Logo on The Hundred ball leads to complaints from players over excessive movement - Reports
Some players featuring in The Hundred have pinned the blame for low scores in the tournament so far on the logo imprinted on the ball, as per Telegraph. The excessive lacquer used on the ball for the same has reportedly led to the bowlers thriving, and the batters struggling.
The opening clash of the men's edition witnessed a low-scoring thriller between the Oval Invincibles and the Birmingham Phoenix, where the latter were bowled out for a paltry 89. A recent clash between the London Spirit and the Welsh Fire was also a low-scoring encounter, where Daniel Worrall bowled 10 consecutive deliveries against Tom Kohler-Cadmore to kickstart the contest.
The numbers also showcase the same as the average run rate after 11 matches in the competition is 7.9, which is a massive drop from 9.1 from the previous edition.
According to the aforementioned report, one player opined that the ball has gotten heavier and attributed the aspect to the excessive movement on show.
"The players have mentioned the balls are doing so much more,” one top-order batsman told Telegraph Sport.
The women's edition has also witnessed a similar trend, but not as decisively as the men's edition. The ongoing clash between the London Spirit and the Oval Invincibles also look likely to be a low-scoring thriller.
“I do think they swing for a bit longer,” London Spirit captain Heather Knight told Telegraph Sport. “I’m not sure why, but I’ve always felt the lacquer feels slightly different on the Hundred balls.”
Furthermore, one of the franchise officials has also demanded a switch to normal balls, because the one being in use currently makes life hard for batters.
ECB have no plans to switch balls midway through the 2024 Hundred
The matter, having been brought to the ECB's attention, was reportedly discussed internally recently (via Telegraph). However, they are not worried about the situation and have no plans to make any amends for the second half of the competition.
Another theory surrounding the low scores in the men's edition has been put down to the used pitches. The men's edition matches usually take place in the same venue and the same pitch, right after the culmination of the women's contest in The Hundred.