Cricket - The Hundred

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

Seeing this being built up on SKY 

Is it just me.or this a pointless idea? 

1. A fourth format is the last thing that is needed in cricket. With the debate around the existing 3 formats and what emphasis should be put on each surely this is mad

2. I know all teams are made up but the teams seem stupid and particularly made up with weird combos like Root not playing at the Headingly based team 

3. The Vitality Blast is really great....surely expanding that in length and exposure is better. Including some terrestrial coverage 

Sorry...just ranting as it seems so dumb as an idea ...also £55 for a shirt that is for what a few weeks of fixtures?

[Futtocks]

The format gives you a game that's short enough to play as an evening, post-work*, fixture. But so does T20, which is where the big money, the TV viewership and the brand recognition is worldwide. 

*based on ABC1 consumers' most common working hours, before we get bored to death by someone who claims to work 25 hours a day, 8 days a week and can barely afford a bottle of Chateau le Chasselet, let alone fancy stuff like cricket tickets.

[Futtocks]

1 hour ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

The Vitality Blast is really great....surely expanding that in length and exposure is better. Including some terrestrial coverage 

I think The Hundred was cobbled together to get round some existing exclusive-to-Sky contracts, so you'd assume the Blast was what it was primarily aimed at.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

I think The Hundred was cobbled together to get round some existing exclusive-to-Sky contracts, so you'd assume the Blast was what it was primarily aimed at.

Well that would make sense ....not sure why it couldn't just be a T20 format though 

[Futtocks]

26 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Well that would make sense ....not sure why it couldn't just be a T20 format though 

Two different T20 series per Summer being confusing to fans?

I don't know - Cricket sold themselves as wholly to Sky as RL did, to maybe there's a contractual thing about any domestic, county-based T20 tournament?

[The Hallucinating Goose]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/20/cricket-the-hundred-twenty20-format-ecb-name-change

It actually looks like when the next tv deal cycle comes around, The Hundred is going to be converted into a T20 competition.

[Futtocks]

38 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/20/cricket-the-hundred-twenty20-format-ecb-name-change

It actually looks like when the next tv deal cycle comes around, The Hundred is going to be converted into a T20 competition.

That would make sense. The new franchises may have helped shake up some of the more complacent counties.

But most of the negatives on The Hundred were avoidable.

And the graphics were hideous.

[gingerjon]

4 hours ago, Futtocks said:

I think The Hundred was cobbled together to get round some existing exclusive-to-Sky contracts, so you'd assume the Blast was what it was primarily aimed at.

The catastrophically loss-making Hundred, that the ECB can't even offload to the sort of gullible sports investors who normally lap this sort of thing up, was a power grab by the central body to take power away from the counties whilst lining their pockets. It was meant to make money from day one and yet continues to bleed cash.

It is an absolute and total failure on all counts(*), including obtaining a new audience.

You only have to note how many journeymen county players are now in the ranks of these supposedly elite franchises to see that it's not even a draw for players - they're all off to America or T10 leagues for their giggles.

(* - the only possible exception being the visibility of the women's games but there's enough debate now to suggest it has stagnated relative to the WPL and WBBL)

[Gerrumonside ref]

I’m not the kind of fella that likes to say we told you so, but we…..

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

On 21/07/2024 at 18:17, Futtocks said:

Two different T20 series per Summer being confusing to fans?

I don't know - Cricket sold themselves as wholly to Sky as RL did, to maybe there's a contractual thing about any domestic, county-based T20 tournament?

I think just keep one the Vitality blast and extend it ....I always enjoy the evening games on Sky... Would be good to have more

[Futtocks]

Update from BBC2 - the graphics are still hideously dated in an International Colours of Benetton way.

[HawkMan]

There's no doubt The Hundred has garnered new fans to cricket, I see that in my own family, some of which are going in August to see a double header, who have never followed cricket before. They're seeing London Spirit just for a fun day out. To say those who packed out the Oval last night were all previous cricket followers of other formats and no new fans were there is a ridiculous claim.

Personally I couldn't care less about its future but at least cricket has tried something new, put their money where their mouths are and tried positive action to get new eyeballs on the game. Whereas RL just talks about doing something but does nowt, just talk talk talk talk talk talk ad infinitum.

It's also typical that some look at what other sports are doing and publicity they get , such  as the Hundred or Women's football and rubbish it.

