The Hundred 2026 Predictions
Free The Hundred cricket betting tips and match predictions, with AI-powered win probabilities for all 34 matches across 8 UK venues.
Last updated: 19 July 2026 · By CricketPrediction.com
The Hundred returns on 21 July 2026 with eight city-based teams competing across England and Wales in the sport’s fastest format: 100 balls per side, matches done in 2.5 hours. MI London (formerly Oval Invincibles, three-time defending champions) open against Sunrisers Leeds at the Kia Oval. Three teams have been rebranded under new ownership, a first-ever player auction replaced the draft, and the women’s competition runs alongside the men’s with equal billing. We will publish free The Hundred cricket betting tips, with AI-powered predictions for every match. Scroll down for team previews, venue stats, and format analysis.
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Predictions live from 21 July
Fixtures are confirmed and markets are open. Match-by-match tips appear here from the opening double-header at the Kia Oval.
See the full fixture schedule and our winner prediction for the title race.
Other cricket tips
See our IPL 2026 tips, T20 Blast tips, or toss & dew analysis.
The Hundred 2026: What’s New This Season
The 2026 edition brings the biggest changes since The Hundred launched in 2021. Three franchises have been rebranded. Oval Invincibles become MI London under Mumbai Indians ownership (Sam Curran captains), Manchester Originals become Manchester Super Giants with Heinrich Klaasen and Jos Buttler, and Northern Superchargers become Sunrisers Leeds with Harry Brook and Mitchell Marsh.
The player draft is gone. The Hundred held its first-ever player auction on 11-12 March 2026, allowing up to four overseas players per team. This changes the competitive dynamic. Teams can now outbid rivals for specific targets rather than hoping they fall to their pick.
The women’s competition continues with equal scheduling, running alongside the men’s from 21 July. Ellyse Perry (Birmingham Phoenix), Meg Lanning (Manchester Super Giants), and Nat Sciver-Brunt (Trent Rockets) headline squads that are genuinely world-class.
How The Hundred Format Works: 100 Balls, Not Overs
The Hundred is not T20. Understanding the format differences is essential for match betting.
Each team faces 100 legal deliveries (not 20 overs of 6 balls). Bowlers deliver sets of 5 or 10 consecutive balls from one end, with ends switching every 10 balls. No bowler can exceed 20 balls per match (equivalent to roughly 3.3 T20 overs).
The 25-ball powerplay restricts fielders outside the 30-yard circle to two. No-balls cost 2 runs (not 1) plus a free hit, a heavier penalty that discourages short-pitched bowling. A 90-second strategic timeout is available after the powerplay.
Matches last approximately 2.5 hours, about 30 minutes shorter than T20. The faster pace means momentum shifts are more dramatic. A single 10-ball set from a quality bowler can swing a match.
Betting implications: The 100-ball format produces tighter margins. Average winning margins are smaller than T20, making live betting particularly volatile. The powerplay is worth 25% of the innings (vs 30% in T20), so the middle phase carries more weight.
Toss & Venue Strategy for The Hundred Betting
The toss matters less in The Hundred than in Asian T20 leagues. England’s climate means dew is rarely a factor. But venue characteristics still create meaningful edges for match betting.
Chase vs defend trends: Across 5 seasons, chasing teams have won slightly more often than in Test cricket but the bias is smaller than in the IPL or PSL. The key difference is the English summer weather. Afternoon starts mean dry pitches, and evening dew is minimal compared to subcontinental venues.
Venue-specific patterns:
- The Oval. Historically favours batting first. True surface with consistent bounce. High totals are common. Back the team setting a target here.
- Lord’s. The famous slope assists seam bowlers. Lord’s produces tighter, lower-scoring matches. Chasing can be tricky when the ball moves.
- Headingley. Pace and bounce suit fast bowlers early. Conditions ease as the match progresses. Slight chase advantage.
- Old Trafford. Traditionally the lowest-scoring Hundred venue. Spin gets turn. Back the team with the better spinner.
