The Hundred (Women)
The The Hundred (Women) competition has become a distinctive showcase in women’s cricket since its ECB launch in 2021. This 100-ball format brings a fast-paced approach to the game, attracting established cricket followers and new audiences with its dynamic style. The competition combines international talent with a modern format, providing a prominent platform for leading players while contributing to the continued growth of women’s cricket. As a professional franchise competition featuring eight women’s teams from England and Wales, it offers a distinctive take on short-form cricket.
The Hundred (Women) 2026 season wrapped up on August 16, with Trent Rockets Women beating Sunrisers Leeds Women by eight wickets at Lord’s to lift their maiden Hundred title. Chasing a modest 91, the Rockets got home with 46 balls still in hand, one of the most one-sided finals the competition has seen. There was extra edge to the result too: Sunrisers Leeds, playing under their new name after last year’s title as Northern Superchargers, went in as defending champions and came away empty-handed.
Introduction
Unlike previous cricket competitions, The Hundred (Women) is a statement rather than just another competition. The major purpose of the women's cricket competition, which was launched in 2021 alongside its men's equivalent, was to infuse the sport with new vitality, appeal to a wider and younger audience, and considerably raise the prominence of women's cricket. To effectively carve out a distinct space, The Hundred has successfully presented cricket in a format that is fast-paced, easily accessible, and packed with entertainment. With each match lasting around two and a half hours, it provides a compact and action-packed spectacle, which makes it highly accessible for modern spectators.
Eight city-based franchises compete in the tournament, and each of them has both a men's and a women's squad. This helps create a feeling of equality and integrated fandom among supporters. The promotion of women's cricket, the opportunity for female athletes to share the spotlight with their male counterparts, and the presentation of their skills to a broad audience have all been significantly aided by this combined structure, with both competitions played at the same venues during the season. The lively atmosphere, combined with high-intensity cricketing action, has helped make The Hundred (Women) a major part of the English summer sporting calendar, attracting strong crowds and substantial television audiences throughout the season. Beyond England and Wales, the tournament has also generated significant interest among Indian fans, with players such as Smriti Mandhana helping bring additional attention to the competition and its 100-ball format. Many Indian supporters now follow The Hundred (Women) alongside competitions such as the WPL back home.
Not only has the focus placed on creative rules, an interesting presentation, and significant investment helped thrust individual players into the spotlight, but it has also contributed to greater visibility for women's cricket and encouraged wider interest in the sport. It is more than simply a competition; The Hundred (Women) is a catalyst for change, a reflection of the rising strength and appeal of women's sport on the world stage. All of these elements make it more than just a competition.
Readers who prefer to follow the tournament in Hindi can find a full local-language version of this page (द हंड्रेड (महिला) हिंदी समीक्षा), with the same tournament coverage and region-specific information.
Best Online Betting Sites in India - August 2026
Current Season
The Hundred (Women) 2026 ran from July 21 to August 16, 2026, and closed with Trent Rockets Women beating Sunrisers Leeds Women by eight wickets in the final at Lord's to lift their maiden title.
The 2026 edition arrived with the format's biggest overhaul since the tournament's 2021 launch. All eight teams played 32 group games between them (four home, four away each), with the group stage wrapping up on August 12. The second and third-placed sides then met in an Eliminator on August 14, and the winner joined the table-topper in the August 16 final. Every women's fixture was scheduled as a "matchday" pairing with a men's Hundred game at the same venue, so the 34 women's matches ran alongside 34 men's matches across the four-week window, across eight venues including Lord's, Old Trafford, Headingley, Sophia Gardens, Edgbaston and the Utilita Bowl.
Three franchises went into the season under new names and new ownership, part of a wider restructuring that handed IPL-linked investors a real stake in the competition:
- MI London (formerly Oval Invincibles) - Reliance Industries holds 49%, alongside Surrey.
