The Hundred returns to capitalise on Ashes buzz as star hails exciting impact

01 August 2023 , 06:30

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Trent Rockets won the second edition of the Men's Hundred last year (Image: Getty Images)

The Hundred has an excellent opportunity to "piggyback off the momentum" from the Ashes reckons former England bowler Steven Finn, with the tournament's third edition getting underway on Tuesday with a double-header clash between Trent Rockets and Southern Brave.

Both the men's and women's Ashes were utterly enthralling contests, with the two series attracting record viewing and listening figures this summer. England's women drew their multi-format series, fighting back from defeat in the sole Test match to win both the ODI and T20I legs against one of the most dominant sports teams in history.

England's men, meanwhile, pushed the reigning World Test Champions to the limit with their highly entertaining 'Bazball' approach. Despite both sides being unable to regain the Ashes, interest in the sport is huge and Finn believes the Hundred is poised to capitalise with 16 games being shown live on free-to-air TV by the BBC during the month of August.

"It's been gifted its own gap in the schedule this year and it's a good opportunity for it to piggyback off of the Ashes," Finn told Mirror Sport. "I think it's been the most watched and the most anticipated Ashes series since 2005 and it's a good opportunity straight off the back of it [for The Hundred].

"The fact that the coverage is free-to-air on the BBC throughout the tournament is an opportunity for us to showcase the game to a wider audience. People are really engaging with the women's game as well. All of the games during the women's Ashes were sold out and it's an opportunity for the women's game to piggyback off that momentum.

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"I think the Hundred can add to that and provide some really good entertainment for the people watching. It accidentally stumbled upon the double-headers in the first year and they proved to be a great success. I think the growth in women's cricket is fantastic."

Steven Finn expects the Hundred to capitalise on the momentum created by the Ashes (Stu Forster - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

Finn played in the very first men's Hundred game in 2021, taking 2-21 for the Manchester Originals as they lost by nine runs to the Oval Invincibles. However, he will be following this year's tournament from the commentary box as part of the BBC's extensive TV and radio coverage and he is excited about the Hundred's potential.

"There was certainly some commotion around it [ahead of that first game]," he added. "I think the atmospheres that I experienced in the grounds that year were quite different to the atmospheres I'd experienced before in domestic cricket in the UK.

"It seems as though it's brought a different crowd of people into the game. The format seems to bring more of a party atmosphere which I think is something people enjoy engaging with. The month of August is a fantastic month for cricket, with the weather and the summer holidays, so hopefully we see more of the same this year."

Finn played in the very first men's Hundred game, but will be on commentary duty for the BBC this year (Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Finn made more than 100 appearances for England and played key roles in two memorable Ashes victories, but has not played international cricket since 2017 and has started delving into the world of commentary in recent years as he prepares for a post-playing career. "It's not something I really thought about in my early days playing the game, but I always enjoyed going onto BBC London with Kevin Hand to commentate with him [while at Middlesex]," Finn explained.

"Over the last four or five years I've had more gaps in my playing schedule which has given me an opportunity to work with the BBC as a commentator. I get to sit around, watch cricket and talk about it from the best seat in the house so I can't really complain."

And after commentating on the Ashes, Finn and his fellow broadcasters will approach their jobs slightly differently during the Hundred, with the tournament designed to try and get new fans interested in cricket. "People who are watching Test matches probably have a deep-rooted understanding and love for the game, whereas the Hundred is an opportunity for us as a sport to engage with people who might not necessarily have been engaged with cricket through the traditional routes," he added

Trent Rockets won the men's Hundred last year, while Oval Invincibles won the women's Hundred (Nathan Stirk - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)

"I think there's a bit more explanation about what's happening and a bit more simplicity around the way that we explain the game, but it's still cricket. We still want people to fall in love with cricket and The Hundred is just the vehicle to do that. It's a good opportunity to engage with different people [with the tournament being played] while children are on their school holidays and the weather is set fair."

Finn believes both the Trent Rockets men's side and the Oval Invincibles women's side are well-placed to defend the titles they won last year, having retained the majority of their stars, while Southern Brave's women's team "looks very good as well".

As a fast bowler himself, Finn unsurprisingly leans towards the seamers when asked who he feels could have a real breakout tournament "Gus Atkinson at the Oval Invincibles has had a good domestic year for Surrey and The Hundred is an opportunity for him to put his name forward for higher honours," he said. "I think he's got something about the way he bowls that could be very special.

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John Turner has been tipped to star for Trent Rockets, having been selected as a wildcard pick after impressing for Hampshire in the T20 Blast (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

"I like the look of John Turner from Hampshire who's been picked up by the Trent Rockets. He had a really good year in the T20 Blast and he's got pace, bounce and a good attitude so I'm looking forward to watching him during this tournament as well."

Turner picked up 21 wickets at an average of just 11.76 in the Blast and was selected as a wildcard pick by the Rockets, having only made his T20 debut two months after this year's Hundred draft took place. In the women's Hundred, Finn is "really looking forward" to seeing England all-rounder Freya Kemp back in action with the Southern Brave.

"She's had a tricky time with injuries over the last 12 months with a stress fracture of the back and she's back playing in this tournament. I think she's only going to play as a batter, but she's a really talented all-round cricketer," he added.

16 Hundred games will be shown live on BBC TV (BBC)

And the fact the tournament is free-to-air TV is huge for the sport as it looks to attract new audiences. "It's vitally important that cricket's presented to a wider audience in a way that's engaging and the BBC certainly do that with their coverage," Finn said.

"Regularly having slots on primetime free-to-air TV for people to watch cricket can only be a good thing. Cricket is indebted to Sky Sports for the way that they've funded the game for the last 15 years, but nothing can replace people's eyeballs on free-to-air TV and engagement and interest in the sport that will bring. I'm looking forward to being involved in the coverage on the BBC and looking forward to hopefully getting lots of young people involved with the game."

There will be 16 games in The Hundred shown live on BBC TV and iPlayer – matches are on TV every Wednesday and Saturday. Plus, every ball is available live on BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra and Sounds while text commentary is on the BBC Sport website and app.

Matthew Cooper