After pumping astronomical sums of money into English cricket, the headline act of the summer should probably have been the Hundred’s rebirth under private ownership. After all, the decks were relatively clear. There was no Ashes series or Indian arm-wrestle in Test cricket to hog the limelight, rather a small-plates menu of touring teams.
The Women’s T20 World Cup was on home soil, but for all that it outdid its 50-over equivalent in 2017 by way of engagement, the men’s football World Cup dominated. Plus, folks kind of knew Nat Sciver-Brunt’s England side was not quite ready to derail the Australian machine. Yet six weeks after the Hundred finals at Lord’s, the mood at two of its host counties tells us something about where it sits in the sport’s consciousness.
With the best will in the world, beyond a fun day out with the kids and a bumper pay packet for the players involved, it doesn’t appear to be that high. At Warwickshire on Sunday, they were celebrating their ninth County Championship title, the outfield flooded with supporters and players in clover. No one seemed too fussed that Birmingham Phoenix, the entity that is 50.4% Warwickshire‑owned, had stunk out the men’s and women’s Hundred.
There was no talk of atonement or it being a mixed season. By definition, it will go down as a famous summer. Further north at Old Trafford things are very different.
Manchester Super Giants won the men’s Hundred, which you would think means people at Lancashire, 30% shareholders and with crossover in staff, are pretty chuffed; that Daniel Gidney would be sprinkled with red rose petals as he leaves his role as chief executive. Finishing second bottom in Division Two with two wins all season, Lancashire have pulled the plug on their end-of-season awards do and supporters are in a state of apoplexy. Mark Chilton has been sacked as director of cricket performance and the incoming chief executive, Richard Kenyon, will soon lead a “clear and objective look at our performance operation” – AKA the dreaded review.
Clearly this is all a bit simplistic. The Hundred has got a fresh audience through the gates – albeit attendance dipped 5% in 2026 – and the lines between the host counties and teams are blurred. More broadly, even if Birmingham Phoenix ultras were not exactly marching to Edgbaston with pitchforks, the franchise world is hardly soft on failure.
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