECB's position is that they're complementary (The Hundred for new audiences, T20 Blast for traditional cricket fans). The Hundred's 2024 season averaged 20,000 attendances per match — higher than T20 Blast group stages but lower than T20 Blast finals day. The 49% private investment means The Hundred is now semi-commercially driven, reducing ECB's exposure but raising questions about cricket's development priorities.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Hundred cricket competition?
The Hundred is England's 100-ball cricket competition run by the ECB, launched in 2021. Each team faces exactly 100 balls (not overs), with bowlers bowling in blocks of 5 or 10 balls. It features 8 city-based franchises (not county teams) and runs doubleheader men's and women's matches. It was designed to attract new audiences with a simpler scoring concept and 2.5-hour broadcast window.
How is The Hundred different from T20 cricket?
The Hundred uses 100 balls per innings (not 20 overs of 6 balls = 120 balls). Bowlers can bowl blocks of 5 or 10 balls alternating between ends (not necessarily completing 6-ball overs from one end). The powerplay is the first 25 balls (not 6 overs). The count-down to 100 balls (shown on scoreboards and screens) creates different strategic pressure points than T20's over structure.
Was The Hundred controversial?
Yes — The Hundred was controversial because the ECB bypassed the existing county cricket structure (18 counties) in favour of 8 city-based franchises, creating a competition some county cricketers saw as a rival to the T20 Blast. The ECB sold 49% of The Hundred to private investors in 2023, valued at approximately £1.2 billion total — validating the commercial model but deepening concerns that cricket development was being subordinated to entertainment economics.