The players enjoyed it and Kevin Pietersen was a good pundit, but teams can still work on their identities
Well, that happened. The first edition of the Hundred is complete, after 32 games, 429 sixes, 1,581 fours and 3,327 uses of the word matchup. The Oval Invincibles got away with their hubristic team name thanks to their women bossing their final, and Southern Brave won the men’s contest despite being cruelly saddled with a logo that looked like it belonged to a utility company that offers online-only discounts on Uswitch.
Bathed in the pink-and-green glow of victory, their winning captain, James Vince, admitted the players had shared the same doubts as every other cricket lover. “Before it started I think everyone was a bit hesitant as to what it would be like,” he said, cradling an H-shaped trophy that will remind Red Dwarf fans of the same letter emblazoned on Chris Barrie’s forehead. “But every game’s felt like a final in a way.”