Birmingham is cricket-mad, but to many the sport can seem slow, dated and boring. That’s where The Hundred steps in. This fast-paced, whack-it-as-hard-as-you-can and fun-to-watch cricket tournament has revitalised the game. It’s guaranteed to turn cricket haters into obsessive followers – especially when we’re cheering on local team Birmingham Phoenix for every match.
What is The Hundred?
Launched in 2021, the 100-ball cricket tournament was one of the biggest shake-ups cricket has seen in years. Designed to make it faster and easier to follow, it sees eight competing teams to reach as many runs as possible from 100 balls. The four-week competition sees both men’s and women’s teams representing cities across England and Wales and includes some of the biggest names in cricket.
A squad is made up of 15 players, with up to four players from outside of the UK allowed on each team. The league involves 32 matches and at the end, the top three teams compete in the final (second and third compete in a knockout tournament to play the first).
A record 580,000 fans watched The Hundred in venues across the country in 2023, including over 300,000 in the women’s competition. Accessible play and great-value prices saw 41% of all tickets sold to families, 23% to juniors and 30% to women last year.
Which teams play in The Hundred?
- Birmingham Phoenix
- London Spirit
- Manchester Originals
- Northern Superchargers (Leeds)
- Oval Invincibles (London)
- Southern Brave (Southampton)
- Trent Rockets (Nottingham)
- Welsh Fire (Cardiff)
When does the tournament start?
Kicking off on Tuesday, July 23, Birmingham Phoenix will head to South London to play Oval Invincibles. Birmingham’s first game at home, however, will take place on Saturday, August 3, with both the men’s and women’s teams playing against Southern Brave – at one of the best cricket grounds in the country, Edgbaston Stadium.
“It’s always an amazing experience to play cricket in front of our fans at home in Birmingham, especially captaining the side in The Hundred,” said Birmingham Phoenix and England Men’s batter Moeen Ali. “I am really looking forward to this year’s tournament. I think the competition had a really strong year last year, it’s so clear on matchdays that The Hundred is attracting new fans.”
Three more matches will take place at Edgbaston Stadium through the summer. Birmingham Phoenix will host Northern Superchargers on Tuesday, August 6; Trent Rockets on Monday, August 12; and Manchester Originals on Thursday, August 15. Second- and third-placed teams compete for a place in the final at The Oval on Saturday, August 17. The Hundred Final will take place on Sunday, August 18 at Lord’s.
Season ticket holders in any of the three years of The Hundred, or who bought a ticket in 2023, are now able to buy a season ticket. Fans who previously bought tickets to The Hundred in other years can purchase a season ticket from March 13-27. A priority window opens from April 9-23, while the general sale begins on April 25. Ticket prices are £5 for juniors aged 3-15 (free for under 3s) and start from £11 for adults.
To learn more, buy tickets or sign up for priority access head here.
The Hundred fixture list:
Tuesday, 23 July: Oval Invincibles v Birmingham Phoenix, The Kia Oval. Women’s 14:45, Men’s 18:30.
Wednesday, 24 July: Southern Brave v London Spirit, Utilita Bowl. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Thursday, 25 July: Manchester Originals v Welsh Fire, Emirates Old Trafford. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30.
Friday, 26 July: Northern Superchargers v Trent Rockets, Headingley. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:35.
Saturday, 27 July: London Spirit v Birmingham Phoenix, Lord’s. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:35
Sunday, 28 July: Welsh Fire v Oval Invincibles, Sophia Gardens. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:35
Monday, 29 July: Manchester Originals v Trent Rockets, Emirates Old Trafford. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:35
Tuesday, 30 July: Northern Superchargers v Southern Brave, Headingley. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:35
Wednesday, 31 July: Trent Rockets v Birmingham Phoenix, Trent Bridge. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Thursday, 1 August: London Spirit v Welsh Fire, Lord’s. Women’s 11:30, Men’s 15:00
Thursday, 1 August: Southern Brave v Manchester Originals, Utilita Bowl. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Friday, 2 August: Oval Invincibles v Northern Superchargers, The Kia Oval. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Saturday, 3 August: Birmingham Phoenix v Southern Brave, Edgbaston. Women’s 11:00, Men’s 14:30
Saturday, 3 August: Trent Rockets v Welsh Fire, Trent Bridge. Women’s 14:30, Men’s 18:00
Sunday. 4 August: London Spirit v Oval Invincibles, Lord’s. Women’s 11:00, Men’s 14:30
Sunday, 4 August: Northern Superchargers v Manchester Originals, Headingley. Women’s 14:30, Men’s 18:00
Monday, 5 August: Welsh Fire v Southern Brave, Sophia Gardens. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Tuesday, 6 August: Manchester Originals v Oval Invincibles, Emirates Old Trafford. Women’s 11:30, Men’s 15:00
Tuesday, 6 August: Birmingham Phoenix v Northern Superchargers, Edgbaston. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Wednesday, 7 August: Trent Rockets v London Spirit, Trent Bridge. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Thursday, 8 August: Welsh Fire v Northern Superchargers, Sophia Gardens. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Thursday, 8 August: Oval Invincibles v Southern Brave, The Kia Oval. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30)
Friday, 9 August: London Spirit v Manchester Originals, Lord’s. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Saturday, 10 August: Southern Brave v Trent Rockets, Utilita Bowl. Women’s 11:00, Men’s 14:30
Saturday, 10 August: Welsh Fire v Birmingham Phoenix, Sophia Gardens. Women’s 14:30, Men’s 18:00
Sunday, 11 August: Oval Invincibles v London Spirit, The Kia Oval. Women’s 11:00, Men’s 14:30
Sunday, 11 August: Manchester Originals v Northern Superchargers, Emirates Old Trafford. Women’s 14:30, Men’s 18:00
Monday, 12 August: Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets, Edgbaston. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Tuesday, 13 August: Northern Superchargers v London Spirit, Headingley. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Wednesday, 14 August: Southern Brave v Welsh Fire, Utilita Bowl. Women’s 11:30, Men’s 15:00
Wednesday, 14 August: Trent Rockets v Oval Invincibles, Trent Bridge. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Thursday, 15 August: Birmingham Phoenix v Manchester Originals, Edgbaston. Women’s 15:00, Men’s 18:30
Saturday, 17 August: Eliminator, The Kia Oval. Women’s 14:15, Men’s 18:00
Sunday, 18 August: Final, Lord’s. Women’s 14:15, Men’s 18:00