ECB: The Hundred sets dates for another spectacular month of sport and entertainment

Photo Credit: ECB

• The Hundred will be back on Tuesday 1 August with the Opener to be played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
• The Hundred Final set for Sunday 27 August at Lord’s
• Fans can look forward to another summer of world-class men’s and women’s cricket following a record-breaking 2022 tournament
• The Hundred’s partnership with BBC Music Introducing to continue bringing top tier live music and DJs at venues across the country
• For more information and to sign up for priority ticket access visit thehundred.com

The Hundred is back for 2023, bringing with it four weeks of spectacular entertainment and intense cricket action at the height of the summer. After two hugely successful years, the competition is set to kick off on Tuesday 1 August promising high octane men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment.

More than half a million people attended games during The Hundred’s second year in 2022, including a record-breaking 271,000 watching live women’s fixtures across the competition and more families buying tickets than in 2021. Alongside world-class cricket, fans were treated to memorable performances from a diverse line-up of artists and DJs including Bastille, The Big Moon and Priya Ragu, thanks to The Hundred’s ongoing partnership with BBC Music Introducing.

For the first time, this year’s opener will be played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Taking place on Tuesday 1 August, the first fixture will see the defending men’s champions Trent Rockets taking on 2021 champions Southern Brave, while the women’s sides face off in a repeat of last year’s Eliminator.

Following a delay to the start of the Women’s Competition last year, due to women’s cricket being included in the Commonwealth Games, 2023 sees the return of double-header men’s and women’s matches from the very first fixture. The defending women’s champions Oval Invincibles will be in action on the second day of the competition (Wednesday 2 August) as they take on hometown rivals London Spirit at Lord’s.

There will be an initial, exclusive window to purchase tickets from 1-14 March for anyone who has previously bought tickets for The Hundred. Those yet to attend can sign up in advance at thehundred.com for priority ticket access from 5–18 April. Tickets will then go on general sale on Thursday 20 April. Tickets this year remain great value in line with 2022 pricing, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 6-15, free for children five and under, and adults starting from £10.

The Hundred Eliminator, where second- and third-placed teams fight it out for a place in The Hundred Final, is confirmed for Saturday 26 August at The Kia Oval. The Final itself will take place on Sunday 27 August at Lord’s.

For the first time this year The Hundred will see both the men’s and the women’s competitions host a draft. The date The Hundred Draft is due to be held is Thursday 2 March. Deadline day – the day on which retained players are confirmed across both competitions – is set to be Thursday 16 February.

Sanjay Patel, Managing Director of The Hundred said: “I am incredibly proud of the impact The Hundred has already had on cricket in England and Wales after just two years, providing a new format that has seen more families and a diverse new generation of fans getting into the game. As we enter year three, we’re looking forward to building on that momentum and putting on another unforgettable summer of world-class cricket action and entertainment that will continue to appeal to new and existing audiences alike.”

Beth Barrett-Wild, Head of The Hundred Women’s Competition and Female Engagement at the ECB said: “We are in the middle of a really special period of time for professional women’s sport, with exponential levels of growth happening across every measure of engagement, from broadcast viewing figures to match day attendances. Since launching in 2021, The Hundred has had a transformational impact on women’s cricket, propelling the women’s game into the mainstream, and making household names of our brilliant female players. This summer is set to be even bigger, starting with the introduction of a player draft for the women’s squads in March – another first for professional women’s sport in the UK, and another example of how The Hundred is accelerating positive change in sport for women and girls.”

Oval Invincibles and England Women batter Lauren Winfield-Hill, who won The Hundred last year, said: “Lifting the trophy with my Oval Invincibles team-mates last year was a career highlight that I’ll never forget. The Hundred is such a thrilling competition to be a part of. The support we had at every game was just phenomenal and I can’t wait to get back into action to defend the title this year. The first ever women’s draft is definitely going to bring an exciting new element to the game and it will be interesting to see how the teams shape up for another fierce competition.”

England Men’s World Cup winner Dawid Malan, The Hundred’s top run-scorer last season and a 2022 champion with Trent Rockets, said: “I have a lot of great memories from The Hundred 2022. The atmosphere in every ground was really enjoyable and winning the title at Lord’s was very special. This summer is shaping up to be massive for cricket in England and Wales and I’m really looking forward to the third year of The Hundred, playing with some of the best players in the world in front of big crowds.”

Over 14.1 million people tuned in to watch The Hundred action in 2022 and games will again be broadcast live on Sky Sports and BBC broadcast and digital channels throughout the competition.

To stay up to date with the latest news, buy tickets or to sign up for priority access, visit thehundred.com or follow The Hundred, and the eight teams, on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Notes to Editors

About The Hundred:

The Hundred is an action-packed, unmissable cricket competition that fuses world-class cricket with blockbuster entertainment.

