Grace Ballinger’s column: How to play a revised hundred?

Three days after winning the Twenty20 Blast title with The Blaze, Grace Ballinger, now of Manchester Super Giants, has a closer look at The Hundred starting on Tuesday.

New team name, new kit, new owner – the 2026 edition of The Hundred is here!

A little earlier than last year, this version The Hundred begins in London On Tuesday, two teams bought by IPL franchises, MI London and Sunrisers Leeds, will face each other at the Oval.

The Hundred looks different than it has for the past few years, and no one, players included, knows how it will play out.

This is the first year of privatization within the tournament. Although it was previously centrally owned by the ECB, eight teams are now independently owned, with host counties having the option to sell all or part of their sides to independent buyers.

This privatization manifests itself in different ways, but the essence of the tournament remains the same.

Eight host fields remain, and some teams keep their original names.

On the other hand, many brands built in the past few years have completely transformed.

When the privatization was announced, I wasn’t really sure how it would affect me as a player.

For players, especially in the women’s game, the pay rise is a tangible benefit.

For example, last year my salary was £16,000, and this summer it has risen to £42,500 for the tournament.

The only other thing that has become clear so far, is that instead of everything being centrally managed by the ECB, management is now under the control of independent franchisees.

For example, last year every kit was New Balance, whereas this year, there are different brands of kits.