Low turnout at Men's Hundred? Ben Duckett opines
What's the story
Ben Duckett, the leading run-scorer of this season's Men's Hundred, has expressed his surprise over the low turnout at matches. His comments come after he led Trent Rockets to a comfortable victory in Cardiff with an unbeaten half-century. "You look at every side, and it's just world-class opponents," Duckett told Cricinfo. "I'm so surprised that the crowds have been what they have."
Sales projection
Ticket sales expected to be lower than last year
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expects ticket sales to be slightly lower than in 2025 by the end of this season.
This comes amid major operational change after handing control of the eight franchises to counties and new owners.
The changes have been described as "unprecedented" in any major sports league by Vikram Banerjee, managing director of The Hundred.
Quality concern
Duckett questions low attendance at matches
Duckett, who has been in top form this season with scores of 49, 75, and 52*, questioned the low attendance at matches.
He said he couldn't understand why fewer people were turning up despite what he believes is a higher quality of cricket this year.
"Just looking around the grounds, there must be a reason for it," he said.
Attendance trends
Better crowds historically linked to Ashes
Historically, The Hundred has seen better crowds in years when it follows a men's Test series against Australia or India.
This year, the attendance at Sophia Gardens for Rockets' nine-wicket win over Welsh Fire was 7,399, according to Cricinfo.
Duckett described the crowd at Trent Bridge for their narrow win over London Spirit as "pretty awesome."
However, he still couldn't reconcile the dip in attendances with what he believes is an improved standard of cricket this year.
Prospects
Duckett optimistic about Rockets' chances
Despite his recent illness, Duckett has been in great form this season, scoring more runs for the Rockets this year than in eight matches for Birmingham Phoenix last year.
The Rockets, who have bounced back from a defeat to Phoenix with two consecutive wins, will now face the Super Giants.
"If we can beat Manchester away on Friday, I think we'll be in a great spot," Duckett said.