The Hundred 2021 live stream: how to watch online, free channels, format explained

Cricket ushers in a brave new era with the inaugural edition of The Hundred, a rapid-fire 100-ball cricket tournament dreamed up by the ECB to inject fresh life into the sport. It's a potential landmark moment in the long history of the bat-and-ball game, so read on to discover how to watch a 2021 The Hundred live stream no matter where in the world you are - including ways to see it absolutely FREE.

Traditionalists are dead set against it, arguing that T20 cricket is short-form enough, though it's hard to imagine The Hundred being anything other than utterly gripping, with games expected to run to around two and a half hours, teams being restricted to a single innings each.

The Hundred's eight newly formed city-based teams will face off in a round-robin format, each team playing everyone else once - though local rivals will face off twice.

After 32 games, the team at the top of the standings will qualify for the final, while second and third will battle it out in an eliminator, with the winner going on to face them in the grand finale.

It's going to be intriguing to see England stars Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan and Moeen Ali tangle with each other, and here's how you can live stream The Hundred 2021 cricket action from wherever you are in the world.

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How to watch a free The Hundred live stream in the UK

The great news for cricket fans based in the UK is that you can watch plenty of The Hundred FREE, courtesy of the BBC!

You can catch the action on BBC Two and the BBC iPlayer streaming service. As a national broadcaster, it doesn't cost a penny to stream if you're located in the UK.

The Beeb is showing 18 games live, including the opener and both the men's and women's finals - the BBC's schedule is listed below. 

However, hardcore fans may want to look at Sky Sports instead, as it's showing every single game of The Hundred live. 

If you're looking to watch the cricket tournament but don't fancy being locked in to a long, expensive contract, consider the more flexible streaming option, Now TV.

And if you're outside the UK right now but still want to watch your domestic cricket coverage, don't worry about geo-blockers - just use a VPN to safely live stream the action. We explain how below.

2021 The Hundred fixtures on the BBC

All times BST. One additional game TBC.

Wednesday, July 21 2021

• 6.30pm - Oval Invincibles vs Manchester Originals (Women), BBC Two

Thursday, July 22 2021

• 6pm - Oval Invincibles vs Manchester Originals (Men), BBC Two

Saturday, July 24 2021

• 2pm - Trent Rockets vs Southern Brave (Men), BBC Two

Sundayday, July 25 2021

• 2pm - London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles (Men), BBC Two

Saturday, July 31 2021

• 2pm - Welsh Fire vs Manchester Originals (Men), BBC Two

Sunday, August 1 2021

• 2pm - Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets (Men), BBC Two

Tuesday, August 10 2021

• 3pm - Manchester Originals vs London Spirit (Women), BBC iPlayer
• 6pm - Manchester Originals vs London Spirit (Men), BBC Two

Wednesday, August 11 2021

• 3pm - Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire (Women), BBC iPlayer
• 6pm - Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire (Men), BBC Two

Saturday, August 14 2021

• 6.30pm - London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles (Men), BBC Two

Sunday, August 15 2021

• 3.30pm - Trent Rockets vs Manchester Originals (Women), BBC iPlayer

Tuesday, August 17 2021

• 3pm - Northern Superchargers vs Birmingham Phoenix (Women), BBC iPlayer
• 6pm - Northern Superchargers vs Birmingham Phoenix (Men), BBC Two

Friday, August 20 2021

• 3pm - Eliminator (Women), BBC Two

Saturday, August 21 2021

• 2pm - Women's Final, BBC Two
• 6pm - Men's Final, BBC Two

How to watch a cricket live stream from outside your country

If you're abroad during The Hundred, you'll likely find you're unable to access your domestic cricket coverage like you would at home. This isn't necessarily cause for alarm, but rather the result of geo-blocking - best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to certain parts of the world.

Fortunately, there's a convenient way around this in the form of a VPN. This is a nifty bit of software that lets you swerve around these digital borders, thereby allowing you to globe trot and still access your preferred The Hundred live stream. It's a very affordable workaround and super easy to use - allow us to explain more.

Use a VPN to watch a 2021 The Hundred live stream from anywhere

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Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...

1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location

3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream - so if you're from the UK, just head to BBC iPlayer or Sky Go

How to live stream The Hundred cricket FREE in Australia

You've got many a late night ahead if you plan to catch The Hundred Down Under, with most of the action set to get underway after midnight.

The better news is that you can tune in for FREE....

The exclusive Australian TV broadcaster for the tournament is Fox Sports, but if you don't have it as part of a Foxtel pay TV package, your best option is to sign up for the fast-emerging Kayo streaming service.

