Cardiff set for another spectacular month of sport and entertainment as The Hundred announces 2023 dates

• The Hundred is back on this August with Sophia Gardens set to play host to four double-header matches.
  
• Welsh Fire to kick off campaign in Cardiff on Wednesday 2 August
• The Hundred Final set for Sunday 27 August at Lord’s
• Fans can look forward to another season of world-class men’s and women’s cricket following a record-breaking 2022 tournament
• The Hundred’s partnership with BBC Music Introducing to continue bringing top tier live music and DJs at venues across the country
• For more information and to sign up for priority ticket access visit thehundred.com

The Hundred is heading back to Cardiff for 2023, bringing with it four weeks of spectacular entertainment and intense cricket action at the height of the summer. After two hugely successful years, the competition is set to kick off on Tuesday 1 August, promising high octane men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment.

Cardiff will host its first fixture on Wednesday 2 August, with the Welsh Fire men’s and women’s teams kicking off their competition against Manchester Originals.

More than half a million people attended games during The Hundred’s second year in 2022, including a record-breaking 271,000 watching live women’s fixtures across the competition and more families buying tickets than in 2021. Alongside world-class cricket, fans were treated to memorable performances from a diverse line-up of artists and DJs including headliners Bastille, Mace The Great and Adwaith thanks to The Hundred’s ongoing partnership with BBC Music Introducing.

There will be an initial, exclusive window to purchase tickets from 1-14 March for anyone who has previously bought tickets for The Hundred. Those yet to attend can sign up in advance at thehundred.com for priority ticket access from 5–18 April. Tickets will then go on general sale on Thursday 20 April. Tickets this year remain great value in line with 2022 pricing, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 6-15, free for children five and under, and adults starting from £10.

The Hundred Eliminator, where second- and third-placed teams fight it out for a place in the final, is set for Saturday 26 August at The Kia Oval. The Final itself will take place on Sunday 27 August at Lord’s.

For the first time this year The Hundred will see both the men’s and the women’s competitions host a draft. The date The Hundred Draft is due to be held is Thursday 2 March. Deadline day – the day on which retained players are confirmed across both competitions – is set to be Thursday 16 February.

Welsh Fire and England batter Tammy Beaumont said ‘’It was an honour to come and captain Welsh Fire for 2022 and I can’t wait to get back to Cardiff again this summer. The support from the crowd was fantastic in 2022, it gave all the players a real boost to see the support for women's cricket across the competition.’’

Over 14.1 million people tuned in to watch The Hundred action in 2022 and games will again be broadcast live on Sky Sports and BBC broadcast and digital channels throughout the competition.

To stay up to date with the latest news, buy tickets or to sign up for priority access, visit thehundred.com or follow The Hundred, and the eight teams, on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About Welsh Fire:

Welsh Fire are the Cardiff-based team in the 100-ball competition The Hundred. The Welsh Fire men’s and women’s teams will each compete against seven other teams throughout August. The opening double-header of the season is at Sophia Gardens on Wednesday 2 August.

About The Hundred:

The Hundred is an action-packed, unmissable cricket competition that fuses world-class cricket with blockbuster entertainment.

Combining a short, fast format of cricket, with each game lasting less than three hours, and incredible entertainment beyond the sport, The Hundred is making cricket more accessible and reaching a broader audience. It’s simple: 100 balls per team, most runs wins, so every ball counts.

The Hundred features eight teams from seven cities, with men’s and women’s competitions taking place side by side: Welsh Fire (Cardiff), Southern Brave (Southampton), Northern Superchargers (Leeds), London Spirit, Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Oval Invincibles (London), Manchester Originals and Birmingham Phoenix. Each teams features some of the best international and domestic cricketers from around the world, including England Men’s & Women’s World Cup winners.

Highlight statistics from The Hundred 2022:

• More than 500,000 people attended games across the course of the competition
• The Hundred continued to take cricket to new audiences with more women (28%), children (22%) and families (41%) attending than in the first year
• 2022 once again set a new global record for total attendance at a women’s cricket competition, with 271,000 people attending
• All eight venues broke their previous best for domestic women’s attendances
• Of the Sky and BBC TV coverage, 42% hadn’t watched any other ECB cricket in 2022 prior to The Hundred, resulting in 5.9m new viewers
• Women (31%) and children (14%) made up a significant share of the TV audience

Full fixtures (all games men’s and women’s double headers)

Wednesday 2 August: Welsh Fire vs Manchester Originals, Sophia Gardens, women 11:30, men 15:00

Friday 4 August: Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire, Ageas Bowl, women 15:00, men 18:30

Sunday 6 August: Oval Invincibles vs Welsh Fire, The Kia Oval, women 14:30, men 18:00

Monday 7 August: Manchester Originals vs Birmingham Phoenix, Emirates Old Trafford, women 15:00, men 18:30

Thursday 10 August: Birmingham Phoenix vs Welsh Fire, Edgbaston, women 15:00, men 18:30

Saturday 12 August: Welsh Fire vs Southern Brave, Sophia Gardens, women 14:30, men 18:00

Monday 14 August: Welsh Fire vs Trent Rockets, Sophia Gardens, women 15:00, men 18:30

Sunday 20 August: Welsh Fire vs London Spirit, Sophia Gardens, women 14:30, men 18:00

Saturday 26 August: The Hundred Eliminator, The Kia Oval, women 14:30, men 18:00

Sunday 27 August: The Hundred Final, Lord’s, women 14:15, men 18:00