Combining a short, fast format of cricket, with each game lasting less than three hours, and incredible entertainment beyond the sport, The Hundred is making cricket more accessible and reaching a broader audience. It’s simple: 100 balls per team, most runs wins, so every ball counts.

The Hundred features eight teams from seven cities, with men’s and women’s competitions taking place side by side: Welsh Fire (Cardiff), Southern Brave (Southampton), Northern Superchargers (Leeds), London Spirit, Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Oval Invincibles (London), Manchester Originals and Birmingham Phoenix. Each teams features some of the best international and domestic cricketers from around the world, including England Men’s & Women’s World Cup winners.

Highlight statistics from The Hundred 2022:

• More than 500,000 people attended games across the course of the competition
• The Hundred continued to take cricket to new audiences with more women (28%), children (22%) and families (41%) attending than in the first year
• 2022 once again set a new global record for total attendance at a women’s cricket competition, with 271,000 people attending
• All eight venues broke their previous best for domestic women’s attendances
• Of the Sky and BBC TV coverage, 42% hadn’t watched any other ECB cricket in 2022 prior to The Hundred, resulting in 5.9m new viewers
• Women (31%) and children (14%) made up a significant share of the TV audience

Full fixtures (all games men’s and women’s double headers)

• Tuesday 1 August: Trent Rockets vs Southern Brave, Trent Bridge, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Wednesday 2 August: Welsh Fire vs Manchester Originals, Sophia Gardens, women 11:30, men 15:00
• Wednesday 2 August: London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles, Lord’s, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Thursday 3 August: Northern Superchargers vs Birmingham Phoenix, Headingley, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Friday 4 August: Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire, Ageas Bowl, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Saturday 5 August: Manchester Originals vs London Spirit, Emirates Old Trafford, women 11:00, men 14:30
• Saturday 5 August: Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets, Edgbaston, women 14:30, men 18:00
• Sunday 6 August: Southern Brave vs Northern Superchargers, Ageas Bowl, women 11:00, men 14:30
• Sunday 6 August: Oval Invincibles vs Welsh Fire, The Kia Oval, women 14:30, men 18:00
• Monday 7 August: Manchester Originals vs Birmingham Phoenix, Emirates Old Trafford, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Tuesday 8 August: London Spirit vs Southern Brave, Lord’s, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Wednesday 9 August: Trent Rockets vs Northern Superchargers, Trent Bridge, women 11:30, men 15:00
• Wednesday 9 August: Oval Invincibles vs Manchester Originals, The Kia Oval, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Thursday 10 August: Birmingham Phoenix vs Welsh Fire, Edgbaston, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Friday 11 August: Northern Superchargers vs Oval Invincibles, Headingley, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Saturday 12 August: London Spirit vs Trent Rockets, Lord’s, women 11.00, men 14.30
• Saturday 12 August: Welsh Fire vs Southern Brave, Sophia Gardens, women 14:30, men 18:00
• Sunday 13 August: Northern Superchargers vs Manchester Originals, Headingley, women 11:00, men 14:30
• Sunday 13 August: Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles, Edgbaston, women 14:30, men 18:00
• Monday 14 August: Welsh Fire vs Trent Rockets, Sophia Gardens, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Tuesday 15 August: Oval Invincibles vs London Spirit, The Kia Oval, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Wednesday 16 August: Southern Brave vs Birmingham Phoenix, Ageas Bowl, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Thursday 17 August: Trent Rockets vs Manchester Originals, Trent Bridge, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Friday 18 August: London Spirit vs Northern Superchargers, Lord’s, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Saturday 19 August: Trent Rockets vs Birmingham Phoenix, Trent Bridge, women 11:00, men 14:30
• Saturday 19 August: Southern Brave vs Oval Invincibles, Ageas Bowl, women 14:30, men 18:00
• Sunday 20 August: Manchester Originals vs Northern Superchargers, women 11:00, men 14:30
• Sunday 20 August: Welsh Fire vs London Spirit, Sophia Gardens, women 14:30, men 18:00
• Monday 21 August: Oval Invincibles vs Trent Rockets, The Kia Oval, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Tuesday 22 August: Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire, Headingley, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Wednesday 23 August: Manchester Originals vs Southern Brave, Emirates Old Trafford, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Thursday 24 August: Birmingham Phoenix vs London Spirit, Edgbaston, women 15:00, men 18:30
• Saturday 26 August: The Hundred Eliminator, The Kia Oval, women 14:30, men 18:00
• Sunday 27 August: The Hundred Final, Lord’s, women 14:15, men 18:00

Name of Author: ECB

ECB

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body for cricket in England and Wales, formed on January 1, 1997. It combines roles from the Test and County Cricket Board, National Cricket Association, and Cricket Council, and integrated the Women’s Cricket Association in 1998. Based at Lord’s Cricket Ground, the ECB oversees all levels of cricket, including national teams for men, women, and various disability categories.