SAM MORSHEAD: The discussion around The Hundred desperately needs moderation, because the divide - entirely of the ECB's own making - is only ever becoming more ingrained
So it's that time of year, again.
The Hundred is back, let the shouting matches begin.
Once again, the demographics and sizes of the crowds around the country, and the reach of the competition on television and through digital channels, are likely to be just as indicative of the success (or otherwise) of the tournament as the cricket on the field.
The Hundred's viewing figures in 2021 were significant - the competition's peak (1.073million) and average (480,000) audiences on Sky Sports were almost exactly double that of the T20 Blast, with only T20Is and Tests more popular.
Sky have, The Cricketer understands, budgeted for a modest year-on-year rise in viewing figures - around five per cent. That might seem a little lacking in aspiration, especially given the weight of marketing thrown at this competition, but - as is often forgotten in the conversation around The Hundred - there is nuance at play.
For example, with the Premier League football season starting a week earlier this year, to accommodate a winter World Cup, there will be six fewer matches on Sky Sports Main Event, where audiences are typically around 50 per cent higher than Sky Sports Cricket.
The Hundred returns on August 3 [Getty Images]
The women are playing fewer games in 2022, too, owing to a clash with the Commonwealth Games - six group matches per side, not eight - which will have a knock-on impact on YouTube figures (remember, all the women's action is freely available online).
Sky are compensating by putting more matches on Showcase - the feature channel which replaced Sky One in 2021 and is visible to anyone with the most basic viewing package.
Whether it retains its newfound audience 12 months on is a fascinating sub-plot.
Meanwhile, ticket sales have been reasonable, with seven matchdays sold out and most of the seats for the first week of the men's competition gone.
While the ECB were outwardly very happy with the staging of the events in 2021, there was plenty of cause for concern: aggressive drunkenness in some grounds triggered bars to be closed as much as two hours before the end of the day's play (senior stewards at Lord's still bemoan the behaviour from nearly a year ago), an antiquated refund system which did not recognise the women's game had to be amended mid-season, music acts were not always audible and barely ever visible to fans in the stands, and there was a general concern about the strict contrast in the atmospheres between the women's competition (with mostly afternoon start times) and the men's.
It will be fascinating to see how the Oval Invincibles double-header against Northern Superchargers plays out on August 11. The matchday is sold out, with the women playing in the evening. Whether the audience remains or leaves midway through will be a headline.
There have been steps taken to make the venues more family friendly in 2022, with a general increase in the percentage of capacity afforded to non-alcohol or family stands, none of which can be met with any reasonable sort of criticism.
Managing director of The Hundred, Sanjay Patel [Getty Images]
However, in describing the ECB's target audience as "the right audience - a family audience", the competition's managing director Sanjay Patel unfortunately echoed the sentiment which many longstanding cricket supporters have taken exception to throughout The Hundred's four-and-a-half-year lifespan: namely, that they are not part of the ECB's plans, that their voices will not be heard, and that their preferences don't matter.
And this is where the discussion around The Hundred desperately needs moderation.
Because the divide is only ever becoming more ingrained. There is a reluctance, bordering on a refusal, among a section of cricket fans to even countenance the benefits The Hundred has already brought or shows considerable potential to bring: reach, diversity and youth among them.
This opposition is of the ECB's own making, and was built years ago by the governing body's failure to even try to bring that community along for the ride. Instead, fuelled by meaningless platitudes about mums, kids and school holidays, it lost the room almost immediately.
It showed a monumental lack of leadership, communication and foresight - like a sheepdog trying to herd its flock using insults and put-me-downs - and it set the tone for what was to follow.
The fundamental problem of The Hundred - its potential to undercut the T20 Blast, the future product on offer for members and, by extension, the financial viability of the counties - has often been lost to groans about what is or isn't "proper" cricket.
At times, this has exposed an ugly sense of entitlement, a disinclination to share the game, a habit of gatekeeping which does progress no favours.
There is nothing about The Hundred which is not cricket.
There is plenty about its discord which isn't.
And this is largely because neither side in this escalating civil war is doing anything to try to understand one another.
