ECB’s “The Hundred”

Just checked the scores so far in the Hundred. The three opening games have seen teams batting first scoring 86, 138 and 89. Needless to say, the teams chasing won all three matches. The three games have lasted 157 balls (26.1 overs in old money), 189 balls (31.3 overs) and 150 balls (30 overs). Where are all the world class players that were promised for each and every game that would elevate it above the Blast? 

I deliberately hadn’t revived this thread because, well, I know I’m in the minority.

I've watched every game so far and have loved it.

I really, really love Tammy Beaumont I do.

Anyway, carry on.

Went to the game at the Oval with the kids who loved it, want to go again, and are now interested in cricket, but that's a bad thing according to some on here

KBslittlesis said:

I deliberately hadn’t revived this thread because, well, I know I’m in the minority.

I've watched every game so far and have loved it.

I really, really love Tammy Beaumont I do.

Anyway, carry on.

I'm a fan also and was looking forward to some after work cricket on the box. But all the games on this week have been absolute shockers tbh and if that were your first exposure to cricket you probably wouldn't come back.

Fingers crossed the quality improves ASAP! 

Addick Addict said:

Rothko said:

Went to the game at the Oval with the kids who loved it, want to go again, and are now interested in cricket, but that's a bad thing according to some on here

As someone who has volunteered, on behalf of the game for almost 50 years, be it captaining, coaching, running fund raising events, sat on committees, colts secretary, scoring, umpiring etc etc and turned down every single penny for doing those things, I can assure you that I am very much with one for kids enjoying and becoming involved in cricket. They are the future. What I object to is certain people at the ECB who have now sailed off into the sunset with their millions inventing a competition that was only ever going to alienate its hardcore of support. 

They could have re-vamped the Blast, negotiated for it to be shown on terrestrial TV and spent all the money that they did on The Hundred in doing that. Those same kids would still have become interested in the game without county championship matches being consigned to the whole of April, May and September and the 50 over competition becoming no more than a 2nd XI comp. These people are driven by money but without the volunteers the game is dead. 

The most Yes, but, answer you could ever write, and what I fully expected for someone who just has a bee in their bonnet over the concept 

oohaahmortimer said:

My youngest went with Mrs , another mum and a few of his mates (who wouldn’t have seen live pro cricket before ) they enjoyed it
they hung around waiting for autographs after but the players were eating a meal so they only got a couple of autographs from earlier on , the prized Sam Curran one and didn’t know who the other player was !

£20 for adult and £5 for kids good value 

not for me but crack on

Don’t know why they didn’t jazz up the t20 Blast ,  although maybe cos that’s Indian owned as a concept and this Hundred is separately owned 

The T20 format isn't owned by anyone, indeed we were the ones who created the modern T20 game with the Blast. 

The problem with the Hundred is that it's added a second short form competition to the calendar, affecting other forms of cricket adversely ,and shunting the Blast out of the spotlight. And rather than 18 genuine teams competing, 8 artificial franchises have been created. So many of the same players as the Blast, but playing at different grounds.

Lancashire's Luke Wells for example was playing at Old Trafford last night, but for the away team, as he's playing for the Welsh in the Hundred.

Covered End said:

Rothko said:

Addick Addict said:

Rothko said:

Went to the game at the Oval with the kids who loved it, want to go again, and are now interested in cricket, but that's a bad thing according to some on here

As someone who has volunteered, on behalf of the game for almost 50 years, be it captaining, coaching, running fund raising events, sat on committees, colts secretary, scoring, umpiring etc etc and turned down every single penny for doing those things, I can assure you that I am very much with one for kids enjoying and becoming involved in cricket. They are the future. What I object to is certain people at the ECB who have now sailed off into the sunset with their millions inventing a competition that was only ever going to alienate its hardcore of support. 

They could have re-vamped the Blast, negotiated for it to be shown on terrestrial TV and spent all the money that they did on The Hundred in doing that. Those same kids would still have become interested in the game without county championship matches being consigned to the whole of April, May and September and the 50 over competition becoming no more than a 2nd XI comp. These people are driven by money but without the volunteers the game is dead. 

The most Yes, but, answer you could ever write, and what I fully expected for someone who just has a bee in their bonnet over the concept 

What does this mean? It makes no sense.

Perfect sense, it's a proper, yes great you enjoy it, BUT PLEASE THINK OF PEOPLE LIKE ME, type post. Sod the kids, worry about the members of effectively insolvent businesses instead

Covered End said:

"The most Yes, but, answer you could ever write" - this may make perfect sense to you.

Does to me, good to see you've moved into teaching written English

Rothko said:

Covered End said:

Rothko said:

Addick Addict said:

Rothko said:

Went to the game at the Oval with the kids who loved it, want to go again, and are now interested in cricket, but that's a bad thing according to some on here

As someone who has volunteered, on behalf of the game for almost 50 years, be it captaining, coaching, running fund raising events, sat on committees, colts secretary, scoring, umpiring etc etc and turned down every single penny for doing those things, I can assure you that I am very much with one for kids enjoying and becoming involved in cricket. They are the future. What I object to is certain people at the ECB who have now sailed off into the sunset with their millions inventing a competition that was only ever going to alienate its hardcore of support. 

