Latest news with #TheHundred
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Get set for a totally WICKET summer: The Hundred is rolling into cities across the UK - this is how YOU and your family can join the fun
The Hundred will soon be in cities across the UK - and it's going to be this summer's ultimate family day out! Cricket's most exciting tournament is famous for delivering edge-of-your seat sporting action paired with blockbuster entertainment in the stands. And thanks to its Principal Partner, Compare the Market, you can expect more fun (and fur) at every fixture, with live music, DJs, pyros, giveaways and lots more. It's cricket - made simples. Below, we tell you everything you need to know about The Hundred, from the format of the tournament to the amazing entertainment on offer at every fixture - and how your family can join in the fun! What is The Hundred? The Hundred involves eight teams featuring some of cricket's biggest stars that go head-to-head over five weeks this August. The idea is simple - each side gets 100 balls each, and the one who hits the most runs is declared the winner. This means every ball counts, so expect high stakes, edge-of-your-seat action right from the get go! As a new format, there are some new rules, like a 25-ball powerplay - when only two fielders are allowed out of the 30-yard circle around the stumps. This should make it easier for batters to smash boundaries, including fours and sixes! The result is a game of cricket more exhilarating and unmissable than ever. And because each side comes from one of seven cities - Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Southampton - there's the added excitement of getting behind your local team and cheering them towards the final at Lord's on 31 August. Every team has their own men's and women's squad, with the competitions running alongside each other. What makes it so special The fast-paced nature of The Hundred makes it absolutely thrilling to watch. But that's not the only reason it's the ideal day out for kids (and adults!) of all ages. It's everything that happens off the pitch too... Compare the Market is on hand to make the experience more entertaining - aided by everyone's favourite meerkats, Aleksandr and Sergei and Carl the Wombat. Expect merch, such as Compare the Market foam paws - perfect for waving in the air to cheer on your chosen side - and t-shirts fired from the t-shirt cannon! You could even appear on the big screen by scanning a QR code for the ever popular Meerkat Crowd Cam... Taking part in The Hundred is an unforgettable experience for the whole family. And to help you build up for match day, Compare the Market have teamed up with The Hundred to create a brand new, free interactive activity pack! Designed for 8 to 11-year-olds, the digital pack - which you can download here - will help create memories for the whole family before the first ball is even bowled. How to get tickets Now for the important part - how can you get your hands on some tickets? The first week of fixtures Tuesday, August 5 - London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles. Lord's, London Wednesday, August 6 - Manchester Originals vs Southern Brave. Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester Thursday, August 7 - Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire. Headingley, Leeds Friday, August 8 - Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets. Edgbaston, Birmingham Saturday, August 9 - Oval Invincibles vs Manchester Originals. The Kia Oval, London Saturday, August 9 - Welsh Fire vs London Spirit. Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Sunday, August 10 - Southern Brave vs Birmingham Phoenix. Utilita Bowl, Southampton Sunday, August 10 - Trent Rockets vs Northern Superchargers. Trent Bridge, Nottingham The Hundred is designed to make top-class men's and women's cricket accessible for everyone, so there's a range of ticket options and flexible pricing to suit a variety of budgets. Kids are front and centre of what The Hundred is about, so tickets for three to 15-year-olds cost just £5, while kids aged two and under go totally free. Meanwhile, adult tickets start at just £16. The action-packed nature of The Hundred makes it instantly addictive, so season tickets are available too. Buying tickets is easy, simply login or create your account - and off you go. But you'll need to be quick! The competition kicks off on Tuesday, August 5 with a London derby at Lord's between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles. All the teams in the league play in the first week, with the action unfolding across the rest of the month before the final on Sunday, August 31. Last year, London Spirit won the women's competition, while Oval Invincibles won the men's one for a second year in a row. But who will triumph this year? It's all to play for!
