The Hundred, 2025 version, returns to haunt us like the plague.
“What is wrong with it?” I hear you cry. Here are a few reasons:
1 The game format itself is a nonsense. My reaction after first hearing of its creation was to wonder how soon it would be replaced by ‘The Fifty’. People get bored very quickly.
2 It’s the worst type of capitalism. Every player is given a value, as if they are market commodities, not human beings.
3 Gender equality is a no-no. Top male players can earn up to £200k; women £65k, that is roughly one third. The minimum for a female plaer is £10k, about enough to keep you provided with coffee for a week.
4 Overseas players are of course an essential. The organisers allow three per squad, for no obvious reason. That amounts to 1/5 of a squad of fifteen.
What good does that do to the English game when we may safely assume the three imports will play every match, unless injured!
5 Some of the women’s franchises have a female coach, but not all. Why not?
6 Identity
While the names of the eight franchises may be familiar (eg Oval Invincibles – they can never be beaten – they contain players who have little or no connection to that city or region.
As a prime example, let’s take London Spirit. The women’s squad contains: Cordelia Griffith, Charlie Dean, Grace Harris, Danielle Gibson, Deepti Sharma, Charli Knott, Georgia Redmayne, Kira Chathli, Eva Gray, Tara Norris, Sophie Munro, Issy Wong, Rebecca Tyson, Sarah Glenn, Meg Lanning.
Spot a player who has lived (or was born) in London.
Chathli is intimately associated with the Oval (South-East Stars and Surrey), but must venture into the murky waters of North London.
Where on earth do the eight franchises find an identity?
Don’t worry. The jamboree lasts only 26 days 5-31 August, then will be completely forgotten, as the players return to their native haunts.
How many of these mini-matches will we remember?
