As the fourth edition of The Hundred approaches the end of its group stage, teams are vying for spots in the knockout rounds, while others have already seen their hopes dashed. With the assistance of data analysts CricViz, BBC Sport breaks down what each team needs to do to advance.
Understanding The Hundred's Format
In The Hundred, each team plays eight group-stage matches, including two encounters with their local rivals. The team that finishes at the top of the table directly qualifies for the final. The second and third-placed teams face off in the eliminator, with the winner advancing to the final. The group stage wraps up on Thursday, 15 August, followed by the eliminator on Saturday, 17 August, and the final on Sunday at Lord's.
In cases where teams finish with the same points, net run-rate is the first tiebreaker, followed by head-to-head results if net run-rates are identical.
Women's Hundred: What Each Team Needs to Advance
According to CricViz's CompViz model, the chances of advancing to the knockouts are as follows: Welsh Fire (90%), Oval Invincibles (63%), Northern Superchargers (50%), London Spirit (50%), and Trent Rockets (47%).
With one round of matches left, the path is clear for Welsh Fire, Oval Invincibles, Northern Superchargers, and Trent Rockets—winning their final game secures a top-three finish. Should both Welsh Fire and Oval Invincibles win, the battle for the top spot, and direct entry to the final, will be decided by net run-rate.
London Spirit can still qualify, but they must defeat the Superchargers and hope that the Invincibles overcome the Rockets.
Birmingham Phoenix, Manchester Originals, and defending champions Southern Brave are out of contention.
Men's Hundred: Teams on the Brink of Knockouts
CricViz's CompViz model gives the following knockout probabilities: Invincibles (100%), Brave (85%), Phoenix (79%), and Superchargers (37%).
Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, and Birmingham Phoenix are all well-positioned to reach the knockouts. The Invincibles have already secured a knockout spot, and a final victory would guarantee them a place in the final. However, any misstep could allow Brave or Phoenix to overtake them, with net run-rate determining the group winner.
A single win would secure a knockout spot for both Brave and Phoenix. Northern Superchargers improved their chances with a win on Sunday, but must win their final game to remain in the hunt. Meanwhile, Trent Rockets, Welsh Fire, London Spirit, and Manchester Originals have been eliminated from the competition.
How is Net Run-Rate Calculated?
Net run-rate, a crucial tiebreaker in The Hundred, is calculated by taking the average runs scored per over by a team and subtracting the average runs conceded per over. A team with a positive net run-rate has outperformed their opponents in scoring, while a negative net run-rate indicates the opposite.
In this tournament, even though The Hundred doesn't refer to five balls as an over, the traditional over structure is still used to compute net run-rate.