Edited July 24, 2024 by HawkMan

[17 stone giant]

On 21/07/2024 at 18:33, The Hallucinating Goose said:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/20/cricket-the-hundred-twenty20-format-ecb-name-change

It actually looks like when the next tv deal cycle comes around, The Hundred is going to be converted into a T20 competition.

But apparently will still be called The Hundred. 

[17 stone giant]

On 21/07/2024 at 20:40, gingerjon said:

You only have to note how many journeymen county players are now in the ranks of these supposedly elite franchises to see that it's not even a draw for players - they're all off to America or T10 leagues for their giggles.

What do we need to do instead that WILL attract the elite players and cause them to choose playing in an English/Welsh competition rather than going off to America or T10 leagues?

Is it just a case of sorting the calendar out so that these top events/leagues don't overlap?

[The Hallucinating Goose]

7 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

But apparently will still be called The Hundred. 

Yep! I suppose they couldn't call it 'The Hundred and Twenty', that's an even dafter name than 'The Hundred'.

[17 stone giant]

15 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Yep! I suppose they couldn't call it 'The Hundred and Twenty', that's an even dafter name than 'The Hundred'.

Yep, they're somewhat snookered when it comes to the name predicament.

[17 stone giant]

On 21/07/2024 at 14:47, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

2. I know all teams are made up but the teams seem stupid and particularly made up

You'd need to survey people to find out what people think of the names. Personally, I don't have any issues with the name Southern Brave.

I'm from the south, it's a name that anyone from the south or who identifies as a southerner can get behind, if they so choose.

The Brave part is just what it is. I don't have a strong like or dislike for it - it just needed a name and so Brave will do. I feel the same about Hampshire Hawks.

Green makes sense to avoid looking like you're favouring Southampton Red or Portsmouth Blue.

I do see quite a lot of Southern Brave merchandise out there, along with Hampshire stuff. I do think some of the prices are ridiculous, but I could say the same about other teams in many sports.

[HawkMan]

6 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

You'd need to survey people to find out what people think of the names. Personally, I don't have any issues with the name Southern Brave.

I'm from the south, it's a name that anyone from the south or who identifies as a southerner can get behind, if they so choose.

The Brave part is just what it is. I don't have a strong like or dislike for it - it just needed a name and so Brave will do. I feel the same about Hampshire Hawks.

Green makes sense to avoid looking like you're favouring Southampton Red or Portsmouth Blue.

I do see quite a lot of Southern Brave merchandise out there, along with Hampshire stuff. I do think some of the prices are ridiculous, but I could say the same about other teams in many sports.

I'm not sure youngsters today, Generation Z I think they're called, associate with County names like Gloucestershire or Surrey etc. London,  Manchester, Northern, Southern is a name they can get behind. 

[17 stone giant]

On 21/07/2024 at 14:47, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

3. The Vitality Blast is really great

But that's not a statement of fact. It's just your opinion. It's no different to someone like me saying that I think The Hundred is great.

Personally, I don't closely follow the Blast. It's too many games (133, is it?) and too many teams (18) for my liking. That's why I prefer the more condensed Hundred tournament.

There's no right or wrong - it's just what people prefer.

[17 stone giant]

Just now, HawkMan said:

I'm not sure youngsters today, Generation Z I think they're called, associate with County names like Gloucestershire or Surrey etc. London,  Manchester, Northern, Southern is a name they can get behind. 

I think you're probably right about that.

England and Wales don't have conveniently sized regions/states with recognisable names that we can use instead.

Unless you want to go old school with Wessex vs Mercia, or more vague sounding names like West Midlands vs North of England, etc. I don't think either of those are an upgrade.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

40 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

But that's not a statement of fact. It's just your opinion. 

My opinion is often right 

Many on here can pay testament to that 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 hour ago, 17 stone giant said:

Yep, they're somewhat snookered when it comes to the name predicament.

Err, 'cuse me! Snooker happens to be my favourite sport and I will not have it mentioned in relation to this joke cricket competition! 

 

(just joking around mate, not really having a go at you! Snooker is my favourite sport though! )

[The Hallucinating Goose]

11 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

My opinion is often right 

Many on here can pay testament to that 

Yeah definitely, you're the human Wikipedia Bedfordshire!

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

4 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Yeah definitely, you're the human Wikipedia Bedfordshire!

Thanks Goose

[17 stone giant]

54 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Err, 'cuse me! Snooker happens to be my favourite sport and I will not have it mentioned in relation to this joke cricket competition! 

 

(just joking around mate, not really having a go at you! Snooker is my favourite sport though! )

But snooker players love a good hundred (or century as they call it).