Eight format changes to make The Hundred even more entertainingEight format changes to make The Hundred even more entertaining
Eight format changes to make The Hundred even more entertaining

Eight maverick changes to make The Hundred cricket even more entertaining

They said it would never catch on, the purists were up in arms. But, boy, have they been proven wrong, as The Hundred continues to dazzle and delight the masses.

Cricket's newest format has, in effect, thrown a multipack of Mentos into the sport's fizzy-drink bottle, re-energising it in spectacular fashion, and welcoming in a whole new crowd of spectators.

With euphoric atmospheres, stands packed with women and children - rather than just braying middle-aged men in straw boaters, or boozed-up stag dos spending the day inexplicably crafting serpents from plastic cups - and weekend coverage on terrestrial TV, it's hard to find fault with the inclusive, bold new competition.

Sure, the five and ten ball spells take a bit of getting used to, as do the strategic time-outs but, hey, what real harm is it actually doing the sport?

Stand-out moments so far have included Jemimah Rodrigues' dazzling 92 not out for the Northern Superchargers Women, and Welsh Fire Men's captain Jonny Bairstow' s imperious knock against Southern Brave last night, which saw his side make it two wins from two.

As the month-long cricket fiesta heads into its second week, we've come up with a few novel ways The Hundred could take the entertainment factor to the next level:

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