Xplorich
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 was the T20 World Cup and the one-off Test between India and England. And now, it is the turn of The Hundred, which began on July 21.The Hundred, the unique tournament featuring 100-ball innings, is back with its sixth edition. Much has changed, and yet not a lot has changed. It still has eight teams, still features 100-ball innings where bowlers can bowl spells of five or 10 consecutive balls, and is still objectively meant to quicken the game and feature double headers – men and women – on the same day.On the opening day, defending men’s champions MI London beat Sunrisers Leeds at The Oval. In the day’s first game, Sunrisers edged MI London by 7 wickets in the women’s competition. A day later, in Southampton, Southern Brave women narrowly got the better of Welsh Fire. And the men’s match later in the day had the reverse outcome.What’s changed is the ownership, the team names, and the kit designs. After an influx of £520 million into The Hundred, the Ambani family acquired Oval Invincibles (now renamed MI London), Sun Group purchased Northern Superchargers (now SunRisers Leeds), and RPSG Group bought Manchester Originals (now Manchester Super Giants). GMR Group, co-owners of the Delhi Capitals, have taken a 49% stake in Southern Brave.On the opening day of the season at The Oval, the mood was as relaxed as one would expect at this time of year. The sun was out, and it was a pleasant day, away from the baking heat that this country had seen in the last couple of months. Even though it was a weekday, families were out in numbers, making the most of numerous entry points that get you into this cricket stadium in Kennington.A venue that has seen three consecutive Test defeats for the hosts. It was here just a month ago that New Zealand walloped England by 253 runs. And it was here just about a year ago that Mohammed Siraj bowled with great fire to help India secure a series-levelling win by just 6 runs.But now, on a Tuesday, The Hundred got underway, and the buzz was equal parts cricket, family and entertainment. A father, holding the hands of two of his kids, walked around and sought the support of a steward in finding the “family section.” Unlike international cricket, where tickets get sold for £100 or more, The Hundred hopes to bring in the masses with reasonable pricing.With kids two and under going free, tickets for 3-15-year-olds are worth £5, and tickets for adults start from as little as £14. So, an entire young family could see two consecutive cricket matches, spanning about five hours or over, for £30-40.To unwind after a long day at work, numerous food carts, kiosks and drinks stalls came to the rescue. From Middle Eastern to fast food to Indian, everything was on offer to suit the palates of the patrons. To glug it down are a range of soft drinks, beers, cocktails and other non-alcoholic beverages. Most importantly, perhaps, ice creams in different flavours and styles are just what the youngsters ask for.The difference in atmosphere quality between the Indian Premier League, a mature cricket league, and The Hundred, still finding its feet, is huge. Now that there is investment by IPL franchises and Indian conglomerates into The Hundred, its way is only forward, helped in large part by a family-oriented approach.
