The ECB’s Bet On The Hundred Smacks Of Jealousy

Posted: April 19, 2021

Updated: April 19, 2021

100 Ball Format May Take A While To Bed In
You Can Bet On The Hundred Now At Bet365
ECB Hope New Format Will Create New Fans

ECB National Club in ’14 – Image source: Flickr

There’s a new bet on sports in the UK available. Annoyed at India popularizing T20, and unable to admit it, the ECB launched “The Hundred”. A game of 100 balls. Supposedly, this would give it a unique character, but it simply smacks of desperation to differ. No one has greeted the new format with much real enthusiasm. Sure, it puts the Men’s and Women’s game on an equal pitch, and that’s to be lauded, but don’t bet on the Hundred winning hearts and minds amongst fans.

Just why England couldn’t have a T20 contest like everyone else comes down to jealousy. The Indian Premier League really is the Premier league for T20 cricket. That would always leave the English playing second fiddle and the stuffy old men at the ECB couldn’t have that. So, instead of being the johnny-come-lately to the T20 party they came up with a new format. Something cricket needed like an arrow to the knee. So I’d not bet on the Hundred lasting too long really.

This is mostly because the fans are not impressed. They see this as the ECB money men ruining a basically great idea. England does need a short form tournament of this sort, no question, but they’ve tainted it all with an unrequired novelty format. People love to bet on T20 cricket. They have come to understand it over the last twenty years or so. Perhaps that’s why those taking advantage of UK gambling laws to bet on the Hundred are so far very few and far between.

Outs For Wickets Causes Ire Among Fans

The organizers have not helped their cause. Throwing familiarity aside with abandon is sometimes revolutionary. Sometimes, however, it’s just irksome. Take the changes in language. We can all understand why Batsmen should be batters. Not all cricketers are men. But the idea of changing “Wickets” to “Outs”? That’s just daft and social media said so with whiplash speed. Not that I would bet on the Hundred organizers listening. They seem blissfully unaware.

The Hundred Odds

Welsh Fire – 8/1

Trent Rockets – 7/1

Birmingham Phoenix – 7/1

Southern Brave – 7/1

Manchester Originals – 7/1

Oval Invincibles – 6/1

London Spirit – 5/1

Northern Superchargers – 4/1

See more stats at bet365…

They believe they can push this format forward with a sprinkle of celebs to take people’s minds off how ridiculous this is. Perhaps they’re right. Cricket, is, after all, still cricket. With the BBC and Sky behind them it may be too big to fail. Even ticket sales are said to be “encouraging”, although you can take that with a pinch of salt. Still, even if you hate the concept that doesn’t mean you can’t bet on the Hundred at online sportsbook sites in the UK like Bet365. A wager is a wager.

Bet On The Hundred At Bet365

So let us see who we have to back. Well there are eight teams, men and women’s both, following the T20 format of city franchises. Sure, those who like to bet on Test cricket probably won’t find that reassuring, but T20 fans will. Recently the British took regionalism into its heart so this will play into that. Teams will even include “local icons” to reinforce it. Indeed your bet on the Hundred may well come down to which team resides closest. Still, we ought to look at the odds.

“The biggest question that we will have, is what is the relevance of the three formats and where do they stand?”

Eoin Morgan – England White Ball Captain

The odds on the Hundred currently offer up some nice prices. Online betting sites in the UK like Bet365 are giving the Northern Superchargers a tasty 4/1. They’ve a good side shaping up. At that price they’re both favorites and a good bet on the Hundred. London Spirit are 5/1 with the Oval Invincibles just behind them at 6/1. This leaves the Trent Rockets, Southern Brave, Birmingham Phoenix and Manchester originals at 7/1. The Welsh Fire get 8/1. Let’s hope it matters.