Love it or loathe it – or have mixed feelings about it which are difficult to sum up in a single word – the Hundred is part of cricket now. For now.

The 2023 tournament comes to a conclusion this weekend with the the men of Manchester Originals, Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles, and the women of Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire and Southern Brave again, in with a shot at the big prizes.

Partly because its launch season coincided with Covid, and partly because of its deliberate disruptiveness, hand-wringing over the Hundred’s future has been going on longer than the actual competition itself.

This year has been no exception. The ECB was said to be looking for outside investment, having scheduled the Ashes of all things around this year’s tournament.

There’s talk of reverting back to T20 rules – The Hundred (And Twenty) – or of a two-tier structure to increase the number of sides. This could either pacify the traditionalists by reverting to the original 18 counties, with promotion and relegation, or it could go all-in on the whole “new audience” thing by establishing teams in previously untapped markets.

A second-tier side local to this area – Merseyside Marauders, maybe – would be a way of offering a national platform to some of the region’s most talented players, while providing a focal point for fans who find it hard to support a team called the Manchester Anythings. 

This is pie in the sky, at the moment. A large number of people would be happy to see the tournament scrapped altogether, regardless of the consequences.

People who patrol county matches for a glimpse of someone wearing Hundred merchandise so they can photograph and shame them on social media, for example, will never change their minds. The Hundred has become a front in the perpetual culture war, as divisive and toxic as any other.

But the boost to the women’s game, in terms of profile and audience, has been an unequivocal positive.

There was nothing to stop the 18 counties from giving their women’s teams the same names as the men’s. There was nothing to stop them inviting the women in on the publicity and media opportunities – something Lancashire have started to do.

There was nothing to stop them hosting T20 double headers at their main grounds – an accidental offshoot of the post-Covid environment of 2021, but far and away the best thing the Hundred has done for its women’s sides.

There was nothing to stop the ECB making the Vitality Blast an all-inclusive competition, with the same prize money for the women’s winners as for the men’s.

There was nothing to stop any of these things – but until the Hundred came along, there was nothing to start them either.

It’s done a lot for women’s cricket, and it’s the highlight of our summer

Ellie Threlkeld

Rainford’s Ellie Threlkeld, who has kept wicket in every game for the Originals in the three years of the tournament and made her debut as skipper in Wednesday’s defeat to the table-topping Brave, is clear where she stands.

“It’s done a lot for women’s cricket, and it’s the highlight of our summer,” she said.

“It’s a competition that everyone enjoys playing in.

“I think if you asked anyone, they’d want it to stay. But I’ve got no idea what the future looks like.”

The Originals’ captain last year, Kate Cross – now with the Superchargers – is on the same wavelength. “What it’s done for women’s cricket has been incredible,” she told Cricinfo. “I don’t understand why anyone would think about getting rid of it.”

The Hundred hasn’t created women cricketers. Danni Wyatt, whose 60 off 32 balls made mincemeat of the Originals’ 118 on Wednesday night, had been playing international cricket for a decade before Southern Brave even existed; Threlkeld’s lightning hands are the reason she’s been an Originals’ ever-present, not a consequence of it.

Similarly, 17-year-old left-arm seamer Mahika Gaur, called up for England this week, was already on the selectors’ radar after impressing for Threlkeld’s NW Thunder side in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy earlier in the summer.

Threlkeld said: “It was a special day when she got the call-up. 

“I think from her point of view, it was really unexpected. But from everyone else’s point of view, it’s really well-deserved.

“She’s had a great summer, not just in the Hundred but in the regional games as well. 

“She’s a really special talent and we all forget how young she is.”

Threlkeld herself was disappointed with her own batting form during the Hundred, something she hopes to address when the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy resumes next month.

Her Originals captaincy debut was a baptism of fire. Sophie Ecclestone’s injury in the warm-up not only thrust her understudy into the spotlight without time to prepare, but also robbed her of the world’s number one bowler. 

Defending a target which was 20 or 30 below par, despite Fi Morris’s 50, was always going to be a tough task. 

But the 24-year-old is taking lots of positives from the campaign, which saw the Originals finish fifth.

She said: “I think we’ve had a decent competition. 

“We spoke a lot about playing some positive cricket – I think we’ve been on the tough side of a couple of close games, but I think we played some really good cricket and probably just lost some key moments in a few games. 

“That’s something we’ll look to improve on next year. 

“We’ve had a strong squad, a great set of girls and I think we’ve done OK. 

“Personally, I would have liked to have contributed a little bit more with the bat, but I feel like I kept pretty well.

“And from a leadership point of view, I’ve stepped up a little bit this year as well, which was nice.

“When Sophie got her injury in the warm-up, I think the girls reacted pretty well – she’s a huge part of our squad and we did the best we could without her.”