The Hundred merges men's and women's trophies

The England and Wales Cricket Board will introduce a new combined trophy this summer to reward the shared success of men’s and women’s teams in The Hundred. The trophy will tally points from all group-stage matches, eliminators and the final to crown the overall best-performing franchise across both competitions. The existing men’s and women’s trophies will stay in place, but a single leader board will now decide who lifts the new silverware.

The move builds on The Hundred’s “one club, two teams” model, where men’s and women’s sides share the same kit, stadium and brand identity on double-header days. England all-rounder Will Jacks, who has won three titles with Oval Invincibles, called the combined trophy “brilliant” and said it would have boosted his team’s haul in past seasons. Last year the Northern Superchargers would have claimed the new prize: their men lost in the eliminator while their women won the title. Tammy Beaumont, now at Birmingham Phoenix, sees the change as another step toward equality, noting how the format has helped the women’s game grow since The Hundred launched in 2021.

Fans can suggest a name for the trophy via The Hundred’s website, adding a fresh element to the competition’s fan-driven approach. The tournament is also gearing up for a major overhaul in 2026, when eight franchises will share £500 million of new investment from global owners. Several teams have already unveiled radical kit redesigns to mirror their sister franchises in the Indian Premier League. MI London (formerly Oval Invincibles) now wears the blue and gold of Mumbai Indians, while Sunrisers Leeds has swapped purple for the orange of its Sunrisers family. Southern Brave have ditched black and green for Delhi Capitals’ blue and red, and Manchester Originals will become Manchester Super Giants in Lucknow Super Giants’ red and blue.

These changes reflect the growing ambitions of The Hundred, which started as a bold experiment to stage short, family-friendly cricket on summer evenings. By combining the men’s and women’s tables the competition reinforces the idea that both sides are equally valued, not just partners on the same bill. The trophy decision is a small but symbolic step as the league prepares to scale up with deeper pockets and a more global look.