The Hundred 8 Teams 2026: Full Schedule Tickets Players Guide

The Hundred 8 teams represent the heart of England’s fast-growing 100-ball cricket competition. This tournament brings together eight city-based franchises from across the UK, each featuring both men’s and women’s squads. It is designed to make cricket faster, simpler, and more entertaining for modern fans.

The 2026 edition of The Hundred includes teams like London Spirit, Oval Invincibles, Birmingham Phoenix, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Southern Brave, Welsh Fire, and Trent Rockets. Each team plays at a major stadium in its home city, with players selected through a draft system. Fans closely follow squads, fixtures, players, and ticket updates throughout the season.

Beyond the teams, The Hundred also includes a full season schedule, auction system, points table, and live broadcast coverage on BBC and Sky Sports. The tournament has become one of the most searched cricket events in the UK due to its short format, family-friendly experience, and high-energy matches.

Key Hillights:

• Complete list of The Hundred 8 teams and their cities
• Full breakdown of men’s and women’s squads for 2026
• Explanation of the draft, auction, and player selection system
• Schedule, fixtures, and season start details
• Ticket prices, booking info, and resale options
• Stadiums, venues, and matchday experience guide
• Team owners and franchise structure explained
• Key rivalries, records, and past winners overview
• Broadcast details for BBC and Sky Sports coverage
• FAQs covering all common user questions

The Hundred 8 Teams (2026 Guide): Full List Squads Schedule Tickets Players & FAQs

The Hundred is one of the fastest-growing cricket competitions in England. It features a short 100-ball format designed to make the game more exciting and easier for new fans to follow. In this guide, you will find everything about The Hundred 8 teams, including squads, cities, schedule, tickets, players, owners, and key FAQs.

This article is designed to answer every common search query around The Hundred teams 2026, so you don’t need to look anywhere else.

You will learn:

• Full list of teams and cities
• Updated squads and key players
• 2026 schedule and auction details
• Ticket prices and booking info
• Match rules, format, and owners

Let’s go step by step and cover everything clearly.

What is The Hundred Cricket Tournament?

The Hundred is a professional cricket league in England and Wales. It uses a unique format where each team plays 100 balls per innings instead of traditional overs.

The tournament was created by the ECB to attract new audiences and make cricket more fast-paced and entertaining.

Key Points:

• 100-ball format instead of 20 overs
• Men’s and women’s competitions run together
• City-based franchise teams
• Short, high-energy matches
• Broadcast live on BBC and Sky Sports

In short, The Hundred is designed for modern cricket fans who prefer quick and exciting matches.

The Hundred 8 Teams List (2026 Overview)

The 2026 season of The Hundred marks a massive turning point for the tournament. Following the ECB’s landmark £975 million private investment deals, the league has undergone a significant structural shift. Three franchises have been fully rebranded under their new global ownership groups (including prominent IPL backers), while the remaining five retain their traditional identities.

The official 8-team lineup for the 2026 season, along with their home venues and key franchise anchors established after the inaugural player auction, is outlined below:

The 2026 Franchise Lineup

2026 Team Name	Home Venue	Major Ownership / Rebrand Detail	Key Icon Players (2026)
MI London (Formerly Oval Invincibles)	The Oval, London	Acquired by Reliance Industries (Mumbai Indians)	Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rashid Khan
Sunrisers Leeds (Formerly Northern Superchargers)	Headingley, Leeds	Acquired by Sun TV Network (Sunrisers Hyderabad)	Harry Brook, Mitchell Marsh, Zak Crawley
Manchester Super Giants (Formerly Manchester Originals)	Old Trafford, Manchester	Acquired by RPSG Group (Lucknow Super Giants)	Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram
London Spirit	Lord’s, London	Backed by a Silicon Valley Tech Consortium	Liam Livingstone, James Coles, Adam Zampa
Southern Brave	Ageas Bowl, Southampton	Partnered with GMR Group (Delhi Capitals)	Jofra Archer, Jamie Smith, Tristan Stubbs
Trent Rockets	Trent Bridge, Nottingham	Partnered with Cain & Ares Management	Tim David, Ben Duckett, Tom Banton
Welsh Fire	Sophia Gardens, Cardiff	Partnered with Sanjay Govil (Washington Freedom)	Phil Salt, Joe Root, Marco Jansen
Birmingham Phoenix	Edgbaston, Birmingham	Partnered with Knighthead Capital	Jacob Bethell, Rehan Ahmed, Saqib Mahmood

Teams Cities & Stadiums

The geographical footprint of The Hundred covers seven major cities across England and Wales, using eight of the most historic and high-capacity cricket stadiums in the world.

Here is the complete structural mapping of the teams, their respective home cities, and the iconic venues where they play.