- Trent Bridge. Short straight boundary creates high-scoring matches. Power hitters thrive here. Both teams can score quickly.
- Edgbaston. Boundaries are short by international standards and the outfield is quick. Expect high totals. Bowlers who vary their pace are the ones who survive.
- Sophia Gardens. Compact ground with short boundaries all around. High totals expected. Chase-friendly.
- Utilita Bowl. True batting surface at Southampton. Consistent bounce makes it the most predictable venue in the competition.
How to bet around the toss in The Hundred:
- Pre-toss: Factor in a 5-8% odds shift post-toss, smaller than IPL (10-15%) because dew is minimal
- Post-toss at The Oval: If the batting team wins the toss and bats, their odds shorten meaningfully. Back them.
- Post-toss at Lord’s/Headingley: Wait for early movement. If the ball swings in the powerplay, back the bowling team.
- Live betting: The 100-ball format creates sharper momentum swings than T20. A single 10-ball set can shift win probability by 15-20%. Be ready to act on overreactions
Betting Guide: Where The Hundred Offers Value
The Hundred betting markets are less efficient than IPL or PSL. Fewer bookmakers cover it deeply, and the shorter format creates more variance, which means more value opportunities for informed bettors.
Key markets to watch:
Match winner: The most popular market. Our AI predictions will give probability-based recommendations for every match. In a 100-ball format, upsets are more frequent than T20. The shorter innings compresses margins, making underdogs worth backing more often.
Top batsman/bowler: Player prop markets in The Hundred are often soft because bookmakers have less form data than for IPL/PSL players. English domestic specialists who play The Hundred annually (like Will Jacks, Harry Brook, or Liam Livingstone) are underpriced compared to overseas stars.
Outright winner: MI London (formerly Oval Invincibles) will open as clear favourites given their three-peat. Historically, title favourites in franchise T20 cricket win approximately 15-20% of the time, so odds below 4.00 rarely offer value. Look for teams with strong bowling attacks. In the shorter 100-ball format, bowling dominance matters even more.
Total runs: With 100 balls per side instead of 120, average totals sit lower than T20. Expect par scores around 140-155 depending on the venue. The powerplay (25 balls, not 36) means less guaranteed run-scoring upfront.
Best Hundred Betting Sites
These platforms offer competitive The Hundred cricket betting markets including match winner, top batsman, and outright winner. Ideal for following our daily match predictions.
The Hundred 2026 Teams: All 8 Squads
🏆 3× defending champions. Captain: Sam Curran.
Key players: Will Jacks (72 off 41 in 2025 final), Rashid Khan (premier leg-spinner), Nicholas Pooran (power hitting), Trent Boult (new-ball swing), Jason Roy. Will Jacks scored over 400 runs across the last two Hundred seasons. Renamed from Oval Invincibles under Mumbai Indians ownership. Expect IPL-level professionalism in squad management.
🏆 Women's champions 2025. Captain: Zak Crawley.
Key players: Harry Brook (pre-signed for £465,000), Mitchell Marsh (all-round impact), Brydon Carse (England pace), Nathan Ellis (death specialist), Dan Lawrence. Brook stepped down from the captaincy to focus on his batting, handing the role to Zak Crawley. Headingley's pace and bounce suits their bowling strength. Renamed from Northern Superchargers.
New name, stacked squad. Captain: Aiden Markram.
Key players: Jos Buttler (IPL proven, explosive opener), Heinrich Klaasen (SR 170+ in T20s), Noor Ahmad (Afghan left-arm wrist-spin), Gus Atkinson (England pace), Tom Hartley (left-arm spin). Perhaps the strongest overseas contingent in the competition. Old Trafford's spin-friendly conditions suit Ahmad and Hartley. Renamed from Manchester Originals.
Young captain, fresh squad. Captain: Jacob Bethell.
