Wickets to be renamed 'outs' for The Hundred - Reports
England's fledgling limited-overs league The Hundred is set to bring some sweeping changes to cricketing terminology.
According to a report in Telegraph Sport, wickets will be described as "outs" while batsmen will be called "batters" in the men's form of the tournament. This will effectively mean that a team could be described as having "50 runs for two outs" instead of 50 runs for two wickets.
"A bowler can still be said to have taken a wicket but could be described as claiming 15 "outs" off 120 balls in the competition so far," the report further explained.
The 'third-man' fielding position, used for the region behind the slips, is likely to be renamed as well.
These changes are apparently being made to make cricket more accessible and gender-neutral for a new prospective audience. It roots from recent market research which claims that cricket's complex terminology is the biggest barrier for new supporters.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan was quick to react to the news. He took to Twitter to ask his followers for their opinions on the wickets to 'outs' change.
"So it’s going to be ‘Outs’ rather than ‘wickets’ for the #Hundred tournament !!! What do we all think ? Too much change or pretty cool ?? #Cricket", wrote Michael Vaughan.
Other changes thought for The Hundred
More out-of-the-box changes are being looked upon for The Hundred to suit its 100-ball format.
These include a change of ends for bowlers after ten balls instead of today's six. The length of an over can be altered too, and bowlers might also be able to deliver either five or ten balls consequently.
The Hundred is slated to commence on July 21 with a match between women's teams, the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals, at the Oval. It will be followed by a match between the men's teams of the same franchises on the next day.
The league will feature most major English stars like Eoin Morgan, Joe Root and Jofra Archer, as well as some overseas superstars like Glenn Maxwell and Ellyse Perry. It will be an 8-team competition played in the Round-robin league format punctuated by 2-game qualifiers.