As a result, the notion still circulates that a T20 Blast with a Hundred budget would have had the same sort of cut-through as the new competition - a marketing nonsense, which suggests relaunching an old product (one league but 19 brands) is just as effective as designing a new one for a specific purpose.
The conversation around The Hundred has been fraught with tension [Getty Images]
As a result, large swathes of county supporters are either unaware or know but choose to forget that broadcasters want appointment-to-view television and, for the casual viewer, the Blast is a narrative mess.
As a result, every tweak to the norm is met with increasingly pantomimic levels of faux horror: most recently the very sensible decision to stream Hundred matches on TikTok (the social media app has seen a 600 per cent rise in adults using it for news gathering in two years, while the platform has 1.39billion users worldwide).
As a result, anti-Hundred arguments never seem to come with a coherent map for the women's game in the event the tournament should be binned. "Just attach the eight Hundred teams to the counties and play double-headers with the Blast" doesn't cut it from a logistical, commercial, broadcasting, digital reach or fan experience perspective. We must do better.
There are very sensible opposition positions to The Hundred around the country, but the nature of the general conversation - with the dial stuck on hysterical - means it is practically impossible to have an adult discussion.
None of this is going to do the game any good. There is reason for change, and there is a responsibility to look after those who have loved the game for years.
It is a start that the ECB have promised to look at data from the Cricket Supporters' Association's annual survey within Andrew Strauss's high performance review, but the governing body needs to show it cares.
And those who would otherwise scream into the wind might want to consider stepping out of the gale, just for a moment. There is middle ground still to be reached, for the benefit of everyone. It's time to stop shouting and start talking.
Posted by Don Bradwell on 05/09/2022 at 16:13
Agree with almost every anti-Hundred comment on here. The Hundred is ECB/Harrison's vanity project and was ill-conceived from the outset.
Posted by Keith on 03/09/2022 at 10:18
There's a middle ground? Well, yes, there is. It's been there for well over a decade. It's called T20. Those barking at the moon (or screaming into the wind, as you will) are NOT the opponents of The 16.4. The loonies are those who advocate its continued existence. What, tell me, is sane about throwing away a century plus of tradition and supplanting a successful similar format for a manufactured product that does almost nothing for the real benefit of the sport? I think we all know and accept that cricket, the calendar in particular, needs to change. There are issues that need addressing and shorter formats have a role to play in re-balancing the sport for the modern era. But if The 16.4 is the answer, then I'm afraid someone is simply asking the wrong question.
Posted by Bev wood mr on 21/08/2022 at 08:48
Personally I do not like limited over cricket. Its just a money making exercise. I am a cricket purist and much prefer test cricket. As witnessed by defeat against South Africa. Batting techniques application and graft are all rapidly disappearing. As is my interest in the game in general. Today's cricket pundits have little clue about the finer points of the game.
Posted by Phil Walker on 13/08/2022 at 15:02
The hundred is there purely because the ECB forgot to register or patent T20 cricket when it introduced it to the world. In other words to make money. Unfortunately in setting it up (and reducing its own reserves to almost nothing - that is, nothing for the entire English game, not just this Noddy form ) the ECB went out of their way to antagonize traditional cricket supporters by telling them 'this is not for you' and then ignoring any citicism which might interfere with their Grand Plan. Of course the national cricket board should be a) looking to the future and b) securing the financial support necessary for the game - but it has become obvious that money is the ONLY consideration, not the tradition and welfare of the rest of the game, from club level, through the leagues all the way to Tests. Fewer bean counters and more people who understand the traditions of the game.
Posted by Les Bone on 13/08/2022 at 10:04
All this confirms that the ECB is not fit for purpose and I am sad to say that this includes Andrew Strauss who is probably going to produce a report which will make the schism in cricket worse. It continues to leaderless. What a joke.
