On Monday, a full Oval had seen England fall an agonising six runs short of sealing a series win in one of the best Test series outside of the Ashes.
The finale of the English Test summer was gripping, as the world seemed to revolve around the efforts of the Indian bowlers. Their every near-miss was met with a breathed sigh of relief around the ground. Every wicket brought a moment of despair.
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Just over 30 hours later, an array of pink and green fireworks exploded at Lord’s to mark the start of the Hundred, which was more typical of a friendly ‘festival of cricket’. It is one for the families, attracted by the reasonably priced tickets, especially when considering there are two matches involved – the women’s fixture followed by the men’s. But it is a far cry from the scenes south of the river the day before, with the loudest cheer at Lord’s greeting the sight of a lost fox.
There is a place for the Hundred, and things to be celebrated. The usually exclusive Lord’s Pavilion and Long Room has introduced for this competition a relaxed dress code for children and friends of members – one teenager sported a Real Madrid shirt. But the problem is few in the crowd seemed really to care. No day is made or ruined by the outcome of London Spirit v Oval Invincibles, especially not when the team names are unlikely to last another year, given the impending ownership changes.
It is fun, especially for children, but it is hard to believe that it goes further than that.
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For anyone watching the events at the Oval, it was almost impossible not to feel something when Chris Woakes strode out to bat with one arm in a sling and grimacing in pain every time he had to move, his actions born out of an intense desire to see his side over the line. No one at Lord’s had the same hunger and desire. But that is part of the nature of franchise cricket.
Lord’s packed in 26,013 fans for the men’s opener, and a non-weekend tournament record of 15,640 for the women’s match. It would be foolish to ignore that people do engage with the franchise tournament, at least to the extent that they turn up.
After all, there are far worse places to socialise on a Tuesday evening than a warm Lord’s bathed in sunshine. The problem was with the cricket itself.
Everything was in place, a full stadium, good weather, and was even shown on free-to-air TV, but the game left a lot to be desired.
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Having won the toss, London Spirit [the Lord’s home team], crumbled to a dismal 80 all out, with only three batsmen reaching double figures, and Ashton Turner top-scoring with 21. David Warner, the former Australia batsman, posted only nine as an opener.
In one comical moment, John Simpson seemed to forget where he had come from, heading to the changing rooms instead of the bench in front of the Allen Stand where the benches are set up.
London Spirit’s experience, with an average age of 34.6, did not translate into an on-field performance to be proud of. It is hard to think that the Tech Titans, who are the new owners of the Lord’s franchise side, had 35-year-old Jason Behrendorff bowling to 41-year-old Wayne Madsen in mind when they opted to buy the team. But they were there at Lord’s, walking across the square with their families and meeting players after the final whistle.
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The real changes may not come in until next year, with 2025 officially termed a “transitional” year, but the money is already there.
In the men’s competition, the top pay bracket has risen from £125,000 to £200,000 for the tournament. It is paid on a pro-rata basis, with eight games in the group stages. For that reason, the top England players are choosing to compete just days after the conclusion of a relentless Test schedule, with Liam Dawson taking to the field in the opener.
While the women’s game showcased two of the best players, with Grace Harris hitting an unbeaten 89 off 42, and her fellow Australian Meg Lanning replying for Oval Invincibles with 85 from 51, the men’s was sub par.
In the later slot, as the Mexican waves started, and one of the biggest cheers of the evening was reserved for a scared fox that found its way on to the field and caused a delay, the match ultimately fell flat.
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The Hundred might not be the booze-fuelled affair that often accompanies evening T20 Blast matches, where the Oval can feel akin to a large stag do – the longest queues at 8pm were instead for churros and hot dogs – but that is not necessarily a problem.
The money from the sale of the teams will filter down to all 18 counties, and the grass-roots game, but to change the opinions of those who have already made their mind up about the Hundred, the cricket has to improve.
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