Win Projections to be updated soon
Players participating in The Hundred have raised concerns about the excessive movement of the ball, attributing it to the logo imprinted on it. According to a report from Telegraph, the excessive lacquer used for the logo has been blamed for the bowlers’ dominance and the resulting low scores in the tournament.
The men’s edition of The Hundred has seen a series of low-scoring games, starting with the opening match between the Oval Invincibles and the Birmingham Phoenix, where Phoenix were bowled out for just 89 runs. Another recent low-scoring game featured the London Spirit and the Welsh Fire, highlighted by Daniel Worrall’s impressive spell of 10 consecutive deliveries against Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
Statistics back up these observations, with the average run rate dropping to 7.9 after 11 matches, a significant decrease from the 9.1 average in the previous edition. One player mentioned that the ball feels heavier and attributes this to the increased movement. “The players have mentioned the balls are doing so much more,” a top-order batsman told Telegraph Sport.
The women’s edition of The Hundred has experienced similar issues, though not as pronounced. London Spirit captain Heather Knight noted, “I do think they swing for a bit longer. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always felt the lacquer feels slightly different on the Hundred balls.”
Despite these concerns, the ECB has no plans to switch to different balls mid-competition. Internal discussions have taken place, but the board is not currently worried about the situation. Another theory for the low scores in the men’s edition is the use of worn-out pitches, as matches often follow directly after the women’s games on the same surface.
As The Hundred continues, players and fans alike will be watching to see if these ball-related issues persist and how they impact the remainder of the tournament.
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