Posted by Jeff on 07/08/2022 at 22:41
Most comments here prove the writer's point - that the hundred has few supporters amongst traditional cricket fans who read the Cricketer or watch county cricket. To these people that means that the ECB hates them and wants to ruin everything they love which seems to be the T20 blast. These exact same people were those who would have been hysterical in their opposition to T20 cricket when it was introduced in 2003. The hundred is not for them. Ignore it and get on with your life. The hundred is not perfect, on fact in many ways it's poor, but that's not the point
Posted by Tim Parsons on 06/08/2022 at 18:38
Lacks appointment to view? If the blast was held for three weeks in August you would have everything you need- and 3 weeks of the season back. When you could hold a 50 over competition. At which we’re world champions. Which format none of our aspiring future champions are playing. Other than that all is peachy
Posted by carole on 06/08/2022 at 11:02
the 100 destroys the 50 tournament which is disgusting as it is a much more skilled product,but lack of quality playes means it not worth going to watch. the 100 is just an excuse for a drunken night out or screaming kids who never look at the pitch to see what is happening
Posted by Timothy M on 06/08/2022 at 04:47
There are so many things wrong with The Hundred that it’d take a season to list them, but just to address a couple: why couldn’t have been a T20 format, providing more grounding for our future international players (I recall a time when the English Schools FA insisted all games were of 80 minutes duration leading to Football League coaches complaining that their U18s couldn’t play 90 minutes, and so couldn’t be slotted into the first team for two years, and didn’t we have the same problem when we were the only country clinging on to a 60 over One Day format?); my mum, admittedly way outside the target demographic but a growing fan since the Women’s World Cup win doesn’t identify with any of the teams; but can get Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney in the BBL; the atmosphere in the men’s matches, certainly watching on TV, is more akin to a Saturday afternoon at Millwall than a family experience; but, ultimately, why, what exactly is the point of a format nobody else plays. Rejig The Blast along the BBL format, a game a day, every day, so people can remember who stands where, and the whole thing is simple to follow. The Premiership’s Monday Night Football tried the gimmicks - dancers, live music, and they were quickly dropped after the authorities realised people come to watch sport, the gimmicks are an unwelcome interruption. Ultimately youngsters will remember Ben Stokes, Katherine Brunt, Jonny Bairstow and Anya Shrubsole winning Tests and World Cups for England than a meaningless outing in a meaningless competition.
Posted by Darren Love on 05/08/2022 at 18:07
The Hundred. A competition for those who lack an attention span for T20!
Posted by Marc Evans on 05/08/2022 at 17:44
Sign of the times I'm afraid. Look at the internecine squabbling for power going on in soccer and golf. Wherever there's money to be made millionaire businessmen will be vying for control. The present gimmick monsters at the ECB have no interest in county cricket and see it as direct competition to be squashed. Helped by recruiting the shallow media they attract their sponsors and lay waste to the established order with the public following their formula stuff like sheep.
Posted by Peter Chandler on 05/08/2022 at 17:20
The 100 is killing County games, marginalising them to ends of the season, ECB insisting most games are midweek ensuring smaller crowds to meet their storyline that County games are not popular. Now a review is being held by a group that have already gone public on their lack of support for County games. I am afraid the ECB is anti County cricket and the Hundread is just them proving this. Yes the Hundred is a form of cricket, but that is not the point.
Posted by Charles S on 05/08/2022 at 16:57
Dump the 100 spend the money the 100 spends on adversing on a new T20 tournament The T20 tournament can be easily streamlined, even with 18 counties to be played over a short period. Not rocket science but important to lose the 100 before people forget about 50 over and T20 cricket.
Posted by Charles on 05/08/2022 at 16:50
Quite easy to end the argument. Cancel the 100 invest in the T20, use the money the 100 spends on advertising on T20. The T20 tournament can be easily streamlined, even with 18 counties. Not rocket science but important to lose the 100 before people forget about 50 over and T20 cricket.
Posted by John on 05/08/2022 at 14:33
In what sense is the Blast a narrative mess for the casual viewer compared to the Hundred? Because casual viewers can only count to 100?