Key players: Rehan Ahmed (England leg-spinner, IPL experience), Donovan Ferreira (SA power hitter), Joe Clarke (proven domestic run-scorer), Saqib Mahmood (pace, injury permitting). Bethell at 21 is the youngest Hundred captain. His left-arm spin adds a fifth bowling option. Edgbaston's short boundaries and quick outfield suit their power game.
Lord's factor. Captain: Liam Livingstone.
Key players: Liam Livingstone (England all-rounder, 360-degree striker), Dewald Brevis (SA youngster, power hitting), Adam Zampa (Aus leg-spin, death overs), Jonny Bairstow (experience), Jamie Overton (pace). David Willey joined from Trent Rockets for £120,000, and Spirit paid £390,000 for James Coles, the most expensive purchase of the inaugural auction. Lord's slope creates unique conditions, and bowlers who exploit it hold an advantage. Finals Day is also at Lord's, giving Spirit familiarity.
Archer returns. Captain: Chris Jordan.
Key players: Jofra Archer (express pace when fit), Marcus Stoinis (all-round power), Jamie Smith (England keeper-batter), Adil Rashid (premier leg-spinner), David Miller (SA finisher), Tristan Stubbs. Chris Jordan takes over the captaincy from James Vince, having played for the franchise since its first season. 2021 inaugural champions. Archer's fitness is the key variable. When firing, he is the best death bowler in the competition.
2025 runners-up. Captain: Sam Billings.
Key players: Tim David (IPL-proven power, the Rockets' £350,000 headline buy), Ben Duckett (aggressive left-hander), Mitchell Santner (NZ captain, left-arm spin), Finn Allen (NZ explosiveness), Matt Henry (NZ pace). Billings arrives from Oval Invincibles, whom he captained to three straight titles. 2022 champions, 2025 runners-up. Trent Bridge's short straight boundary is tailor-made for David's power hitting.
Salt + Root + Jansen. Captain: Phil Salt.
Key players: Phil Salt (England's most destructive opener, SR 160+ in T20Is), Joe Root (anchor and flexibility), Marco Jansen (SA left-arm pace), Rachin Ravindra (NZ all-rounder), Chris Woakes (England seam), Lockie Ferguson (express pace), Jordan Cox (£300,000 signing, the 2025 competition's leading run-scorer with 367 runs). Salt + Root opening could be the best top-two partnership in the competition. Sophia Gardens' short boundaries suit Salt's power game.
The Hundred 2026 Venues: All 8 Grounds
| Venue | Team | City | Key Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Oval | MI London | London | Bat-first historically favoured. High totals. |
| Lord's | London Spirit | London | Finals Day venue. Slope assists seam bowlers. |
| Edgbaston | Birmingham Phoenix | Birmingham | Short boundaries, fast outfield. High-scoring. |
| Old Trafford | Man. Super Giants | Manchester | Historically lower scoring. Spin gets turn. |
| Headingley | Sunrisers Leeds | Leeds | Pace and bounce. Seam movement early. |
| Trent Bridge | Trent Rockets | Nottingham | Short straight boundary. High-scoring ground. |
| Utilita Bowl | Southern Brave | Southampton | True batting surface. Consistent bounce. |
| Sophia Gardens | Welsh Fire | Cardiff | Compact ground. Short boundaries all around. |
The Hundred 2026 Schedule & Key Dates
The Hundred 2026 runs 21 July to 16 August across 34 men’s and 34 women’s matches. Most days feature a double-header: women’s match in the afternoon, men’s match in the evening.
