England’s new cricket tournament — The Hundred – is likely to be postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The BCCI has already postponed the Indian Premier League this month and the immediate future of The Hundred also looks uncertain.
The English County Championship and other domestic competitions are already on hold and the West Indies tour of England is likely to follow the same path as the Covid-19 continues to play havoc with normal life in the UK.
The country is facing weeks more of lockdown and severe restrictions will likely to be put in place thereafter, including travel.
As The Hundred as been designed with spectator involvement at its heart, it is inconceivable that the competition could be staged behind closed doors.
Many Australian players who were due to take part – including Steve Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Aaron Finch – would not be able to take part. There are also five Australian coaches in charge of the new city-based teams so it would seem to be the logical thing to do to postponement the revolutionary new even shorter format of the game until 2021.
There is, of course, still a chance of the IPL going ahead later this year with the Indian authorities and the tournament’s sponsors keen to stage an event for TV audiences, even if it has to be in empty stadiums.
Bookmakers continue to take bets on the white-ball tournament, however, played over 10 overs consisting of 10 balls in each. Southern Brave are the current favourites at 9/2 with Bet365.
Bowlers are allowed to bowl only 20 balls maximum per innings with each innings starting with a 25-ball powerplay in which fielding restrictions – only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard inner circle – will apply.
The Hundred Current Best Odds
Southern Brave 9/2
Oval Invincible, Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets 6/1
Birmingham Phoenix 7/1
Manchester Originals 17/2
London Spirit 10/1
(Odds correct at 11.40 GMT, April 16, 2020)
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