Explained: Why is The Hundred not seeing big scores in 2024 and why is it such a big issue?
The shorter the format, the higher the scoring rate. This inversely proportional formula is the one that cricket fans have subconsciously ingrained into their minds, and the statistics prove the same to a degree as well. However, two recent tournaments, the 2024 T20 World Cup and The Hundred 2024, have contradicted the aforementioned statement.
The very first wave of blame is directed towards the playing conditions. The surfaces in the United States of America (USA) and the Caribbean were universally criticized as they played a part in disrupting the balance between bat and ball, towards the other side for change.
Playing conditions often have to bear the brunt of the allegations of low scores, because, in the modern-day era, no team would elect to play cautiously irrespective of the situation.
The verdict on The Hundred format is still out there, with some embracing the innovation while others labeling it unwelcoming and unnecessary. But, this edition of the tournament has been hard to ignore as it has seen bowlers matching the batters toe-to-toe, a parity that was in mind when the game was made but got lost along the way.
The Hundred has witnessed 14 totals below 100 runs since its inception. Almost half of those (6) have come in the ongoing season. One does not need to dig deep into the records book to acknowledge that the 2024 Hundred has been a bowlers' tournament overall. Seamers have had a memorable time so far, with the likes of Tim Southee and Sam Curran picking up five-wicket hauls while
On that note, let us take a look at why The Hundred have been plagued with archaic low scores despite all the flash and dazzle of modern-day cricket.
#1 Logo on the ball
After the low scores became prominent in the season, the difference in the ball movement became a bit apparent. The swing with the new ball played a huge role as it led to early dismissals and put pressure on the batting side from the word go.
The middle order then had to play the rescue act and they always ended up chasing the game. The trend was noticed soon enough, and the numbers backed it as well, with the ongoing season featuring the most swing since in any tournament in England and Wales in the recent past.
This led to a few players taking the issue up to the England and Wales Cricket (ECB) where they blamed the issue on the tournament's logo on the ball. As per reports, the batters felt that the logo imprinted on one side, coupled with the extra lacquer has led to excessive movement in the air, which they have deemed difficult to deal with.
Interestingly, a similar system was in place when it came to the ball manufacturing process in the previous edition as well, which did not witness a trend with low scores.
Prominent players like Moeen Ali and Heather Knight among others have voiced their concerns regarding the same, while a franchise owner reportedly requested to switch to 'normal' balls for the latter half of the tournament.
#2 Used pitches
Conducting two tournaments simultaneously on the same set of venues within a month is a tall ask. The infamous rains in England coupled with the stadiums having just been in use for the T20 Blast makes it an even more complicated affair.
The 'tired' pitches, as implied by Trent Rockets skipper Lewis Gregory, are first used in the women's edition in the afternoon, followed by the men's matches in the evening.
"I don't think the surfaces have been particularly great across the board. These balls do seem to swing a fraction more than the normal white Kookaburras that we use in the Blast. I just think the combination of that and some tired pitches at the back end of an English season has made it quite difficult for free-flowing striking," Gregory told ESPNCricinfo.
"There's a lot of cricket throughout the English summer and [we are] coming towards the back end. There are a few tired wickets that bring spinners into the game, and then there's a few wickets that have done a lot for the seamers," he added.
A recent example of tired pitches making an impact during tournaments is the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Known for its high-scoring matches, the venue surprised the viewers in the initial stages with relatively low-scoring matches compared with the rest of the venues.
The pitches were largely two-paced making it difficult for the batters to get going. It should be noted that the stadium hosted the first half of the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL). The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, which hosted the latter half, needed a break, which resulted in the Delhi Capitals (DC) playing their first set of matches in Vizag.
#3 Not in sync with their competitors
The Hundred needs viewership and fans' support taking into account how precariously placed it is at the moment. With all the talks of being converted to a T20 league following mergers and dissolution, there was a desperate need for the season to be a blockbuster affair for the sake of its own future.
In today's world, sixes and high-scoring matches lead to more interest, especially among younger viewers, and that in turn, results in more money.
Birmingham Phoenix all-rounder Liam Livingstone recently addressed his concerns regarding the ongoing edition of The Hundred, choosing to place more blame on the ball rather than the playing conditions.
"The seams are definitely bigger. They swing for longer, they've got extra lacquer on to get the 'H' of the Hundred on - don't really know why they need that because no-one sees it other than us. It's a bit of a shame. If I'm coming to cricket for the first time and I'm watching these kind of games, they're not the most enthralling or thrilling," Livingstone said in an interview (via yahoo.com).
"I don't think it's the wickets, that'd be being harsh on the groundsmen. I think if we changed the ball, it'd be a bit different and I don't know why they haven't yet. You want to entertain, you want to see blokes hitting it out of the stadium, not fending it off their nose to slip," he added.
With the IPL already in almost an unassailable first place with its star power, high scores, and innovations like the impact player rule, the rest of the leagues are fighting for second place.
In a ruthless battle where each league is trying to attract the best possible names and trying to stand out as much as possible, with high-scoring matches being the glue to make the viewers stay, The Hundred is falling behind.