Teams Cities & Stadiums Mapping

Official Team Name	Home City	Home Stadium	Representative Region
London Spirit	London	Lord’s	North London & East Anglia
MI London	London	The Oval	South London & Surrey
Birmingham Phoenix	Birmingham	Edgbaston	Warwickshire & West Midlands
Manchester Super Giants	Manchester	Old Trafford	Lancashire & North West
Sunrisers Leeds	Leeds	Headingley	Yorkshire & North East
Trent Rockets	Nottingham	Trent Bridge	Nottinghamshire & East Midlands
Southern Brave	Southampton	Utilita Bowl (Ageas Bowl)	Hampshire & South Coast
Welsh Fire	Cardiff	Sophia Gardens	Wales & South West

The Hundred Teams by Cities & Home Grounds

The 8 franchises in The Hundred are strategically tied to specific major cities and historic county grounds across England and Wales. This setup allows each team to draw from established regional fanbases while using venues with completely distinct playing dimensions and pitch characters.

The complete geographical breakdown of teams, their host cities, and official home grounds is organized below.

Teams, Cities & Venues Breakdown

City	Home Stadium	Official Franchise Name	Traditional Identity
London (North)	Lord’s	London Spirit	Original Identity
London (South)	The Oval (Kia Oval)	MI London	Formerly Oval Invincibles
Birmingham	Edgbaston	Birmingham Phoenix	Original Identity
Manchester	Old Trafford (Emirates Old Trafford)	Manchester Super Giants	Formerly Manchester Originals
Leeds	Headingley	Sunrisers Leeds	Formerly Northern Superchargers
Nottingham	Trent Bridge	Trent Rockets	Original Identity
Southampton	Utilita Bowl (Rose Bowl)	Southern Brave	Original Identity
Cardiff	Sophia Gardens	Welsh Fire	Original Identity

Regional Dynamics & Fan Allegiances

Because these franchises represent broader regions rather than just a single county, each home ground acts as a hub for neighboring cricket boards:

• The London Split: Lord’s serves as the hub for North London, Middlesex, Essex, and Northamptonshire. Meanwhile, The Oval captures South London, Surrey, and Kent supporters.

• The Midlands & North East: Trent Bridge (Nottingham) pulls fans from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. Up north, Headingley (Leeds) unites Yorkshire and Durham loyalists under the orange banner.

• The West & South Coast: Sophia Gardens in Cardiff stands as the solo tournament outpost for Wales and the South West (including Somerset and Glamorgan). Down on the south coast, the Utilita Bowl draws heavy crowds from Hampshire and Sussex.

The Hundred 2026 Squads & Players

Each team builds its squad using a draft system. This includes domestic English players and overseas stars.

The The Hundred 2026 players list includes both experienced cricketers and young emerging talent.

The Hundred Draft Auction & Player Selection

The 2026 season marked the historic transition of The Hundred from its traditional draft system to a hybrid Retention & Live Auction format, driven by the league’s new private ownership structures.

Here is the direct breakdown of how the squads were built:

1. The Core Rules

• Squad Size: 15 players per team.

• Overseas Limit: Maximum 4 overseas players per squad (maximum 3 in the playing XI).

• Salary Cap: Total squad spend capped at approximately £1.5 million per franchise.

2. Phase 1: The Retention Window

Before the live auction, franchises were allowed to retain core players from their previous seasons using set salary tiers.

• Teams could retain up to 10 players maximum from their 2025 rosters.

• Icon Slots: Top-tier domestic retentions were capped at fixed values, led by marquee stars like Harry Brook staying at a league-high £465,000.

3. Phase 2: The First-Ever Live Auction

All un-retained domestic players and international stars entered a live, IPL-style bidding war to fill the remaining vacant slots.

• Bidding Dynamics: Teams went head-to-head with fluid bidding wars, replacing the old draft-order system where teams simply picked sequentially.

• The RTM (Right to Match) Card: Franchises held a maximum of two “Right to Match” cards, allowing them to buy back their 2025 players by matching the highest bid made by a rival team during the live auction.

• Record Buy: Uncapped all-rounder James Coles became the highest-profile auction breakout, securing a massive £390,000 contract with London Spirit.

4. Phase 3: The Wildcard Picks

The final two spots in each 15-man squad were filled via the Vitality Blast Wildcard Draft right before the tournament began. This rewarded the top-performing domestic players from the ongoing English T20 county season who were missed during the main auction.

The Hundred Teams Owners & Franchise Structure

The teams are not privately owned in the same way as IPL franchises. Instead, the ECB holds central control.

Key Points:

• ECB oversees the league
• Private investors involved in branding rights
• Franchise-style city teams
• Revenue sharing model
• Long-term cricket development focus

The Hundred 2026 Schedule & Fixtures

The official fixture list for the 2026 season of The Hundred runs from July 21 to August 16, 2026. The tournament features 34 matchdays packed into a high-intensity, 4-week mid-summer window, culminating in the grand finals at Lord’s.

