The Hundred: Here’s All You Need To Know

The much-awaited inaugural season of the upcoming ‘The Hundred’ is all set to get underway from July 22, with Oval Invincibles taking on the challenge of Manchester Originals at the Kennington Oval in London.

But before that, we need to answer some most asked queries on the internet regarding this special tournament.

The Hundred – What Exactly Is It?

‘The Hundred’ as its name suggests is a tournament that will follow a 100 ball route.

The 100-ball tournament will feature a total of eight teams based in seven different cities with two teams from London. Interestingly, those 100 balls can be bowled either in sets of five or 10.

All eight teams will face each other once, but each team can take on their ‘paired rivals’ twice throughout the season. Overall, 32 matches will take place in the inaugural season of The Hundred.

Which Teams Will Feature In The Hundred?

The eight teams participating in the tournament are:

1. Birmingham Phoenix
2. London Spirit
3. Manchester Originals
4. Super Northern Chargers
5. Oval Invincibles
6. Southern Brave
7. Trent Rockets
8. Welsh Fire

Check out The Hundred squads! Are you excited? pic.twitter.com/2dMAYSPqFI

— The Hundred (@thehundred) July 2, 2021

The teams will see both men’s and women’s squads with each consisting of 15 players. As per rules, only three overseas players are allowed to be a part of one team each.

What Are The Playing Conditions For ‘The Hundred’?

Here are the other playing conditions for the 1st season of the Hundred-

1. It will be over for overs in the Hundred as the ECB has decided that there will be a shift from overs to balls as a measure for innings progression.
2. Two sets of five balls will be bowled from the same end by the same bowler. The umpire will show a white card at the end of the first set of five balls to confirm the fact to players, scorers, broadcasters, and crowds.
3. The toss doesn’t need to place in the middle.
4. The first 25 balls (5 sets) of each innings will mark the Powerplay. During the Powerplay, only two fielders will be allowed outside the inner fielding circle
5. The fielding team can take a strategic timeout at any point after the first 25 balls (5 sets) of an innings are bowled
6. In case of caught dismissals, the new batsman will take the strike even if the two batters had crossed each other before the completion of the catch.
7. In case of a tied match, one point will be allotted to each team during the league stage. However, if a game ends in a tie in a knockout game, a ‘Super 5’ will be played.
8. DRS will also be employed for the first time in English domestic matches. The onus of calling the front foot no-ball will lie with the 3rd umpire.
9. An amended DLS method will be applied in rain-affected games.
10. If a team is lagging behind in over-rates then they will need to field one less fielder outside the 30-yard circle after the penalty is incurred by the umpire.