The Hundred has succeeded in attracting a new audience, say English cricket chiefs August 24, 2021 English cricket chiefs have hailed the success of The Hundred in reaching new audiences. Almost 60 per cent of the 16.1m people who watched the new domestic men’s and women’s competition on television had not tuned in to any other English cricket this year, the England and Wales Cricket Board said. More than half of [...]
UK beefs up international trade effort by naming cricket legend Ian Botham envoy to Ashes rivals Australia August 23, 2021 Former England cricket captain Ian Botham has been appointed as a UK trade envoy to Australia. Lord Botham is to be one of 10 new UK trade tsars tasked with drumming up business for Britain in overseas markets that also include New Zealand and Canada, The Sun reported. “It’s a great honour to carry out [...]
Azeem Rafiq: Former England Under-19 cricket captain slams Yorkshire for only admitting to ‘inappropriate behaviour’ after racism probe August 20, 2021 Former England Under-19 captain Azeem Rafiq has strongly criticised Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s response to the findings of an investigation into allegations of institutional racism. The independent probe upheld several of Rafiq’s claims, Yorkshire admitted yesterday after being called on by the player and England cricket chiefs to reveal the report’s findings. Yorkshire apologised to [...]
Opening match of The Hundred sets UK TV record for women’s cricket July 22, 2021 The opening match of The Hundred, English cricket’s new competition, attracted a record UK television audience for a women’s match. A peak audience of 1.95m watched as the Oval Invincibles beat the Manchester Originals in a closely-fought curtain-raiser to the tournament. The figures marked an encouraging start for a competition that has divided opinion since [...]
England captain Eoin Morgan hails strength in depth after dramatic T20 series win against Pakistan July 21, 2021 Captain Eoin Morgan has praised England’s strength in depth after his side’s T20 series win against Pakistan on Tuesday. England beat Pakistan by three wickets on an exhilarating night at Old Trafford to secure a 2-1 series win. Jason Roy proved the highlight with an excellent 64 in pursuit of Pakistan’s 154-6. Needing 61 from [...]
The Hundred: MD Sanjay Patel on profits, participation, gender equality and winning over sceptics with English cricket’s new competition July 17, 2021 Sanjay Patel, managing director of The Hundred, could be forgiven a few sleepless nights as Wednesday 21 July approaches. That is when the Oval Invincibles are due to host the Manchester Originals in a women’s match that raises the curtain on the controversial new competition designed to breathe new life into domestic cricket. Patel has [...]
Exclusive: English cricket chiefs rethink plans to relax Covid rules during The Hundred after one-day squad debacle highlights surge in risk July 7, 2021 English cricket chiefs have shelved plans to relax Covid-19 protocols around The Hundred, its new domestic competition, amid rising cases. The challenges facing sport were highlighted this week when England’s entire one-day squad was forced into isolation following an outbreak on the eve of their series with Pakistan. That came after the strict Covid rules [...]
Skittled: England to pick new ODI cricket squad after host of Covid positives July 6, 2021 England will be forced to name an entirely new 50-over side for their series with Pakistan after three players and four staff members tested positive for Covid-19. The squad will be captained by Ben Stokes, who was intended to be rested, and will be named later today. Read more: Boris Johnson says ECB should not [...]
Sport sees steep fall in gambling sponsorship as government considers ban and demand grows for social responsibility, says new study July 3, 2021 Gambling sponsorship in sport has fallen sharply ahead of a possible ban, a new report has found. The number of betting companies sponsoring sports teams in England has almost halved since 2019, according to the study by consultancy Caytoo. Gambling’s share of the market has dropped from 15.3 per cent to 8.1 per cent and [...]
Liverpool shareholders RedBird Capital set to buy stake in Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals June 24, 2021 RedBird Capital Partners, a shareholder in Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, is buying a stake in Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise Rajasthan Royals, according to reports. New York-based RedBird is buying 15 per cent of the Royals in a deal that values the team at $250m, says the FT. The transaction continues the trends [...]