Matthew Wade: Other countries should introduce own versions of The Hundred

The wicketkeeper-batter, who turned out for Birmingham Phoenix, said the format captured the imagination of his daughter who was previously uninterested in cricket

Matthew Wade called on other countries to instigate their own versions of The Hundred after Birmingham Phoenix effectively bowed out of this season's competition despite winning a last ball thriller against London Spirit at Lord's.

The wicketkeeper-batter hit a swashbuckling 81 including a massive six as Phoenix scrambled home by one-wicket at the Home of Cricket but barring a washout at Emirates Old Trafford tomorrow between Manchester Originals and Oval Invincibles, Wade and his Birmingham-based teammates will take no part in the knockout stages.

Despite his disappointment at not qualifying, Wade enthused about the 100-ball format, going as far as to imply it trumped the BBL played back in his native Australia and revealing it had captured the heart of his own daughter who had hitherto been uninterested in the game of leather on willow.

"The Hundred is something all countries should look at down the line," he said. "In Australia, we play a power surge and four-over powerplay and it just feels like this is a condensed game of T20. It feels like you've got the powerplay and then you’ve got the middle overs with five out. I think it is a more structured format.

"I think a lot of kids come in. I mean my kids had no interest in cricket until I got over here and now, they love it. My daughter is collecting Hundred cards and embracing the atmosphere of The Hundred – something that has really opened my eyes.

^{Wade believes The Hundred has captured the imagination of the crowd, particularly young children [David Rogers/Getty Images]}

"A lot of countries around the world should look at this because it feels like the time it's played in and the format is something everyone should fall in love with, come and have a look at and play it."

Wade admitted a chat during the strategic time out had seen Phoenix abort attempts to win in the 73 balls necessary to secure a spot in Friday's playoff at The Ageas Bowl.

And he was clear it wasn't this game at Lord's which had eliminated them, but their capitulation at Edgbaston against the Originals 72 hours earlier.

"We went out and we tried to chase them early, but it didn't happen, and we reverted to winning the game," he continued.

"My plan was to back myself to the shorter boundary and hit as many boundaries as we could from the other end along the ground. We managed to get ourselves in a good position. It was a tough wicket and it spun quite a lot at the end there, so we did pretty well to scrape over the line.

"We won a game of cricket, that's all we can look at. It's not tonight that was the problem; it was the other night when we got blown out of the water at Edgbaston."

London Spirit too were left with mixed emotions having lost the game but made it to Friday's playoff. For Ravi Bopara, who made 45 from 19 balls with five sixes, the result was especially tough on teammate Liam Dawson (3 for 15) who he felt produced a spin master-class.

"I thought he (Liam) was the star of the show with the ball today," he said. "He had one of the best spells of spin bowling you will see – just being able to turn a ball and get the next one to skid on and all sorts. He used all his tricks today and he's a fine bowler,

"Some of the boys are walking off there and saying about what a weird feeling it is. We are happy because we have gone through but also walking off, you've lost the game."

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