Test cricket has been centre stage for quite some time now, but focus is about to switch to the shortest format in the sport.
The latest edition of The Hundred starts tomorrow night with a fierce local derby between London Spirit and reigning men’s champions Oval Invincibles.
Some of the best white-ball players in the England set up will once again feature for the eight franchises, with several high-profile overseas stars also taking part.
The likes of Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid will be joined by Steve Smith, David Warner, Heinrich Klassen, Marcus Stoinis, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and many, many more big names from other cricketing nations.
It is all set to be a fantastic 27-day festival of cricket, with the final taking place at the famous Lord’s ground on Sunday, August 31.
Read on for a full pre-tournament betting preview from NetBet, complete with the latest cricket odds from our website and app.
And if you’re new around here, make sure to check out our exclusive Welcome Offer before the start of The Hundred, with Free Bets and Free Spins up for grabs.
The Hundred Preview
Reigning champions Oval Invincibles are looking to win the tournament for the third year in a row.
Captained by the brilliant Sam Billings and boasting a strong-looking squad that contains the Curran brothers, Jacks, Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson and perhaps the world’s best short-form bowler in Rashid Khan, they will take some stopping.
As such, it is hard to look past them in the outright odds, though the other contenders do look strong on paper.
Southern Brave boast perhaps the best bowling attack with Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, Reece Topley and Tymal Mills, while Birmingham Phoenix look strong in all departments.
Legendary Kiwi bowlers Boult and Southee are part of the Birmingham-based outfit’s roster, and they are joined by England regulars Liam Livingstone, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell.
And, of course, Australian icon Smith’s return to English soil is one of the big pre-tournament stories.
The world-class batter is part of the Welsh Fire squad, with him and Jonny Bairstow set to form a potentially lethal combination of power and skill.
And while London Spirit are the least-fancied side in the odds market, their team looks pretty good at first glance.
Kane Williamson, Warner, Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton and Luke Wood are all world-class operators – and we would not be surprised to see them record a few upset victories.
Of course, we cannot forget about Manchester Originals with their batters like Buttler, Salt and Klassen, while the evergreen James Anderson is a real wildcard pick to improve the bowling department.
And captained by England star Brook, the Northern Superchargers could be a real force. South Africa’s David Miller is one of the best short-form batsmen in the world, while Rashid, Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse are a bowling unit to be feared.
We cannot wait for the action to get started!
The Hundred Outright Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Oval Invincibles – 4.33
Southern Brave – 5.00
Birmingham Phoenix – 6.50
Manchester Originals – 6.50
Northern Superchargers – 7.50
Trent Rockets – 8.50
Welsh Fire – 11.00
London Spirit – 17.00
And here are the latest odds for the first four matches of the tournament…
London Spirit (2.13) vs Oval Invincibles (1.63)
Manchester Originals (1.94) vs Southern Brave (1.76)
Northern Superchargers (1.62) vs Welsh Fire (2.15)
Birmingham Phoenix (1.54) vs Trent Rockets (2.33)
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