Kayo Sports features no lock-in contracts and gives you access to over 50 other sports including F1, NRL, NBA basketball... the list goes on! And subscribing to a full Kayo Sports Package starts from $25 per month.

But Kayo is making every single minute of every single game of The Hundred available to live stream absolutely free with its Kayo Freebies offering. You just need to register with some simple details (email, phone number, etc) and start watching!

And if you're away from Oz right now, simply use a VPN to tune in as normal. 

How to watch The Hundred FREE: live stream cricket in New Zealand

Live The Hundred coverage in New Zealand comes courtesy of premium streaming service Spark Sport. 

Play typically starts at 10pm NZST each evening, extending through the night and early hours, into the following morning.

The better news is that Spark Sport offers a 1-month free trial so you can try before you buy, which means you can catch loads of The Hundred cricket action without paying a penny.

Once that's expired, a subscription costs $24.99 per month, and includes plenty of Black Caps action, as well as NBA basketball, F1 racing, and MotoGP.

Spark Sport is available via web browsers on your PC or Mac, plus Apple and Android mobile devices, Chromecast, Apple TV, selected Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and LG TVs, and select Freeview streamers.

Anyone in New Zealand from abroad or vice-versa can use the VPN route outlined earlier to access their preferred coverage just like they would at home.

The Hundred live stream: where to watch cricket in the US (and Canada) 

Dedicated cricket streaming service Willow TV is where you can watch The Hundred cricket live in the US. Play tends to start early in the morning, continuing into the afternoon. 

Willow TV (also available in Canada), is available from a number of cable providers including Dish, Spectrum, Xfinity, Verizon Fios and more. 

Perhaps a better option for those looking for an alternative to cable would be to opt for a cord-cutting streaming service like Sling TV. If you already have Sling, then you can add Willow TV for an extra $5 for one month. And if you don't, then you can currently bag a big six of a bargain by getting Sling TV - featuring 30+ channels - for only $10 for your first month.

How to watch The Hundred cricket in India

In India, new premium sports streaming platform Fancode has snapped up exclusive broadcast rights to The Hundred.

Fancode can be accessed exclusively through the service's dedicated iOS and Android apps, and full subscription details can be found here.

The cost is Rs 499/year or Rs 99/month. Alterbatively, sign up just to watch The Hundred for Rs 59.

Anyone wanting to watch their subscription coverage overseas can easily do so, too - you just need to go down the VPN route as above.

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Who are The Hundred teams?

Thee Hundred comprises eight teams of 15 players, with overseas participation capped at three players per team. 

Each team has both a women's and a men's side, who play double-headers at the same venue on each match-day. 

The Hundred teams are as follows: 

• Birmingham Phoenix
• London Spirit
• Manchester Originals
• Northern Superchargers
• Oval Invincibles
• Southern Brave
• Trent Rockets
• Welsh Fire

Where are The Hundred 2021 venues?

Each of the eight teams has their own ground, and will play four home matches and four away matches. The Hundred venues are as follows: 

• Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham (Birmingham Phoenix)
• Lord's Cricket Ground, London (London Spirit)
• Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester (Manchester Originals)
• Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds (Northern Superchargers)
• The Oval, London (Oval Invincibles)
• Rose Bowl, West End, Hampshire (Southern Brave)
• Trent Bridge, Nottingham (Trent Rockets)
• Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (Welsh Fire)

Both the men's and the women's Eliminator games eill be played at The Oval, and both Finals will be played at Lord's.

How does The Hundred cricket work? 

The Hundred takes its name from the 100-ball format it uses, where each team gets a single innings, restricted to a maximum of 100 balls, to score as many runs as they can.

Each bowler gets to deliver a maximum of 20 balls per game, and the bowling team is entitled to a strategic timeout of up to two and a half minutes.

Who are the favorites for The Hundred 2021?

It feels a little stange having a favourite for an entirely new format, but Southern Brave are being hotly tipped, despite lingering injury concerns around main man Jofra Archer.

That's largely becuase they're being coached by Mahela Jayawardene, who led the Mumbai Indians to three IPL titles in four years. 

The Hundred 2021: players to watch out for

The Hundred will witness some T20 starts from all over the globe. Among a few notable T20 stars, here are some to watch out for: Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Rashid Khan, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Sunil Narine, Adam Milne, Sarah Taylor, Amy Jones, Kate Cross, Imran Tahir, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow.

How can I buy The Hundred tickets? 

To buy tickets for a match, you need to create an account on The Hundred website, which requires basic personal details like your name, date of birth, email address and post code.

Once that's done, it's as simple as finding the game you'd like to attend and hoping that tickets are still available. 

Attendees are also required to complete a Covid declaration at least 24 hours before the match.