The Hundred: England's 100-Ball Cricket Format Explained
The Hundred is a unique 100-ball cricket competition launched in England in 2021. This guide explains the rules, scoring, team structure and why The Hundred has proved controversial yet successful in growing cricket's audience.
The Hundred is a franchise cricket competition run by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), first played in 2021 after a year's delay due to COVID-19. It uses a unique 100-ball format — each innings consists of 100 deliveries rather than overs — and is explicitly designed to attract a new, younger and more casual cricket audience. The format has been commercially successful (average attendances over 20,000 per match) while generating fierce debate among cricket traditionalists about whether it strengthens or dilutes cricket's core formats.
How 100-Ball Cricket Works
Each team faces 100 balls. A bowler delivers either 5 or 10 consecutive balls in a 'spell' (not overs). The fielding captain decides at the start of each spell whether it will be 5 or 10 balls. A bowler can bowl a maximum of 20 balls per innings. Fielding restrictions (similar to T20 powerplay) apply: two fielders outside the inner 30-yard ring for the first 25 balls, then maximum of five outside for the remainder. No ball and wide call the same as T20 rules, with free hits after no-balls.
The Eight Teams
The Hundred has eight city-based franchises: London Spirit, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Manchester Originals, Trent Rockets, Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire, and Birmingham Phoenix. Each has both a men's and women's team, and the tournament schedule alternates women's and men's matches — a deliberate move to give women's cricket equal billing with the men's competition.
Controversy and Legacy
The Hundred sparked the most intense debate in English domestic cricket in decades. Critics (including many county clubs) argued it undermined the county cricket structure, created an artificial format divorced from cricket's Laws, and prioritised entertainment over sporting integrity. Supporters argued county cricket's attendances showed it had failed to attract young fans, and The Hundred's focus on families, music and shorter duration succeeded where Test cricket's 5-day format could not.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Hundred a T20 competition?
No. The Hundred is a 100-ball competition — each innings is 100 deliveries, which is fewer than T20 (120 deliveries). Games typically last around 2.5 hours, making them slightly shorter than T20 matches. The bowling structure (5 or 10-ball spells) is also fundamentally different from T20 overs.
Do international players participate in The Hundred?
Yes. Each Hundred team is allowed to sign international players in a draft process. Top international cricketers from Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand and other nations have participated. The competition window is scheduled to avoid clashes with international cricket, though scheduling conflicts have occasionally limited international availability.