The Analysis: Crank up the jeopardy

NICK HOWSON: The men's tournament has lacked dramatic matches and finishes. More knock-out games are required to ensure the occasion matches the hype

No memorable competition is complete without a collection of eye-catching matches and moments. Perhaps the sharp end of the men's Hundred will re-write history, but so far the 2022 edition threatens to disappear into the background.

Margins of victory have widened in 2022. Teams chasing have won on average by 6.26 wickets and defending by 31.62 runs. In 2021, those figures were 5.55 and 27.18. The chasms have grown.

Just two of the 16 sides to lose when batting first have got within single figures of their target. Fortunately, the data shows no significant advantage in batting first and second, or being home and away, but few are getting close if they do end up on the wrong side of the result.

There could be several reasons for this. Despite the volume of white-ball cricket played in this country and by many of these players across the world, this remains a new format that many are still working out even when you're at home.

All sides have suffered from selection issues due to injuries and international call-ups, leading to a lack of consistency. And with players drawn from counties across the country, knowledge of conditions can work both ways.

It remains to be seen how much the ECB decision-makers care about trends heading in the wrong direction, and whether they wish to try and readdress the balance. Half a million tickets were sold before the tournament began so some of the most important numbers are heading the right way.

With thirty-two group matches over four weeks, it is only natural that a large handful don't stand the test of time. Indeed, very few of them can actually be considered important. If you can lose twice, as Trent Rockets have done, and still automatically reach the final, then it takes the pressure off individual results.

^{Everyone inside Old Trafford was on the edge of their seat (Ashley Allen/Getty Images)}

There are certainly two ways around injecting matches with more meaning. One would be to reduce the number of them, making each more important to determine your final position. Cue net run-rate calculations.

For some of the reasons mentioned above, cutting back the fixture list is unlikely. It could allow the footprint of the tournament to be reduced, increasing the availability of overseas players which has been a dominating theme in 2021. A window for England players has been created for next summer, but it remains to be seen how binary that is.

The second would be to increase the number of knock-out matches. Currently, the top three contest two games over successive days with one knock-out game preceding the final. In a month-long competition, the sharp end is over and done pretty quickly.

The Big Bash and Indian Premier League have five matches after the group stage, while the Pakistan Super League and Caribbean Premier League are at four. While there has been a focus on increasing the number of teams, perhaps the volume of critical games might be the logical next step.

I doubt you'll need to convince the money men that adding more games to the calendar is a good idea, particularly given the impressive ticket sales. Increasing the number of days with two doubleheaders (there have been only two) would certainly help accommodate if required.

If this competition is truly about improving players within it, exposing them to more high-pressure scenarios against high-calibre opponents, then another knock-out game surely helps achieve that.

The virtual quarter-final on the last night of group action was certainly a good advert for more knock-out cricket. The atmosphere was decent (the crowd might have been improved had it not clashed with a Manchester City home Premier League match) and the tension increased as Manchester Originals closed in on their 144 target.

Wayne Madsen kept his head in a young person's game (Ashley Allen/Getty Images)

While Erland Haaland was landing blows at the Etihad Stadium across town, Wayne Madsen and Tristan Stubbs were matching him stride for stride. Oval Invincibles were feeding them a diet of spin and pace-off but they were sweeping length, playing back to anything full and dispatching the loose deliveries.

Sam Curran's celebration upon catching Stubbs on the boundary - turning to roar at the home faithful - summed up the importance of both the moment and the game. We haven't seen too many of those reactions across the group phase.

Fittingly, we got the grandstand finale the contest deserved. Curran returned and Ashton Turner - a four-time BBL winner - showed all his experience with successive boundaries to make the remainder of the chase a mere formality.

Three teams could still have snatched third place heading into the final three balls of the regular season. When Paul Walter sent the ball skywards, Will Jacks could only tip the ball over the boundary. This time it was those in the party stand celebrating.

The Originals have now won five in a row - three of which have come since Jos Buttler was ruled out of the tournament with a calf injury - while Invincibles lost two of their last three since Reece Topley withdrew from the tournament.

Much like yesterday afternoon in the women's competition, Birmingham Phoenix were left to reflect on a fourth-place finish and losing out on net run rate. Perhaps they deserved an opportunity to fight for a place in the Eliminator?

In future years, that might well be the case.

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• Manchester Originals v Oval Invincibles AS IT HAPPENED