Traditionally a trip to London to watch cricket meant taking in a Test match at Lord’s or the Oval, or watching Middlesex or Surrey at those grounds. Or, at a push, you might go and watch Essex, with part of that historic county in Greater London. However, that changed in 2021 when the England and Wales Cricket Board created the Hundred.
This new-format competition was designed to have mass appeal and reach far beyond cricket’s typical demographics. Families were a particular target with various measures taken to encourage children. One key aspect of the Hundred is that it is city-based, with teams linked to major cities (mostly!), rather than the traditional counties. There are far fewer teams than in the various county competitions too, with just eight having featured to date. Of those eight, two are from London.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the two London sides. We will look at what, if any, success they have had in the Hundred so far, as well as the star players who have turned out for them, or coached them. But first, who are the two London teams in the Hundred?
Which Teams in the Hundred Are from London?
As said, there are two teams that play their games in London so if you fancy checking out the Hundred in the capital, these are your options. We are not aware of any suggestion that the format, structure or teams in the competition will change any time soon but to be clear, this info is correct as of the 2024 tournament (and all preceding it).
London Spirit
London Spirit play at the home of cricket, Lord’s, in the St John’s Wood area. This is the traditional county ground of Middlesex and the London Spirit are linked to that county, but also to Essex and Northamptonshire. Lord’s has a capacity of 30,000 and the ground is also used for the Hundred’s finals day.
Oval Invincibles
Unsurprisingly, at least to those familiar with domestic cricket in England, Surrey are one of the counties linked to the Hundred’s Oval Invincibles. Equally as predictable is that this team play their games at Surrey’s ground, the Oval.
Known for some time (due to sponsorship) as the Kia Oval, and located in south London, it lies around four miles south-east of Lord’s. The Oval has a capacity of around 27,500 and Kent are the other team affiliated with the Invincibles.
Have London Spirit or the Oval Invincibles Ever Won the Hundred?
One of the great things about the Hundred is that it gives huge exposure to the women’s game. Encouraging more girls to play cricket is a key aim and this is done in a range of ways. The most important thing is that the male and female teams are united, playing at the same ground, often on the same day, as part of double-header matches, with both receiving full television coverage. Both the women’s and men’s finals are played on the same day at Lord’s.
When it comes to success in this tournament for London teams, it is the Oval Invincibles women who have led the way. They won the inaugural tournament in 2021 and then defended their crown in 2022. That makes them the most successful team, men or women, in the short history of this 100-ball contest.
They got the better of the Southern Brave (Southampton-based, encompassing Hampshire and Sussex) in both finals. Last year the Brave yet again made the final, winning the trophy at the third attempt. The London Spirit have never made the final of the women’s tournament, nor the eliminator (the “semi-final”), their best effort coming in 2021 when they finished fourth in the table, missing out on an eliminator place on net run rate.
More Glory for Invincibles Men
In the men’s version of this tournament, it is a similar picture, with the Invincibles having tasted glory whilst London Spirit are yet to make a final. The Spirit did at least make the eliminator in 2022 though, finishing third in the table after the regular season. They lost to Manchester Originals in the semi though and that is as good as it has been for them.
The Invincibles, though, are the defending champions heading into the 2024 campaign. They topped the table, winning six and losing just one of their eight games to advance straight to the final. There they faced the Manchester Originals and their 161/5 was enough for a win by 14 runs.
Summary of Results by London Teams
| Year | Invincibles (W) | Invincibles (M) | Spirit (W) | Spirit (M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2nd | 4th | 4th | 8th |
| 2022 | 1st | 5th | 7th | 3rd |
| 2023 | 5th | 1st | 6th | 7th |
Notable Players
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If you want to see some big names from the cricket world, the Hundred is a great option, especially if you can’t stretch to the often-silly money of international tickets. The format of the tournament sees a mix of overseas stars, England players with links to the teams’ counties, and white-ball specialists from around the country.
All four teams have had some classy players over the three complete campaigns and the one upcoming one, too many to list them all here. However, here is a very small selection of some of the biggest names to have played for either of the men’s or women’s teams, or to have coached them.
- Dane van Niekerk – South African star played for Invincibles
- Lauren Winfield-Hill – England star played alongside Van Niekerk
- Will Jacks – Powerful youngster has over 600 runs for the Invincibles and six wickets as well
- Sam and Tom Curran – brothers in arms for both England the Oval team
- Heather Knight – England captain and World Cup winner skippers the Spirit
- Meg Lanning – Former Australian captain will line up alongside Knight for the 2024 season
- Eoin Morgan – Irish star led England to white ball glory and led London Spirit in 2021 and 2022
- Glen Maxwell – Big-hitting Aussie star played with Morgan in 2022
- Zak Crawley – Part of the Spirit’s 2024 squad, powerful England opener will be brilliant if international commitments allow