The Hundred: It's the future, just don't forget the past
I head to The Oval on the night history is made as a Brave New World is finally unveiled
I saw history being made on Wednesday evening, I watched the first ever Hundred cricket match.
The Oval Invincibles against the Manchester Originals. At The Oval.
As a self-styled ‘progressive traditionalist’ when it comes to the game of cricket, I went with an open mind, bolstered by the fact that anything which will bring new fans to the sport has to be a Good Thing.
I got there early to sample the atmosphere and take a look around.
(As an aside, you can see a picture of that day with good company here - the eagle-eyed among you may note the brilliant Geoff Lemon among our crowd. I’ve known Geoff for nearly a decade now and he’s a lovely bloke as well as one of the best writers on cricket on the planet.)
No scorecards required in this Brave New World
Anyway, I popped into the shiny new club shop, underneath the shiny new Peter May Stand.
'Do you have a scorecard or programme,' I asked in new shop. 'No,' came reply. 'Why's that?' I asked, intrigued. 'We want to move away from scorecards, no-one wants them,'' they said.
This Brave New World didn’t make a promising start in my book. If I had one. Although The Hundred would probably want to move away from books too.
The Wrong Demographic
However, as my youngest daughter once said to be about Tik Tok: ‘The reason you don’t get it, is the reason why [young] people do.’
I certainly wasn’t the demographic that organisers of the Hundred were looking for, and I get that. Nor was my cousin who I watched the game with. Which is absolutely fair enough. I don’t feel the rage some of my vintage do, at the apparent fact this new game purposely avoids our patronage. Nor do I want to condemn such an enterprise simply because it’s new.
We could tell we weren’t what the advertisers were looking for by the way the cameraman nearby kept avoiding the pair of us, among all the eager youngsters around our seats who were busy throwing themselves in front of the camera.
All of which was fine, as there’s nothing I would hate more than seeing myself pointing at myself on a big screen. Or dancing. God forbid.
Incidentally…
Incidentally, me and a mate (Bassy if you’re asking) once went to a music magazine launch in Shoreditch. As a journo I got a pair of invites. I wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t known the people behind it, as I wanted to show support.
Everyone was at least a decade younger. And very healthy looking. Viewing the launch photographs afterwards was a cruel moment as it was the first time I realised I was officially old. Why? Because from a full evening’s drinking and DJs in a crowded bar, our faces weren’t featured in any of the 150 snaps issued.
So I get the fact that TV focused in on happy youngsters, rather than Stadtler and Waldorf drinking quite quickly in south London on a Wednesday evening.
Marks out of a Hundred
Yet, it was great to see so many youngsters and families enjoying this new form of cricket.
As the game commenced, a dad behind me desperately tried to decode the scoreboard (which to be fair, I did too) while his kids asked him 'who's winning' as they gasped at the intermittent flames ‘whoosing’ from the boundary.
Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Fireworks
Incidentally, I lost my love of fireworks the day England lost 1-0 to Germany at Wembley in a World Cup qualifier back in the year 2000.
The last ever-game at the old Wembley - Twin Towers ‘n all - was such a dreadfully disappointing afternoon, where even the persistent rain felt more awful than normal.
It was hugely instructive that even the fireworks didn’t go off, literally turning into a damp squib on and off the pitch. Oh the irony.
Scorecards required
What was vaguely ironical at The Oval was the fact that the first ever ball was a wide and the second ever was a dot ball. Maybe we did need those scorecards after all?
In the event, and no doubt a question for future pub quizzes (if such a thing exists after Covid) is the fact the first ever wicket in The Hundred was Lamb 0 (2) c Bryce b Kapp.
A scoreboard that looked like a bus ticket on acid
The scoreboard looked like a bus ticket - a jazzed up scoreboard/bus ticket replete with garish green and booming burgundy it has to be said.
In fact it looked like a bus ticket on acid.
But it was for the younger crowd, as well as the, er, gamboling presenters and their acolytes.
Certainly the ones that leapt around in the ‘1845 Stand’ in front of me, finding people willing to dance on camera.
Even if at least one diva acted as if he was Robert De Niro when off camera. I’m not sure how long he would have lasted in Edgbaston’s bear pit, the Eric Hollies Stand, but it was fun wondering.
When worlds collide
But not the redoubtable Rob Key, of course, who, when interviewing the captains prior to the toss - or ‘COIN TOSS’ as the PA loudly informed us - gave a seamless segue, saying: “And now back to the DJ booth - or whatever it’s called…’. An insight into when old and new worlds collide.
What about the cricket?
We haven’t even mentioned the cricket yet. Which is sort of the point of The Hundred. I thought the batting on the whole was good, the bowling tight and, bar a few glaring errors, the fielding not too bad on the opening night.
But then we knew it would be. Women’s cricket is excellent, peopled with outstanding players in the short form of the game. Which is kind of where T20 lives.
A thrilling victory
So, the Oval Invincibles pulled off an exciting triumph over Manchester Originals as the women's Hundred started with a thriller.
Set a total of 136, the Invincibles subsided to 36-4 before South Africa pair Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp put on 73, before Kapp was expertly stumped by Ellie Threkeld for 38. However, captain Van Niekerk notched a fine 56 not out to see her team home.
When she struck Kate Cross for four to land the victory with two balls remaining, the young crowd erupted in joy. 7,390 to be precise - a record for a domestic women's professional match in this country.
Well done to all concerned.
My take on The Hundred
Even as a purist I think The Hundred will be a hit. Affordable, family-friendly with a more equal gender divide in the crowd (if not yet in pay) it's on terrestrial TV, it's commercially attractive as quickest format. Also, cash now flows to franchise leagues.
But something's got to give. I just hope it’s not the longer forms of the game I love, namely Test cricket and the county game.
And why should the ODI game suffer? Don’t forget, we’re still world champions in that form.
A Brave New World Has Begun
However, that is a conversation for another day, for a Brave New World has begun.
I wouldn’t say I’m embracing it, although I did get a message from an old mate (Hoppy if you’re asking) and I’ll be there again for the men’s first game later.
Why not? Anything that introduces a new generation to cricket has to be a good thing.
Especially if you can keep the old crowd interested too…
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PS On a separate note, I love The Oval. Even as a Middlesex man. I've been going there since 1985, when I saw my first Test match as a wide-eyed kid watching my heroes Ian Botham and David Gower helping to beat the Aussies to seal the Ashes.
I understand the need for progress, but I have to say the new Peter May Stand is a charmless, convoluted jumble that jars next to the pavilion. Whoever designed the stand and surrounding buildings should be put in stocks and have scorecards thrown at them.
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PPS I used to go and watch rugby league games when I lived and worked in Sydney, Australia, as it's a religion in New South Wales and I wanted to sample their sport.
I also went to an Australia vs NZ test at the ‘Aussie Football Stadium’ at Moore Park, not to mention the 2003 Grand Final among 80,000 passionate and knowledgeable afficionados at the former Olympic Stadium in Homebush.
Having seen the intensity, the skill and the quality, even all those years ago, I just can't see how a Rugby League World Cup can take place without them.
Which is a shame as I wanted to go and watch a game or two during this autumn’s World Cup over here.
I’m genuinely not sure that it will be worth it now. Not when two of the three best teams in the tournament won’t be there.