- Sunrisers Leeds (formerly Northern Superchargers) - fully owned by Sun Group, the group behind Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
- Manchester Super Giants (formerly Manchester Originals) - RPSG Group controls 70%, with Lancashire holding the rest.
Southern Brave kept its name but brought in Delhi Capitals owners GMR Group as a new investor too, meaning four of the league's eight teams now carry direct IPL ownership links.
Trent Rockets finished top of the group table and went straight through to the final, while Sunrisers Leeds had to get past the Eliminator to book their spot as defending champions, having won last year's title as Northern Superchargers. Chasing a modest 91 in the final, the Rockets cruised home with 46 balls unused, a lopsided finish that made the ownership overhaul, not the cricket, the closer contest of the two.
The Hundred 2026: IPL Owners Fund a Bigger Player Auction
The ownership changes fed straight into how the squads were built. For the first time since the tournament began, all eight women's teams filled their rosters through an open auction in March rather than a draft, with squads expanding to 16-18 players and each team allowed to sign up to four players directly (overseas or England-contracted) before bidding opened. Every squad could carry up to four overseas players. Team purses nearly doubled to £880,000 (~ ₹11.4 crore) per side, and the auction's top fee touched £210,000 (~ ₹2.72 crore) for the tournament's most sought-after overseas batters, a jump Indian fans following the WPL auctions will recognize. For anyone following team previews and title prospects early in the season, that kind of spending swing is an important factor to consider alongside results on the field.
In India, JioHotstar streamed every match of both the men's and women's competitions live, with Star Sports carrying the tournament on television for cable and DTH viewers, giving the tournament a proper home for Indian fans following the action and match build-up through the season rather than relying on UK-only coverage.
No dates have been confirmed yet for The Hundred (Women) 2027, but ticket registration for next season is already open on the tournament's official site. Every edition since the competition launched in 2021 has run inside the same July-to-August window, so a similar mid-2027 slot would be a reasonable expectation until the ECB firms up the actual fixture list.
Ongoing August 2026 Events
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ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Test | June 17, 2025 – June 13, 2027 | LIVE |
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ICC Women's Championship ODI | February 20, 2026 – April 15, 2029 | LIVE |
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County Championship FC | April 3, 2026 – September 27, 2026 | LIVE |
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Women's One-Day Cup List A | April 11, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | LIVE |
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Women's T20 County Cup T20 | April 29, 2026 – August 29, 2026 | LIVE |
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Global T20 Canada (GT20) T20 | July 16, 2026 – August 2, 2026 | |
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Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 | July 17, 2026 – August 8, 2026 | |
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The Hundred (Men) Hundred | July 21, 2026 – August 16, 2026 | |
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The Hundred (Women) Hundred | July 21, 2026 – August 16, 2026 | |
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One-Day Cup List A | July 21, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | LIVE |
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Global Super League (GSL) T20 | July 23, 2026 – August 1, 2026 | |
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Pakistan vs West Indies Tour | July 25, 2026 – August 5, 2026 | |
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Women's Super Series (SS50) List A | August 3–10, 2026 | |
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Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 | August 7, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | LIVE |
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Minor League Cricket (MiLC) T20 | August 7, 2026 – October 4, 2026 | LIVE |
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Australia vs Bangladesh Test | August 13–26, 2026 | LIVE |
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India vs Sri Lanka Test | August 15–27, 2026 | LIVE |
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England vs Pakistan Test | August 19, 2026 – September 13, 2026 | LIVE |
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Top End T20 Series T20 | August 21–30, 2026 | LIVE |
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Duleep Trophy FC | August 23, 2026 – September 10, 2026 | LIVE |
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European T20 Premier League (ETPL) T20 | August 26, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | |
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Women's Asia Cup T20I | August 28, 2026 – September 13, 2026 |
Ongoing August 2026 Events
|
ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Test | June 17, 2025 – June 13, 2027 | LIVE |
|
ICC Women's Championship ODI | February 20, 2026 – April 15, 2029 | LIVE |
|
County Championship FC | April 3, 2026 – September 27, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Women's One-Day Cup List A | April 11, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Women's T20 County Cup T20 | April 29, 2026 – August 29, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Global T20 Canada (GT20) T20 | July 16, 2026 – August 2, 2026 | |
|
Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 | July 17, 2026 – August 8, 2026 | |
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The Hundred (Men) Hundred | July 21, 2026 – August 16, 2026 | |
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The Hundred (Women) Hundred | July 21, 2026 – August 16, 2026 | |
|
One-Day Cup List A | July 21, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Global Super League (GSL) T20 | July 23, 2026 – August 1, 2026 | |
|
Pakistan vs West Indies Tour | July 25, 2026 – August 5, 2026 | |
|
Women's Super Series (SS50) List A | August 3–10, 2026 | |
|
Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 | August 7, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Minor League Cricket (MiLC) T20 | August 7, 2026 – October 4, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Australia vs Bangladesh Test | August 13–26, 2026 | LIVE |
|
India vs Sri Lanka Test | August 15–27, 2026 | LIVE |
|
England vs Pakistan Test | August 19, 2026 – September 13, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Top End T20 Series T20 | August 21–30, 2026 | LIVE |
|
Duleep Trophy FC | August 23, 2026 – September 10, 2026 | LIVE |
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European T20 Premier League (ETPL) T20 | August 26, 2026 – September 20, 2026 | |
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Women's Asia Cup T20I | August 28, 2026 – September 13, 2026 |
Previous Seasons
Since its debut in 2021, The Hundred (Women) has presented several exciting seasons of thrilling cricket, each of which has contributed to the growing heritage of the competition as well as the overall development of women's cricket.
Past The Hundred (Women) Editions
- 2026 Season
The 2026 edition ran from July 21 to August 16 across England, with Lord's again hosting the final. The same eight-team, round-robin-into-eliminator-and-final structure carried over, but for the first time squads were built through an open auction rather than a draft, and three franchises took the field under new names after an ownership overhaul that gave IPL-linked investors stakes in half the league. Trent Rockets Women won their maiden title, beating Sunrisers Leeds Women by eight wickets after chasing down 91, making them the fifth different champion in six editions, with only Oval Invincibles having won the title more than once so far.
- 2025 Season
The 2025 edition of The Hundred (Women), played from August 5th to August 31st across England and Wales, delivered a highly competitive season in the tournament's short history. Northern Superchargers claimed their first title after defeating Southern Brave by five wickets in the final at Lord's, successfully chasing 116. The structure remained unchanged with eight teams competing in a round-robin league followed by an eliminator and final, while the season also featured several notable individual performances that added to the competition's growing profile.
Attendance remained a major feature of the tournament, with strong crowds throughout the competition and the women's final attracting a large audience at Lord's. Broadcast and digital engagement also continued to highlight the growing reach of The Hundred (Women), both in England and among international cricket audiences.
- 2024 Season
In 2024, London Spirit Women won their first championship by beating Welsh Fire Women by four wickets in a tightly fought final at Lord's. This was a momentous occasion for London Spirit, as it demonstrated their growth and strategic ability during the competition. The season also underlined the tournament's growing international reach, with overseas stars featuring across the eight franchises and helping attract wider interest in women's cricket. That momentum continued into the following seasons as The Hundred (Women) strengthened its position on the cricketing calendar.
- 2023 Season
Southern Brave won their first-ever The Hundred (Women) championship during the 2023 season, defeating Northern Superchargers by 34 runs in the final. During the season, Georgia Adams had an outstanding campaign, finishing as the competition's leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets. Meanwhile, Danni Wyatt continued to demonstrate her strong batting form for Southern Brave, contributing to a memorable campaign for the franchise.
