A new cricket competition, The Hundred, finally gets underway this year after Covid-19 forced the brand-new season to be delayed for a year.
The tournament which includes both men’s and women’s teams, will follow a completely different format with 100 balls being played per innings and there being a change of ends after 10 balls are delivered.
England international cricketer, Amy Jones, is part of Birmingham Phoenix’s team and she spoke about her excitement of the new system and hopes that it will attract new fans whilst retaining existing supporters.
How excited are you about The Hundred finally starting after it was postponed last year?
So excited, obviously we had to wait a year for it to get going but just being here today, doing all the media and everything around it is just great. The excitement is building, and I can’t wait to get together as a team. Obviously, we haven’t been in one room yet so there’s all that to look forward to, so yeah, really excited.
What are your thoughts on the new 100 ball format?
I think it feels very different. We haven’t had the introduction of a new format in however many years so I think it will be different. But a good couple of years ago we had a little trial game, and it was good to just sort of get out there and whilst there’s a lot of different rules, at the end of the day it’s all going to be cricket and as a batter you go out there and try to score as many runs so I don’t think it’ll feel too different. But obviously it is a new format which is exciting.
Do you think this new competition is good for the women’s side of the game in terms of getting more coverage and exposure?
Yeah definitely, I reckon it’ll be great for women’s cricket. All the teams are at the same venue, same kit as the guys and there’s double headers which is really exciting for fans watching because obviously it’s twice as many games which is cool. Hopefully we attract a new audience and also keep the crowds we get at our games and I’m sure existing cricket fans will love the new format with the little twist on it and hopefully we can attract new fans as well. It’s definitely a positive thing and hopefully the women’s game can attract more fans and more girls playing the sport from it as well.
How are you liking being on the Birmingham Phoenix team?
It’s really cool, obviously most of it has happened over WhatsApp and Zoom calls at the moment which is a bit different but as soon as we saw the teams and we were all deciding where we wanted to play it was a no-brainer for me, obviously growing up in Birmingham, basically learning how to play cricket at the Edgbaston indoor school - the one that’s knocked down now, there’s a nice brand new one now. But that’s where my mum dropped me off and I learnt how to play cricket. So, it’s very meaningful and Edgbaston is a very special place for me personally and to play all our games there this year will be so cool.
How did you get involved in cricket in the first place?
I was influenced by friends really; I was always sporty at school. I played a lot of football when I was younger, that was my main sport at the time, and I was in a boy’s football team and they were some of my best friends at the time and they also played down at Walmley Cricket Club which was just down the road from where I grew up. I just went down with them really. My younger sisters got into cricket as a result but no one older than us influenced us, we were the first in the family. A bit different, but yeah just school friends mainly and I worked my way up through the Walmley and Warwickshire pathway and on to England.
What advice would you give to women and girls who might want to try and get involved in cricket?
There’s so many women and girl cricket clubs out there now or clubs that have girl’s sections and women’s sections and teams within them. It’s a really welcoming environment and I know starting something new is daunting a lot of the time, but I think how it is now you just have great fun. Looking back when I started, I was very comfortable training with boys and hanging around with boys anyway so that didn’t really put me off but at least now there’s the option of going straight into a girl’s team. So, yeah just go for it, I think anyone would really welcome you to their club and everyone’s always looking for more and more players so just go for it and find your local team.
For more information about The Hundred and ticket access visit thehundred.com.
Words by Lucy Roberts for Female First. You can follow Lucy on Twitter, @Lucy_Roberts_72.
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