Key Tournament Dates

• Opening Match: Tuesday, July 21, 2026

• League Stage: July 21 – August 13, 2026

• The Eliminator (Semifinal): Friday, August 14, 2026 (The Oval)

• Grand Final: Sunday, August 16, 2026 (Lord’s)

Tournament Structure & Daily Timings

• Double-Headers: Every single matchday features back-to-back fixtures, with the Women’s competition playing first, followed immediately by the Men’s competition on the same pitch.

• Standard Match Timings:

  • Weekdays: Women at 3:00 PM | Men at 6:30 PM (BST)

  • Weekends: Women at 11:00 AM / 2:30 PM | Men at 2:30 PM / 6:00 PM (BST)

Phase 1: Opening Week Highlights

Date	Fixture	Venue
Tue, July 21	MI London vs London Spirit (The London Derby)	The Oval, London
Wed, July 22	Sunrisers Leeds vs Manchester Super Giants	Headingley, Leeds
Thu, July 23	Trent Rockets vs Birmingham Phoenix	Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Fri, July 24	Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire	Utilita Bowl, Southampton
Sat, July 25	London Spirit vs Sunrisers Leeds	Lord’s, London
Sun, July 26	Manchester Super Giants vs MI London	Old Trafford, Manchester

Phase 2: Crucial Mid-Season Rivalries

• Tue, Aug 4: Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets (Edgbaston)

• Thu, Aug 6: Welsh Fire vs Southern Brave (Sophia Gardens)

• Sat, Aug 8: London Spirit vs MI London (The Return London Derby at Lord’s)

• Tue, Aug 11: Manchester Super Giants vs Sunrisers Leeds (Old Trafford)

Finals Weekend (The Knockouts)

The top team in the league table advances directly to the Grand Final. The teams finishing 2nd and 3rd face off in the Eliminator.

• Friday, August 14 — The Eliminator: 2nd Place vs 3rd Place (The Oval, London)

• Saturday, August 15: Reserve Day

• Sunday, August 16 — The Grand Final: 1st Place vs Winner of Eliminator (Lord’s, London)

The Hundred Tickets 2026 Guide

Tickets are one of the most searched topics for the tournament.

Fans search for The Hundred tickets 2026, prices, and availability.

Key Points:

• Tickets available online
• Prices vary by stadium and match
• Family packages offered
• Resale options available
• Early booking recommended

Ticket Information Overview

Matchday Experience & Stadium Guide

Watching The Hundred live is a full entertainment experience.

Each stadium offers different fan experiences depending on location.

Key Points:

• Family-friendly environment
• Food and entertainment zones
• Easy public transport access
• Stadium-based fan events
• Strong crowd engagement

Popular venues:

• Lord’s (London Spirit)
• The Oval (Invincibles)
• Edgbaston (Phoenix)
• Headingley (Superchargers)

Matchdays feel more like festivals than traditional cricket.

Rivalries & Key Matches

Rivalries make The Hundred more exciting and competitive.

The most popular fixtures often sell out quickly.

Key Points:

• London derby (Spirit vs Invincibles)
• Northern rivalry (Manchester vs Leeds)
• Midlands clashes (Phoenix vs Rockets)
• High-intensity short matches
• Strong fan engagement games

These matches usually trend the most online.

Records Stats & Past Winners

The Hundred has already built strong cricket history.

Fans regularly search for winners and records.

Key Points:

• Multiple season champions
• High scoring matches
• Star individual performances
• Consistent top teams
• Growing competitive history

This section attracts repeat seasonal traffic.

Broadcast & How to Watch The Hundred

Fans in the UK can watch matches live on TV and online platforms.

Key Points:

• BBC Sport coverage (free matches)
• Sky Sports live broadcast
• Online streaming available
• Mobile viewing options
• Highlights after matches

This ensures nationwide accessibility.

FAQs

How many teams are in The Hundred?

There are 8 city-based teams.

What are The Hundred teams?

London Spirit, Oval Invincibles, Birmingham Phoenix, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Southern Brave, Welsh Fire, and Trent Rockets.

Is The Hundred only in England?

Yes, it is played in England and Wales.

How are players selected?

Through a draft and wildcard system.

Where can I buy tickets?

Official ECB and stadium websites.

Conclusion

The Hundred 8 teams form one of the most exciting short-format cricket leagues in the world. With city-based franchises, star players, and fast-paced matches, the tournament continues to grow in popularity. From The Hundred 2026 schedule to tickets, squads, auction, and players, everything is designed to deliver entertainment and accessibility for fans across the UK.