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Sun TV board approves £100.5 million acquisition of The Hundred's Northern Superchargers
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The board of Sun TV Network has approved the acquisition of a 100% equity stake in Northern Superchargers , a franchise in The Hundred, a professional cricket league operated by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).Valued at £100.5 million, the deal marks the Chennai-based broadcaster's entry into the UK sports market. The board approved the acquisition at its meeting on July 18. Once completed, Northern Superchargers will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun TV.'We are enhancing our global footprint in sports and are investing in a club that is part of The Hundred, a limited-overs cricket league promoted by the England and Wales Cricket Board, the equivalent of the BCCI in the UK,' said R. Ravi, Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, in a regulatory filing. 'The foreign entity we are acquiring, Northern Superchargers Limited, is already profitable, and we believe that with growing global interest, The Hundred is poised for greater financial success.'Incorporated in May 2019 and based in London, Northern Superchargers reported a turnover of £1.89 million in FY24. The franchise is one of eight teams in The Hundred, a 100-ball cricket competition introduced by the ECB in TV currently owns two cricket franchises Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa's SA20 League. The company said the acquisition is part of its broader strategy to expand its presence in international investment will be made under the Reserve Bank of India's automatic route for overseas acquisitions and will be executed through authorised banking channels. The transaction is expected to close by December 31, the sale of stakes in all eight franchises of The Hundred, the ECB and several participating counties have attracted prominent investors from India, the US, and Silicon addition to Sun TV, other major investments in The Hundred include Reliance , which acquired 49% of Oval Invincibles for £60 million; GMR Group, which bought 49% of Southern Brave for £48 million; and RPSG Group, which secured a 70% stake in Manchester Originals.A Silicon Valley consortium comprising Times Internet Vice Chairman Satyan Gajwani, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen acquired 49% of London Spirit for £145 Hundred is a professional 100-ball cricket competition launched by the ECB in 2021. The format is designed to make it more fast-paced and accessible to a wider audience, especially younger viewers and families.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Ind vs Eng: Why have pitches in England become batting-friendly?
Pitches in England during the ongoing summer have been uncharacteristically flat, not only in the India vs England Test series , but also in County Championship and the India U-19 vs England U-19 matches. After the Youth Test between the Under-19 teams ended in a draw at Kent County ground in Beckenham last week, the curator was asked if the Indian Test team requested any special kind of pitches for their practice session. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Others Project Management Leadership Public Policy Finance others Data Analytics Data Science healthcare Operations Management PGDM Design Thinking Cybersecurity CXO Artificial Intelligence Data Science Healthcare Degree Technology Management Product Management MCA MBA Digital Marketing Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details 'It's been a long summer and a lot of cricket has been played. Even if they ask for anything, I won't be able to give them,' the curator replied. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The locals at Manchester are calling it a "beautiful summer" as the sun has been blazing down barring the rain in the last few days. Weather and pitches have been a constant topic of discussion. India pacer Akash Deep, on his first tour of England, expected encouraging seam and swing but the bubble was burst in the first India 'A' game he played before the Test series. Live Events Before the series started, England team's managing director Rob Key observed that the increasing amount of cricket has played a part in the pitches getting flatter over the years. 'There are a lot of tired squares. They've got more cricket than ever now that The Hundred and women's cricket are in every county,' Key analysed. As seen in the first three Tests between India and England, the pitches have lost zip. At Edgbaston, England captain Ben Stokes even said that the conditions resembled the subcontinent. Former England captain Andrew Strauss, too, leaned on the narrative. 'With cloud cover and a bit more moisture in the surfaces, you're going to get a little bit more live grass. Therefore, it's going to seam and swing a bit more. So, the weather's played perfectly into India's hands so far ,' Strauss told TOI during the Lord's Test. The "Bazball" style of play, which is a batting-dominated approach may have also played a role in the kind of pitches being rolled out. Another former England captain Michael Vaughan brought up this point during a chat with TOI. 'For England to play this style of cricket (attacking batting), if you play on green tops, they are going to get bowled out quite quickly. I would think that England want to play on flatter wickets to play the expansive brand of cricket,' Vaughan reckoned. Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta, who has been a broadcaster for the seires, pointed out that the ground staff struggle to maintain moisture after all the grounds were made sand-based to improve drainage. 'A few of the ground staff told me that all the rainwater drains out so quickly that it dries up the surface quickly. In fact, the ground staff in Birmingham had to recently put cardboard sheets besides the main square so that the main square remains moist longer,' Dasgupta told TOI .