Posted by Bobby Smith on 04/08/2022 at 17:18
The problem is, county and Test cricket has a rich history that goes back centuries. the Hundred is a short-lived gimmick with no context within cricket. It, and the awful IPL are the enemy and destroyer of Test cricket. Surely, therefore, genuine cricket fans are correct to react with horror and disgust at its creation? If players are contracted to franchise cricket rather than countries it really is the death knell of Test cricket - something that I and many others love. Secondly, I have never met anyone who cares whether the Chipmonk Chitter Chatters beat the Hula Highlighter Hawkers to the trophy.
Posted by Akkers on 04/08/2022 at 09:06
Add to that the absolute annoying graphics on tv it’s a total turnoff. Give our screens back. I am not watching.
Posted by Roger Shorrock on 04/08/2022 at 08:01
Did the writer mean to start four consecutive paragraphs with the phrase "as a result "? It makes for a peculiar reading experience. Is he trying to revolutionise journalism with a new format? I don't think he'll ever be able to market it as a franchise if that's what he's thinking...
Posted by George Alcazar on 03/08/2022 at 23:49
Curmudgeon, rhubarb, grumble. I blame The Hundred for its effect on red ball cricket in this country. Just look at England's Test performance! Oh wait
Posted by clive britcher on 03/08/2022 at 22:07
I view the Hundred as a cynical attempt by the ECB to undermine the success the T20 has had in almost all other cricketing nations - except the UK. The difference between the 100 and T20 is merely 20 balls, so what, tell me, is the extraordinary, revolutionary, creative difference? The ECB, conservative to a C , failed to capitalise on the thrill of a T20 game because they were unable to adapt to the popularisation given to the T20 by the Indian IPL, and too mean to pay out huge salaries to visiting superstars, without comprehending that you pay the money, you get the ratings. Additionally, neither the BBC nor ITV have broadcast Tests or County games for years; football, yes, cricket, NO. And then this year, the T20 blast was truncated: 25th May -10th June, 17th June to 24th June, 1st to the 3rd July, then 7th, 9th, 10th and 16th July. Why can´t they keep the momentum going ?? They also want to cram as many international matches into the year as possible, thus causing unnecessary stress and exhaustion for our star players. Why? To grab as much money as possible, and never mind the players. The ECB, and only the ECB is to blame, furiously fuming in their MCC ties and silly jackets because they don´t know how to organise a rip-roaring IPL or Big Bash , because they´re too stuck up to realise the potential of private enterprise. Get rid of the Hundred, make the T20 work, organise, privatise and you´ll see how well it will work.
Posted by Glynn Burgess on 03/08/2022 at 16:47
It was interesting to hear a Surrey member saying they have got (unwanted) tickets for every 100 Oval game this year as part of their package. Following on from last years mass ticket giveaway, it will be interesting to see if stunts like this result in the same 'sell outs' as last year ie. Loads of empty seats.
Posted by Duncan Craig on 03/08/2022 at 14:56
The writer has done exactly what the ecb did and call any dissenting voice hysterical. I live in the east so no spreading of the game here I can tell you. Which is the norm where the ecb is concerned. Trent Bridge wasn’t family friendly last year in a pre booked family area full of stag parties and my nephews first live game was being covered in
Posted by Jim on 03/08/2022 at 12:47
The teams are artificial, have no grounding in any history, and staffed by mercenaries... it's no wonder anyone with an interest in cricket hates it. Surely if the marketing bods at the ECB had done some proper research instead of trying to actively create a product without listening to the prospective audience, they would see there is no issue with 18 county teams, but with the way the T20 Blast has been forgotten about due to incompetence from the top of the ECB...
Posted by Bazza on 03/08/2022 at 10:45
The long term contracts are signed, and counties get their annual subsidy nothing meaningful will change; scheduling being the main issue and its impact on the county game. Is this money enough to keep full time counties, only time will tell
Posted by Harry Haydon on 03/08/2022 at 09:16
Where would you suggest fans from the NE, SW & SE travel to watch a live game Sam ? So much for increasing the footprint of the game.
Posted by Fred Boycott on 03/08/2022 at 07:55
Cricket fans spoke out from the beginning. The ECB didn't listen. The Hundred will cripple the game financially. Don't come the let's talk about it angle now. It's too late.
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