This August, the fifth season of The Hundred – an explosive, action-packed 100-ball cricket tournament – begins at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Don’t know about you, but we’re excited.
Since the competition first began in 2021, it’s grown continually year after year. 2024 was the biggest running of the tournament yet, attracting more spectators and TV viewers than ever before – and we expect those numbers to grow yet again this time around.
The 100-ball format makes this tournament one of the most accessible and fast-paced on the calendar, and the 2025 running promises to keep us all on the edge of our seats once again.
Read on for all the details you need to know, including fixtures, rule changes for 2025 and teams to watch out for this season.
Who’s playing, where and when?
The same eight teams from last season will be returning this year in both the men’s and women’s contests, albeit with some new players thrown into the mix. Fan favourites like Jos Buttler, Charlie Dean, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harry Brook will be back this time around, with newcomers announced thus far including Laura Wolvaardt and Amelia Kerr.
It all starts on Tuesday 5th August, with the men’s and women’s squads of London Spirit and Oval Invincibles both facing off against each other at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground. This is an explosive match up to say the least: London Spirit won last year’s women’s competition, while Oval Invincibles claimed the men’s title. Both will be fighting hard to defend their respective titles this year.
The final is set for Sunday 31 August, again at Lord’s. Tickets for this are already sold out, so if you were planning on watching in-person, you’re already too late!
For a full list of fixtures, head over to The Hundred’s official site.
Where can I watch the tournament?
Every single game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports’ dedicated cricket channel, with select matches also being shown on the BBC for those without a Sky Sports subscription.
For those looking to get a little closer to the action, tickets for the majority of fixtures are still available. It’s easy to get your hands on some via The Hundred’s official site, and the prices are pretty reasonable too. Adult tickets start at £12, with 3-15 year-olds gaining entry for just £5 and under 3s going free.
Combine wallet-friendly pricing with live entertainment from the likes of Zara Larsson and Cat Burns at selected matches, and it’s no wonder The Hundred remains a firm favourite among families. Last year, they bought 41% of all tickets sold!
What’s different for 2025?
Although the same teams are returning this year, that doesn’t mean it’s all business as usual. For the first time, the teams have been allowed to make direct signings – and each team is allowed to sign one overseas player.
Laura Wolvaardt and Amelia Kerr were the first two players to be signed for this year’s tournament, joining Southern Brave and Manchester Originals respectively.
Outside of this change, the format of The Hundred remains unchanged from previous years, which is certainly a good thing in our book. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Who are the favourites this year?
Naturally, London Spirit’s women’s squad will go into this year’s contest with plenty of confidence, having taken the title last year.
Charlie Dean, part of that winning 2024 team, said of the 2025 tournament: “August is fast becoming one of the best months of the summer. The Hundred has developed into an excellent competition, we play in front of fantastic crowds and even from the middle you get a sense of how the crowd is so full of families and young people.
“The cricket itself is high quality, the format is accessible and quick, and we’re all really looking forward to getting back to it and hopefully defending our title.”
In the men’s competition, Oval Invincibles might be hard to beat – they’ll be gunning for their third title in a row this time around.
Sam Billings was part of that winning team last season. Here’s what he had to say about the 2025 running of The Hundred: “It will be great to kick off The Hundred with a sold-out derby at Lord’s. From our point of view, hopefully we can go and inflict an early blow on Spirit in their own backyard – but either way I’m sure it will be loud and full.
“I loved The Hundred last year, we’ve worked hard at Invincibles to build a really strong core and I’d back us to be competitive again this season. The Kia Oval was a great place to play last summer and I know the boys will be buzzing to get back to it in South London.”
But in The Hundred, anything can happen. Teams like Southern Brave have an impressive track record in both the men’s and women’s competitions, and the Trent Rockets took the men’s title back in 2022. Could they reclaim their crown this year? We’re just going to have to wait and see!
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