The Hundred is a divisive competition, but critics and supporters are generally agreed on one thing. In terms of women’s cricket, it’s been a force for good.
The fast-paced nature of the hundred-ball competition has attracted a whole new audience to the game. Reports are also suggesting that the benefit is evident at the grassroots level with a generation of girls and boys taking up the sport at their local clubs.
Scope to Expand
The eight teams taking part in The Hundred could soon welcome a ninth participant. Chair of Cricket Scotland, Anjan Luthra, has said that he would like to enter teams for both the Hundred and the T20 Blast.
While Luthra’s comments largely focus on the men’s team, it would be a logical step to include the women in The Hundred as well. This is a competition where they can develop and learn against some of the best-limited overs exponents in the sport.
There is a precedent and Scottish teams have taken on the English and Welsh counties in official competitions in the past. While there’s no word yet from the ECB on the proposals, the suggestion has largely been met with approval among cricket fans.
Hundred Hopes
If these plans develop into fruition, the earliest that Scotland could be accommodated into The Hundred would be 2024. For the 2023 edition of the tournament, there would be no change to the existing schedule of eight teams.
Moving forward, it would be tough for the Scots, or any of the existing challenges, to break the monopoly at the top. Each of the first two editions of the Women’s Hundred have been won by the Oval Invincibles while Southern Brave have been the beaten finalists on both occasions.
When the betting markets open for 2023, it’s certain that the Invincibles and the Brave will be at the top of the tree. There is growing interest in women’s cricket around the world and online sports betting, known in Thai as พนันกีฬาออนไลน์, in Thailand will provide one of the more active sets of markets.
Bookmakers from Thailand and all over Asia are quoted by the Asiabet website and this is a good place to monitor future editions of The Hundred. Markets will appear in the weeks leading up to the event and they will remain in place until the winner is confirmed.
While assessing the figures, visitors to the Asiabet website can take into consideration breaking news stories and general blog posts relating to the world of cricket. Anyone wanting to go a little further is welcome to do so.
Each sportsbook is ready to accept new players. While the sources may be from Thailand, the majority are open to customers from all over the world. After completing a fast and secure online registration process, it’s usually possible to access a welcome bonus.
Additional benefits in the opening stages include a range of deposit and withdrawal options plus fast and friendly customer services. Those who choose to play on a longer-term basis may also find ongoing promotions, mobile betting and the possibility of live-streaming sports for those who maintain a funded account.
In summary, it’s the perfect website for the Hundred or any form of women’s cricket betting, but can we expect Scotland to be included on the schedules anytime soon?
Scottish Cricket in Development
The Scottish women’s cricket team is an improving side that is knocking on the doors of the major tournaments. Their most recent results can be traced back to the qualifiers for the WT20I World Cup where they finished in a creditable sixth place, after losing out to Papua New Guinea in the fifth-place playoff.
The Scots had earlier lost narrowly to a strong Ireland team while their best performance came in an 85-run victory over the UAE. The team showed their quality in that win via half-centuries from Ailsa Lister and Kathryn Bryce.
When speaking to the press, Anjan Luthra stressed the need to grow the women’s game in Scotland and he revealed that he had been speaking to Ireland and the West Indies with a view to arranging fixtures in the near future.
While The Women’s Hundred wasn’t openly discussed, it would surely lay a perfect platform for those promising Scottish cricketers to improve their game.
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