The Hundred is a cricket competition built around 100 balls per innings. Its current rules use five- or ten-ball bowling spells, end changes after ten balls and a 25-ball powerplay. Keep the competition, season, teams and men’s or women’s match identity together; a short-format cricket label alone does not identify the intended fixture.
The ball count is the useful starting point
The organiser specifies a maximum of 20 deliveries per bowler. The captain can choose five or ten consecutive deliveries, while the fielding side changes ends after ten. These quantities explain the competition’s own vocabulary; they should not be replaced by an assumed format copied from another cricket tournament.
For a new viewer, pay attention to balls used or remaining as well as runs and wickets. That keeps the innings length visible when a programme switches graphics. A score snapshot without the innings and ball-count context is an incomplete description of the match situation.
Separate the powerplay from the whole innings
The rules identify the first 25 balls as the powerplay, with two fielders permitted outside the specified inner circle. That is one phase within an innings, rather than another match. The remaining delivery allocation belongs to the same innings.
| Quantity | Role in the format |
|---|---|
| 100 balls | Innings allocation |
| 25 balls | Powerplay phase |
| 20 balls | Maximum per bowler |
| 10 balls | End-change interval |
Use the actual competition record for the fixture
For a match note, preserve the innings label and whether the score is final or still in progress. The rules page separates results, standings and statistics. A completed match result and a championship-table position answer different questions; a team’s name on a table does not supply its next fixture. Check the correct season and match category before saving a time.
For a viewing request, specify the two teams, date, venue if listed and whether the target is live coverage or a replay. Team branding can change, so use the current fixture wording while retaining an older name only as a search alias. No match time, broadcaster or Hot IPTV event entitlement is established by this format guide.
Sources and review
- Competition Rules — The Hundred / ECB