The Hundred: halfway there
Halfway there is the title of a seminal book about the progress of comprehensive education after 1965 written by Caroline Benn and Brian Simon.
On a much less weighty note The Hundred has reached the halfway point.
Have you noticed?
Possibly not. The decision by a previous regime to purge the concluding period of the cricket season of Test matches means media attention on the game has disappeared. I flicked through the Sunday Times Sports supplement on 13th August. It contained not one mention of cricket. To be fair there was an article on the pros and cons of the Hundred 2023 on 14th August.
Anyway I have been watching, not avidly, and the main thing I take from this year is that thanks to an extended draft Welsh Fire women and men are no longer dire so its more competitive in general.
The standard also seems better with rather fewer players (particularly in the mens) to which the response is ‘who?’
I still think the women’s game is more interesting than the men’s and I’d like to see more women’s matches in the evening slots. There have reportedly been record crowds for women’s matches. Attendance generally has looked reasonable although not I think really a sell out whatever is claimed.
In terms of broadcasting I’m afraid the BBC coverage on radio and TV is often just too lightweight treating it as light entertainment rather than sport. Sky by contrast do mostly focus on the cricket and treat the matches much as they might a T20.
In fact if the ECB hadn’t called in consultants that’s what it would be and hopefully after this year some configuration can be found to transition the Hundred to T20. Making sure the women’s game is fully profiled in that is key. It’s the one real positive of The Hundred
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