They could have re-vamped the Blast, negotiated for it to be shown on terrestrial TV and spent all the money that they did on The Hundred in doing that. Those same kids would still have become interested in the game without county championship matches being consigned to the whole of April, May and September and the 50 over competition becoming no more than a 2nd XI comp. These people are driven by money but without the volunteers the game is dead. 

The most Yes, but, answer you could ever write, and what I fully expected for someone who just has a bee in their bonnet over the concept 

What does this mean? It makes no sense.

Perfect sense, it's a proper, yes great you enjoy it, BUT PLEASE THINK OF PEOPLE LIKE ME, type post. Sod the kids, worry about the members of effectively insolvent businesses instead

The kids can and do watch all types of cricket and it is fantastic that they do.  What makes the Hundred so different from the Blast? The only reason they can't watch the Blast, a county championship game or even an Ashes Test, as was the case last year for the first time, during the school holidays is because of the Hundred being scheduled during that period. We even have the ludicrous situation where the final stages of the Blast have to be held in September for that reason - and without some of the overseas players that got those counties there.

But as the kids are the agreed priority because they are the future of the game, what is the pathway for them to The Hundred if the counties are allowed to go bust? The counties are the lifeblood of the game for the very reason that they provide that and I can't for the life of me find any age group sides for the eight franchises. So, if the kids want to play international red or white ball cricket, what is that pathway given that we've done away with the counties? Or is it just important to retain the 8 counties that are attached to the Hundred franchises? In which case, good luck if a 14 year old that lives hundreds of miles away from one because they won't be making any evening training sessions. So much for the ECB and inclusivity, eh? 

Finally, who was the bloke at the ECB who insisted that county age group sides played more white ball and a lot less red ball cricket (because that is what the ECB can do and will withhold funding to the counties if they don't)? Who was the ECB Director of England cricket who endlessly promoted the Hundred? Who was the person that then led a review of English cricket that was rejected by the counties? And who is the owner of an ­investment company, TTB Sport ­Capital, who is looking to buy one of the franchises? They are all Andrew Strauss. It's almost as if he planned it all. 

Chizz said:

There's a Test match on, by the way 

And a very important 50 over game for Kent too with a potential future England player currently batting for Kent

Covered End said:

Rothko said:

Addick Addict said:

Rothko said:

Went to the game at the Oval with the kids who loved it, want to go again, and are now interested in cricket, but that's a bad thing according to some on here

As someone who has volunteered, on behalf of the game for almost 50 years, be it captaining, coaching, running fund raising events, sat on committees, colts secretary, scoring, umpiring etc etc and turned down every single penny for doing those things, I can assure you that I am very much with one for kids enjoying and becoming involved in cricket. They are the future. What I object to is certain people at the ECB who have now sailed off into the sunset with their millions inventing a competition that was only ever going to alienate its hardcore of support. 

They could have re-vamped the Blast, negotiated for it to be shown on terrestrial TV and spent all the money that they did on The Hundred in doing that. Those same kids would still have become interested in the game without county championship matches being consigned to the whole of April, May and September and the 50 over competition becoming no more than a 2nd XI comp. These people are driven by money but without the volunteers the game is dead. 

The most Yes, but, answer you could ever write, and what I fully expected for someone who just has a bee in their bonnet over the concept 

What does this mean? It makes no sense.

Just like the competition ....

Addick Addict said:

KBslittlesis said:

I'm watching the test and the hundred and loving both.

And I'm watching the Test and the 50 over comp and loving them both

And writing on The Hundred thread... 😉

Addick Addict said:

Chizz said:

Addick Addict said:

KBslittlesis said:

I'm watching the test and the hundred and loving both.

And I'm watching the Test and the 50 over comp and loving them both

And writing on The Hundred thread... 😉

And the Kent thread. And the England thread. And any number of other threads. It's the gift of multi-tasking afforded to only some people so I'm told. And I don't have to watch the Hundred to comment on the damage it has done to the game as a whole. 

So you've never actually watched a game?

KBslittlesis said:

Addick Addict said:

Chizz said:

Addick Addict said:

KBslittlesis said:

I'm watching the test and the hundred and loving both.

And I'm watching the Test and the 50 over comp and loving them both

And writing on The Hundred thread... 😉

And the Kent thread. And the England thread. And any number of other threads. It's the gift of multi-tasking afforded to only some people so I'm told. And I don't have to watch the Hundred to comment on the damage it has done to the game as a whole. 

So you've never actually watched a game?

Not this year. I watched a few in the first season but was enough and have even scored a few 100 ball games that mirror The Hundred rules purely out of a sense of duty to help a club that asked me to do so. There is a shortage of both scorers and umpires as many that play the game will, no doubt, confirm. 

The one area where it has improved things is the Women's game in giving it that exposure but should and could have been done with the same assistance from the ECB by supporting women's county T20 matches in the same way. Even then, the ECB managed to successfully undermine women's games by taking any lost time, as a result of overnight rain, from the women's game rather than it being pro rata'd over both matches. 

What some also don't appreciate, though, is the shorter you make a game, the less chance that all of the players have of actually doing something in the match. And if all kids do is to field then they will soon lose interest.