Alice Davidson-Richards interview: Northern Supercharger on why The Hundred is good for women’s game...and men’s cricket

Some people love it, some people hate it.

As with Marmite, it is rare to find anyone who is neutral on the subject.

My own position, stated many times in this venerable organ, is that I have no real interest in it and I worry about the damage it is doing to the men’s county schedule, specifically to the County Championship, and why the tin of sardines that is the English cricket season requires a fourth format full-stop.

At the same time, even an old stick-in-the-mud like me would have to acknowledge the Hundred’s hugely positive impact on the women’s game, in terms of exposure and development, and also on the young English men’s players who are acquiring similar exposure in the Royal London Cup, which runs concurrently to the 100-ball competition.

Alice Davidson-Richards, the Northern Superchargers all-rounder, can see both sides of the argument as the Hundred continues on its second season.

Davidson-Richards, who will be in action at Headingley tomorrow as Superchargers play their first home match against London Spirit (11am start, with the men following on at 2.30pm), feels that the benefits of the Hundred can be lost – not least in its potential benefits for the Championship – in a candid consideration of its pros and cons.

“Obviously, I’m all for the Hundred because of the benefits that you’ve got for the women’s side of things,” she said. “But I do understand the counter-side.

“I understand that there’s a lot of cricket, but also there’s the benefit that you get with players who wouldn’t necessarily get first-team opportunities who are now getting them in the One-Day Cup.

“I think there are benefits that people aren’t recognising; they’re just wanting to be angry about the Hundred because it’s taking players away (from the counties) when it’s actually making the whole squad stronger because more players are getting opportunities rather than just the same players again and again.

“It also creates more competition for the four-day game, which is obviously a massive deal for all the counties because all the counties want to win the County Championship if they can.

“So I think that that side of things is lost amongst the negative comments that are made about the Hundred.

“Yes, there is a lot of cricket, which is the way that cricket is going, and it’s just about making sure that you’re looking after the players both physically and mentally to make sure that they’re getting breaks when they need them and all that sort of stuff.

“But if you look at it from a wider perspective, the Hundred is benefiting the women’s game massively and that’s very important.”

Davidson-Richards, 28, has noticed a positive impact from the Hundred’s first season in terms of interest levels among women and girls.

The South East Stars player, who comes from Kent but whose father is from Yorkshire and who played for Yorkshire Diamonds in the Kia Super League, believes that the competition has captured the imagination.

“I’ve definitely noticed more interest because of the Hundred,” she added. “Going round my local cricket club, for example, I’ve seen loads of different youngsters with Hundred kit on, whereas previously you might have seen them with England tops on but not necessarily a Kent top.

“Also, just the number of females who want to go and watch – in my case, uni friends, hockey friends, all that sort of stuff.

“From a supporters’ point of view, definitely, there has been a lot of new interest, and I think there’s more and more girls coming into the game at a younger age as well.”

Has Davidson-Richards found that she gets noticed more often in public as a consequence? She laughed and said modestly: “I don’t think it’s quite permeated to that sort of level yet. I’m okay just plodding around. I haven’t made it to that level.

“I’m not one of the superstars of the game. But I’m okay with that actually.”

In that respect she might just be doing herself a disservice.

For Davidson-Richards has had a fine season, making some key contributions for South East Stars and, a few weeks ago, scoring 107 on her Test debut against South Africa in Taunton.

Remarkably, Davidson-Richards was the first England player to score a hundred and take a wicket on Test debut since WG Grace, who achieved the feat in the very first Test match played in England against Australia at the Oval in 1880.

Comparisons with the ‘good doctor’ draw further good humour.

“I had absolutely no idea,” she said. “Somebody asked me afterwards whether I knew and I said, of course I didn’t know. I haven’t got a clue about stats or anything like that, but I’ll take it.

“It does seem a bit ridiculous when you actually think about it, but it’s really very cool.”

Davidson-Richards hopes to play more Tests going forward but for now is concentrating on the Hundred and helping Superchargers in their quest to improve on last year’s sixth-placed finish.

They started this year’s tournament with a nine-wicket defeat to Oval Invincibles on Thursday, when former Supercharger Lauren Winfield-Hill led the way with an unbeaten 74.

“Last year was frustrating because we started off really well and then tailed off towards the end,” said Davidson-Richards. “We ended up going on a bit of a losing streak and it was just frustrating all round.

“This year, hopefully we can push on for higher honours.

“I think we’ve got a really nice blend of youngsters, old ’uns and some really good overseas, and I’m really excited to see how we go in the next few weeks.”

Thursday’s game opened the women’s event, with the women’s Hundred starting a week later than the men due to the Commonwealth Games T20 competition recently concluded.

The double-headers, with the men and women in action on the same day, are back in full swing now and it gives it more of a “day out” feel.

“I like the double-headers,” said Davidson-Richards.

“I think it was a happy accident at first because I think we ended up doing them because of Covid. Logistically, it was a lot easier.

“Personally, I like them because it really goes into the theme of it being one team.

“It’s the men’s and the women’s team, and you’re there to watch the team for the day.

“I think it really taps into that sort of vibe rather than it being two separate teams playing in different places, and it also means that we get to interact with the men’s team, we get to support them, and they do the same with us.

“I think that’s a really valuable part of the Hundred.”