IPL investment later, The Hundred continues to be a family affair | Cricket News
TimesofIndia.com in London: The summer of cricket continues unabated in England. The men played three Tests against New Zealand and five T20Is and three ODIs against India. As for the women, there is the T20 World Cup and the one-off Test between India and England. And now, it’s the turn of The Hundred, which started on July 21.The Hundred, the unique tournament with 100-ball innings, is back with its sixth edition. Much has changed, and yet not much has changed. It still has eight teams, still has 100-ball innings where bowlers can bowl spells of five or 10 balls in a row, and is still meant to speed up the game and has a double header – men’s and women’s – on the same day.On the opening day, defending men’s champions MI London defeated Sunrisers Leeds at The Oval. In the first match of the day, Sunrisers beat MI London by 7 wickets in the women’s competition. A day later, in Southampton, the Southern Brave girls narrowly beat the Welsh Fire. And the men’s match later in the day had the opposite effect.What has changed is the ownership, the team names, and the kit designs. After a £520 million infusion into The Hundred, the Ambani family acquired Oval Invincibles (now MI London), Sun Group bought Northern Superchargers (now SunRisers Leeds), and RPSG Group bought Manchester Originals (now Manchester Super Giants). GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, acquired 49% stake in Southern Brave.On the opening day of the season at The Oval, the atmosphere was as relaxed as one would expect at this time of year. The sun was setting, and it was a pleasant day, far from the baking heat the country had seen for the past two months. Even though it was a weekday, families were out in numbers, taking advantage of the many entry points that lead you to this Kennington cricket stadium.A venue that has seen three Test defeats in a row for the hosts. It was here only a month ago that New Zealand beat England by 253 runs. And it was only here about a year ago that Mohammed Siraj hit a blistering fire to help India secure a series leveling win by 6 runs.But now, on a Tuesday, The Hundred begins, and the buzz is equal parts cricket, family and entertainment. A father, holding the hands of two of his children, walks up and asks for the support of a deputy to search the “family section.” Unlike international cricket, where tickets sell for £100 or more, The Hundred hopes to bring in the masses with a reasonable price.With children two and under free, tickets for 3-15-year-olds cost £5, and tickets for adults start from £14. So, a whole young family can see two consecutive cricket matches, lasting around five hours or more, for £30-40.To relax after a long day of work, many food carts, kiosks and liquor stores help. From Middle Eastern to fast food to Indian, everything is offered to suit patrons’ palates. To glue it is a variety of soft drinks, beer, cocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks. Most importantly, perhaps, ice creams in different flavors and styles are just what young people are asking for.The difference in the quality of the atmosphere between the Indian Premier League, a mature cricket league, and The Hundred, which is still finding its feet, is huge. Now with investment in IPL franchises and Indian conglomerates in The Hundred, its path forward is only possible, helped in large part by a family-oriented approach.
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