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Sun TV acquisition of Northern Superchargers: A strategic analysis
CHENNAI: Sun TV's acquisition of the Northern Superchargers is a strategic move that strengthens its growing portfolio in the sports and entertainment space, creating synergies across brand identity, media rights, and cricket operations, according to analysts tracking India's media, entertainment and sports industry. Sun TV Network, through its parent company Sun Group, has acquired full ownership of the Northern Superchargers, a franchise in England's The Hundred cricket league, for approximately £100 million (around ₹1,050 crore). The acquisition includes both Yorkshire County Cricket Club's 51% stake and the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) 49% share. This marks Sun Group's third major franchise investment after Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa's SA20 league. 'It represents a bold step toward establishing a unified global presence in the evolving world of T20 franchise cricket, while also offering financial and structural support to English domestic cricket,' said a senior analyst at a foreign brokerage firm, speaking to The New Indian Express. The move further strengthens Sun Group's 'Sunrisers' brand across key geographies and formats, enabling a cohesive global identity across India, South Africa, and the UK, the analyst added, requesting anonymity as he is not authorised to speak on specific clients. As one of India's leading broadcasters, Sun TV can also leverage this acquisition to develop exclusive sports content, enhance digital streaming opportunities, and monetise media rights across three major cricket markets. This cross-league presence enhances the brand's appeal to sponsors and advertisers, noted a senior sports analyst. With franchises in three premier leagues, Sun Group now has the opportunity to develop a global talent ecosystem—rotating players, coaches, and support staff across teams, while standardising scouting systems and performance analytics, said a well-known commentator and analyst with a leading sports network. According to industry reports, Sun TV Network becomes the first IPL franchise owner to fully acquire a team in The Hundred. The move reflects a growing trend of IPL stakeholders expanding their footprint across global T20 and franchise-based leagues, including SA20, Major League Cricket (USA), ILT20 (UAE), and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The acquisition also signals rising Indian influence in global cricket and sets a precedent for deeper international integration of franchise ecosystems. From an operational standpoint, the acquisition offers the potential for strong synergies. Centralising back-end functions such as marketing, logistics, and data analytics across franchises can help reduce costs and improve coordination. Sun's operational expertise from managing IPL and SA20 teams could also be applied to optimise performance in The Hundred. However, the integration is not without challenges. Merging an IPL-style franchise model with the UK's distinct cricketing traditions and regulatory framework may present both operational and perception-related hurdles. Balancing the local identity of the Northern Superchargers with the broader Sunrisers brand will require careful messaging and engagement with English fans. Moreover, with a significant investment of £100 million, achieving long-term returns will depend on factors such as on-field performance, market expansion, and successful monetisation of media and sponsorship opportunities. The deal is subject to final approvals and must navigate regulatory scrutiny from the ECB as well as international sports governance norms.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG 4th Test: Why have pitches in England been flat?
Indian players celebrates the dismissal of England's Ben Duckett, left, during the fourth day of the third cricket test match between England and India at Lord¥s cricket ground in London, Sunday, July 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Richard Pelham) Manchester: After the Youth Test between India U-19 and England U-19 ended at Kent County ground in Beckenham last week, the curator was asked if the Indian Test team requested any special kind of pitches for their practice session scheduled two days later. 'It's been a long summer and a lot of cricket has been played. Even if they ask for anything, I won't be able to give them,' the curator said while dust came off as he was brushing the centre square. The locals here call it a beautiful summer. The past two gloomy and rainy days aside, the sun has been blazing down. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The weather is not the only talking point this summer here. The high-scoring games and consistently flat nature of pitches are a departure from how cricket is usually played here. India pacer Akash Deep, on his first tour of England, imagined prodigious seam and swing. That bubble burst in the first India 'A' game he played before the Test series. Before the series started, England team's managing director Rob Key pointed out that the increasing amount of cricket has played a part in the pitches getting flatter over the years. 'There are a lot of tired squares. They've got more cricket than ever now that The Hundred and women's cricket are in every county,' Key analysed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Rishabh Pant battled pain, worked hard in nets on Day 2 to bat at Lord's | Exclusive Nets Visuals As the series went on till the third Test at Lord's, the pitches lost a fair amount of zip. At Edgbaston, England captain Ben Stokes even said that the conditions resembled the subcontinent. Former England captain Andrew Strauss, too, leaned on the narrative. 'With cloud cover and a bit more moisture in the surfaces, you're going to get a little bit more live grass. Therefore, it's going to seam and swing a bit more. So, the weather's played perfectly into India's hands so far ,' Strauss told TOI during the Lord's Test. A batting-dominated approach of the Bazball era may have had a role to play too. Another former England captain Michael Vaughan brought up this point during a chat with TOI. 'For England to play this style of cricket (attacking batting), if you play on green tops, they are going to get bowled out quite quickly. I would think that England want to play on flatter wickets to play the expansive brand of cricket,' Vaughan reckoned. Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta, who has been a broadcaster here, pointed out that the groundstaff struggle to maintain moisture after all the grounds were made sand-based to improve drainage. 'A few of the ground staff told me that all the rainwater drains out so quickly that it dries up the surface quickly. In fact, the groundstaff in Birmingham had to recently put cardboard sheets besides the main square so that the main square remains moist longer,' Dasgupta told TOI . Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
