GEORGE DOBELL: Whether you like or hate it, rate it or rue it, the Hundred is a feature of the season. You cannot have a plausible review without considering its impact. Its position feels non-negotiable.
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Posted by Richard Kendall on 31/08/2022 at 15:33
Ultimately, although it remains a format no one else in the cricket world is interested in, The Hundred is just another T20 tournament amongst an ever-increasing global schedule, the same franchise-hopping players playing the same shots and with the same bowling strategies, and I still don't see its benefit (presumably the slightly shorter time format for TV was still the key driver?) rather than adding an equal marketing, erm, blast behind the existing Blast? Meanwhile the English county season continues to try and fit about 8 months of cricket in to a 5 months season, and funnily enough, any schedule combination won't work without overlap which devalues at least one completion... don't envy any administrator right now, but can't see any solution that gives every team/county/competition a fair chance?!
Posted by Marc Evans on 31/08/2022 at 12:15
You can't have a healthy sport when 1 of its leading competitions is an active competitor of the others, taking top players and prioritising both cash and favourable playing times then claiming the other competitions aren't as effective a draw. It's based on a lie and promoted by vested interests who don't give a monkeys about the game in general. Most T 20 matches are pretty boring after a while as their slogging is repetitive and results usually predictable well before the end. There's very little drama unfolding and for the fielding side there's no attacking cricket atall. It's all damage limitation.
Posted by Glynn Burgess on 27/08/2022 at 22:42
BBC2 viewing figures for the opening game of the dreaded 💯 were about half of last year and Sky have been completely silent about their figures, but the fact they are offering free streams of the men's games probably says it all. If viewers have already turned off after one tournament, how much longer can it reasonably continue? It is exhibition cricket at best and belongs only at the start or end of the season, as per other sports.
Posted by Leslie Bone on 27/08/2022 at 19:20
Quite correct. It is deeply flawed. We know though that The Hundred will stay at least in its current format come hell or high water.
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