Manchester Originals: History and Profile of the Hundred Franchise

Origins

Manchester Originals were announced in 2019 as one of the eight city-based teams in The Hundred and began playing in 2021. They represent Manchester and play at Old Trafford, the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club and one of England’s Test venues.

The Hundred is an English franchise competition run by the England and Wales Cricket Board, first played in 2021. Each innings lasts 100 balls, and men’s and women’s sides from the same eight franchises play at shared venues.

Home ground: Old Trafford

Old Trafford has staged Test cricket since 1884 and is one of the best-known grounds in the country. It is famous for hosting major matches and for its long history, and its large capacity makes it one of the bigger venues used by the competition.

As with any ground, match conditions have varied between fixtures depending on the surface and the weather.

Identity and branding

The Originals have their own name and branding, separate from Lancashire, in keeping with the competition’s aim of presenting the teams as new, city-based identities.

Record in the competition

The men’s team reached the final in 2022 and 2023 but finished runners-up to Oval Invincibles on both occasions. As of the end of 2024, the franchise had not won the men’s title. Results for the women’s side have varied across seasons.

Squad building

As with every franchise, squads are formed through a draft with salary bands, plus wildcard and replacement signings. Because rosters change each summer, this page does not list current players, captains or coaches.

Why it matters

The Originals bring together a major metropolitan area, a historic international ground and the new format. Their back-to-back final appearances showed they could compete at the top of the table, even though a first title had still to come at the end of 2024.