Ben Duckett has expressed surprise at the underwhelming crowds at the start of this year’s Hundred season, saying the number of empty seats does not reflect the quality of cricket on display. The Trent Rockets batter made the comments after scoring an unbeaten half-century in his side’s nine-wicket victory over Welsh Fire in Cardiff.
Ben Duckett Surprised by Hundred Attendances
Duckett, who is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament, said he had expected stronger support given the quality of players competing in the Hundred. Overall attendance across the country is a few thousand below the equivalent stage of last year’s competition, with the tournament now slightly more than one-third complete.
The England batter pointed to the calibre of players involved and said he would be keen to watch them himself. He also acknowledged that several factors could be behind the lower attendances rather than placing the blame on supporters.
“I’m so surprised that the crowds have been what they have, because I’d be desperate to watch some of these guys play cricket. They’ve not been great.”
Hundred Attendance Down Amid Major Changes
The ECB expects overall ticket sales to finish slightly below the 2025 figure. The tournament has undergone significant operational changes this season after control of the eight franchises was transferred to counties and new owners.
Changes to team names and branding have also affected the competition’s identity. There have been noticeable attendance drops at Headingley and the Utilita Bowl, where new IPL owners have changed the colours associated with the home teams.
Vikram Banerjee, the Hundred’s managing director, has described the scale of the operational changes as unprecedented among major sports leagues.
Quality of Cricket Has Improved, Says Duckett
Duckett believes the standard of cricket has been particularly strong this season. The introduction of a fourth overseas player in each XI has added further depth to the squads and increased the number of high-profile players competing in the tournament.
He highlighted the bowling strength he faced during his innings, mentioning Marco Jansen, Chris Woakes and Lockie Ferguson, while noting that Sam Cook did not even bowl during the powerplay.
“The standard of cricket this year has been awesome. I’ve been watching every game [on TV].”
Duckett also said that the midweek afternoon fixture in Cardiff was unlikely to attract a full house, given that the match began at 3pm.
7,399 Attend for Rockets’ Cardiff Win
The attendance at Sophia Gardens for Trent Rockets’ nine-wicket victory over Welsh Fire was 7,399. Glamorgan officials had expected a smaller crowd for the 3pm midweek start after 11,796 spectators attended Welsh Fire’s opening match against MI London on Saturday night.
For comparison, the Rockets attracted 11,699 spectators for their opening match at Trent Bridge, where they narrowly defeated London Spirit. Duckett described that crowd as a strong turnout.
Hundred Crowds Historically Benefit From Test Cricket
The Hundred has previously enjoyed stronger attendances when it has followed a men’s Test series against Australia or India. Those series tend to raise cricket’s profile among casual followers and can contribute to greater interest in the domestic competition.
Total Hundred attendances were around 580,000 in both 2023 and 2025. The corresponding figures were approximately 500,000 in 2022 and 540,000 in 2024.
Duckett Leads Rockets After Strong Start
Duckett has made an impressive start to the 2026 Hundred campaign, scoring 49, 75 and 52 not out in his first three innings. He has already surpassed the number of runs he scored in eight appearances for Birmingham Phoenix last season.
His unbeaten half-century against Welsh Fire came from 43 balls. Duckett admitted that he struggled to find his usual rhythm on the used pitch but was pleased that the Rockets completed a convincing victory.
He also revealed that he had been unwell for the previous couple of days, making the contribution particularly satisfying despite not feeling that he had produced his most fluent innings.
Trent Rockets Target Another Win in Manchester
The Rockets have responded to their defeat against Birmingham Phoenix with back-to-back victories. Their next match will take them to Manchester to face the Super Giants, who suffered their first defeat of the season against Sunrisers Leeds on Tuesday.
Duckett believes another away win could put Trent Rockets in a strong position in the competition. The Rockets will head into the match with momentum after their recent victories, while the Super Giants will be looking to recover from their first loss.
For Duckett, however, the wider issue remains the Hundred’s attendance levels. With the tournament featuring an increasingly strong field of players, he believes the quality on the field deserves to be matched by stronger crowds in the stands.