Opening week:
- Tue 21 July — MI London vs Sunrisers Leeds, Kia Oval (women 2:45 PM, men 6:30 PM)
- Wed 22 July — Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire, Utilita Bowl (3:00 PM / 6:30 PM)
- Thu 23 July — London Spirit vs Manchester Super Giants, Lord’s (3:00 PM / 6:30 PM)
- Fri 24 July — Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets, Edgbaston (3:00 PM / 6:30 PM)
- Sat 25 July — Sunrisers Leeds vs Southern Brave, Headingley (11:00 AM / 2:30 PM), then Welsh Fire vs MI London, Sophia Gardens (2:30 PM / 6:00 PM)
Knockouts:
- Eliminator — second plays third at the Kia Oval
- 16 August — Finals Day at Lord’s (women’s final + men’s final)
Each team plays four home matches and four away: one against every other side, plus a bonus fixture against their nearest regional rival. The top three after the league stage reach the knockouts. The ECB announced the full fixture list on 27 January 2026, and we publish a free prediction for every match.
The Hundred Champions History
| Year | Men's Champion | Women's Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Oval Invincibles (3rd title) | Northern Superchargers |
| 2024 | Oval Invincibles (2nd) | London Spirit |
| 2023 | Oval Invincibles (1st) | Southern Brave |
| 2022 | Trent Rockets | Oval Invincibles (2nd) |
| 2021 | Southern Brave | Oval Invincibles (1st) |
MI London (as Oval Invincibles) enter 2026 chasing a record fourth consecutive men’s title, unprecedented in any franchise T20 league worldwide. Their core of Will Jacks, Rashid Khan, and Sam Curran remains intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
When does The Hundred 2026 start?
The Hundred 2026 starts on Tuesday 21 July with a double-header at the Kia Oval: Sunrisers Leeds women vs MI London women (2:45 PM), followed by MI London men vs Sunrisers Leeds men (6:30 PM). The tournament runs until Finals Day on 16 August at Lord's.
How many teams are in The Hundred 2026?
Eight teams compete in both the men's and women's competitions: Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, Sunrisers Leeds, Trent Rockets, and Welsh Fire. Three teams have been rebranded for 2026 under new ownership.
How does The Hundred format work?
Each team bats for 100 balls (not overs). Bowlers deliver sets of 5 or 10 consecutive balls from one end. No bowler can exceed 20 balls per match. The 25-ball powerplay limits fielders outside the circle to two. Matches last approximately 2.5 hours — shorter than T20.
Where can I watch The Hundred 2026?
The Hundred is broadcast on BBC (free-to-air, selected matches) and Sky Sports (full coverage, subscription required) in the UK. International coverage varies by region — check local broadcasters.
Who won The Hundred 2025?
Oval Invincibles (now MI London) won the men's title for a record third consecutive year, beating Trent Rockets by 26 runs in the final at Lord's. Will Jacks scored 72 off 41. Northern Superchargers (now Sunrisers Leeds) won the women's title.
What are the best odds for The Hundred 2026?
Match markets are now open for the opening fixtures. MI London (3× champions as Oval Invincibles) opened as favourites for the 21 July curtain-raiser against Sunrisers Leeds. We publish full odds analysis with value bets for every match.
How is The Hundred different from T20?
The Hundred uses 100 balls per innings (T20 uses 120). Bowlers deliver 5 or 10 ball sets (not 6-ball overs). No-balls cost 2 runs plus a free hit (T20: 1 run). Matches are ~30 minutes shorter. The strategic timeout is 90 seconds after the powerplay.
Which teams have been rebranded for 2026?
Three teams changed names: Oval Invincibles → MI London (Mumbai Indians ownership), Manchester Originals → Manchester Super Giants, and Northern Superchargers → Sunrisers Leeds. Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets, and Welsh Fire retain their names.
What is the best toss strategy in The Hundred?
Chasing has historically been favoured in The Hundred, consistent with most T20 cricket. At venues like The Oval and Headingley, teams bowling first have a notable advantage. Dew is less of a factor than in Asian T20 leagues but evening conditions can still assist chasers.
Is The Hundred cricket free to watch?
Selected matches are shown free on BBC — one of the few cricket competitions with free-to-air UK coverage. Full coverage requires a Sky Sports subscription. BBC coverage was a founding principle of The Hundred to grow the sport's audience.
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