In defence of The Hundred, by co-chair of Welsh Fire

Mark Rhydderch-Roberts, co-chair of Welsh Fire, defends The Hundred and encourages skeptics to give it a chance. Despite some concerns about a slight drop in overall attendance, The Hundred has had a highly competitive and successful season. World-class players from both men's and women's teams took part, with many games decided by just a few balls and increased intensity across all levels.

The tournament has been one of the best in the last six years for ticket sales, with around 550,000 sold, and three new record attendances. Moreover, the average broadcast audience on Sky Sports and the BBC grew by 7.5 per cent, and the season was the most viewed and engaged ever digitally, with a 36 per cent rise in engagement and a 55 per cent growth in views on social channels.

The season was challenging due to co-ownership, new teams, and commercial hurdles, but The Hundred was designed to bring cricket to new audiences, especially children and families. The demographic of fans attending The Hundred has grown steadily and is distinct from that of many other sports, with 22 per cent of tickets sold to under-16s, 40 per cent to families, and 28 per cent to women.

Welsh Fire experienced record-breaking attendances for both men's and women's games in Wales, with ticket sales up almost 10 per cent year-on-year. Nearly half of ticket buyers were new to Sophia Gardens, Wales' Test-standard arena. The franchise's ticket sales increased in percentage terms year on year, making it the only Hundred team to achieve this.

The Hundred was valued at just under £1bn after the franchise sale last year and provided a much-needed £550m cash injection into English and Welsh cricket at all levels. International investors have contributed capital and global commercial expertise to the sport in Britain. This growth in cricket and international franchise valuations, driven primarily by India, is expected to continue.

The Hundred franchise valuations have likely benefited from this trend, but the league has the potential to become the second most important and valuable short-format global cricket league. Wales' elite team, Welsh Fire, has gained significant demand and interest, both in south Wales and along the M4 corridor, and is appealing to the south west of England.

The team's deep local understanding has driven every decision, and the commercial results have been impressive.