The Hundred: Final and Eliminator places up for grabs as 2023 tournament wraps
The 2023 edition of The Hundred concludes this week with the final round of group fixtures before the eliminator on Saturday and Sunday's final; which teams can still qualify and who needs what in the men's and women's competitions?
Thursday 24 August 2023 14:43, UK
It's crunch time in the 2023 edition of The Hundred, with play-off places to be won and lost in the men's and women's competition as the group stage concludes this week ahead of Sunday's final...
Who has qualified for the final already?
Oval Invincibles' handy five-wicket win over Trent Rockets in their final group game on Monday night - Sam Billings smashing a superb, unbeaten 76 from 40 balls - not only assured them of a place in Sunday's men's final but also dumped the holders out of the tournament.
Invincibles now cannot be caught at the top of the table, boasting six wins and 13 points from their eight games, with Manchester Originals' and Welsh Fire's haul of nine next best in second.
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Four teams in Birmingham Phoenix, Northern Superchargers, London Spirit and the Rockets are now out of contention for the knockout places in the men's competition, with Southern Brave battling it out with the Originals and Fire for the two eliminator slots.
In the women's tournament, we already know our top three - Southern Brave, Northern Superchargers and Welsh Fire - with the latter set for the eliminator as they will finish in third place, although top spot is yet to be determined.
Whatever happens, we will have a new name on the trophy, with two-time reigning champions Invincibles already out despite ending their tournament with a dramatic three-run win over Rockets on Monday.
Will Brave be toppled in women's tournament?
Brave have been bested by Invincibles in both those previous women's finals and are once again proving models of consistency by sitting top of the table with one game to go after six wins in seven.
They can, however, yet be pipped to the post by the Superchargers, who beat the Fire by 16 runs in a scintillating clash on Tuesday, and are level on 12 points with the Brave but with an inferior run rate after completing their group schedule.
If Brave lose at Manchester Originals on Wednesday - live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 2.30pm (first ball, 3pm) - then there is still a chance for Superchargers to top the group.
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Roughly, a Brave defeat by nine runs or more while batting second, or with five or more balls remaining bowling second would see Superchargers top the group. Anything more slender and Brave finish first.
Fire, who finished bottom of the table in both previous editions of The Hundred, have enjoyed quite the turnaround in 2023, riding on the coat-tails of captain, England's Tammy Beaumont, who struck the first hundred in the women's competition in their win over Rockets.
Whoever finishes second will face off with the Fire in Saturday's eliminator to determine who joins the table-toppers in Sunday's final.
Eliminator spots up for grabs in men's comp
It is all a smidge more complicated in the men's competition when determining which teams will make up that eliminator match-up.
Originals are in the driving seat, in second place on nine points, and with a vastly superior net run-rate over the Fire and fifth-placed Brave, who have seven points with one game remaining.
A win for the Originals on Wednesday against Brave - live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 6pm (first ball, 6.30pm) - would guarantee an eliminator spot.
Brave would secure an eliminator spot should they win and it is likely that doing so would knock Fire, who claimed a big victory over the Superchargers on Tuesday, out of contention.
Roughly, a victory by 41 runs batting first, or with 26 balls remaining batting second, would be enough for Brave to finish higher than Originals, who would still qualify.
If that victory were roughly 84 runs batting first, or with 51 balls remaining batting second, Brave and Fire would go through to the eliminator.
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As for Thursday's final game of the group stage, we will see already-eliminated duo London Spirit and Birmingham Phoenix clashing - live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 6pm (first ball, 6.30pm) - with the Phoenix seeking a win which would lift them off the bottom of the table and hand the Superchargers the wooden spoon.
The Phoenix are guaranteed to finish bottom of the table in the women's competition with only one point from a no result in seven matches this season ahead of their final game against seventh-placed Spirit on Thursday (3pm start).
What's next?
There's another Hundred double-header live on Sky Sports on Wednesday as Manchester Originals host Southern Brave, with the women's teams first clashing at 3pm before the men meet at 6.30pm.
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