- 2022 Season
Oval Invincibles retained their title in 2022, successfully defending their championship against Southern Brave with a five-wicket win in another exciting final. Alongside Suzie Bates's outstanding performance with the bat for the Invincibles, Alice Capsey, Eva Gray, and Sophia Smale also made important contributions with the ball. The tournament's place in the cricketing calendar was firmly established during the 2022 season, with a young core of English players, Capsey chief among them, emerging as future mainstays of the women's game both for The Hundred and for England.
- 2021 Season
The first season of The Hundred (Women) in 2021 was a significant milestone for the competition, showcasing the potential of the new 100-ball format. Dane van Niekerk led Oval Invincibles to victory against Southern Brave by 48 runs in the final. Van Niekerk delivered a standout tournament with the bat, finishing as the competition's leading run-scorer with 259 runs, while her Invincibles teammate Tash Farrant dominated with the ball, taking 18 wickets to top the bowling charts. The inaugural season demonstrated that the 100-ball format could produce fast-paced and engaging cricket while introducing the competition to a new audience, laying the foundation for its continued development in the years that followed.
| Season | Champion | Runner-up | Final Result | Event / Final Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Trent Rockets | Sunrisers Leeds | Trent Rockets won by 8 wickets | Lord's, London |
| 2025 | Northern Superchargers | Southern Brave | Northern Superchargers beat Southern Brave by 7 wickets | Lord's, London |
| 2024 | London Spirit | Welsh Fire | London Spirit beat Welsh Fire by 4 runs | Lord's, London |
| 2023 | Southern Brave | Northern Superchargers | Southern Brave beat Northern Superchargers by 34 runs | Lord's, London |
| 2022 | Oval Invincibles | Southern Brave | Oval Invincibles beat Southern Brave by 5 wickets | Lord's, London |
| 2021 | Oval Invincibles | Southern Brave | Oval Invincibles beat Southern Brave by 48 runs | Lord's, London |
History and Structure
The ECB launched The Hundred (Women) as part of its initiative to increase participation in women’s cricket and raise the profile of the women’s game. Since it was first held in 2021, the competition has experienced significant growth, reflected in increased attention from spectators, sponsors, broadcasters, and the wider cricket community.
That growth entered a new phase in 2026, when the ECB replaced the player draft with an open auction and introduced new ownership groups, including investors with existing IPL connections, across four of the eight teams. Alongside showcasing high-level women’s cricket, the ECB developed The Hundred as a distinctive short-format competition designed to attract new audiences and contribute to the continued growth of the women’s game. Its success has established The Hundred (Women) as one of the leading domestic women’s cricket competitions.
Format of the Tournament
To ensure that every match in The Hundred (Women) delivers plenty of action, the competition uses a straightforward format built around eight franchise teams representing cities across England and Wales. The teams compete in a single league table, with each side playing eight group-stage matches, including four at home and four away. The team that finishes top of the table advances directly to the final, while the second and third-placed sides meet in the Eliminator for the other final spot. There are no semi-finals, with the Eliminator followed directly by the final, where the two remaining teams compete for the championship.
Final Thoughts
The Hundred (Women) has become a significant part of the modern women’s cricket landscape since its introduction in 2021. Designed to bring a fresh approach to the game, the competition combines a fast-paced 100-ball format with the excitement of franchise cricket, creating a unique experience for players and supporters alike. Its innovative structure has helped attract new audiences while adding another important chapter to the growth of women’s cricket.
Over the years, The Hundred (Women) has provided a valuable stage for some of the world’s best cricketers while also giving emerging players the opportunity to showcase their skills at the highest level. The presence of international stars alongside talented domestic players has helped raise the standard of competition and contributed to the continued development of women’s cricket in England and beyond.
More than just a short-format tournament, The Hundred (Women) represents the changing face of cricket and the increasing global recognition of the women’s game. With its strong fan engagement, competitive matches and commitment to creating new opportunities for players, the competition continues to hold an important place in the cricket calendar and remains a major contributor to the sport’s future growth.
Did You Know
