The Hundred has made a spectacular return to Emirates Old Trafford this summer, with fast-paced sporting action, live music, and amazing local street food.
Our very own Manchester Originals will be back on home turf on Wednesday 31 August, playing London’s Oval Invincibles.
Manchester Originals’ teams are packed with cricketing talent, with the women’s team led by Manchester-born pace bowler Kate Cross, and explosive batter Laurie Evans heading up the men’s team.
Ahead of the final fixture at Emirates Old Trafford, we had a chat with two of the incredible players to see exactly what makes The Hundred so special.
Laurie Evans is a batter known for piling on quick runs wherever he’s played, while all-rounder Ellie Threlkeld is a phenomenal keeper and former Wigan Athletic footballer.
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If you like the sound of The Hundred – and how could you not? – you can grab tickets to see Manchester Originals playing at the tournament here: thehundred.com/fixtures.
What sets The Hundred apart from other cricketing events?
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Manchester Originals will be at The Hundred at Emirates Old Trafford next week. Credit: Supplied (Nathan Stirk ECB via Getty Images)
Laurie: The Hundred amplifies everything that is great about cricket, it really does go that one step beyond. We’ve got the best top 100 English players coming together, with some of the best international cricketers, in the height of the British summer – it’s a blend of real sporting genius and loads of fun! The Hundred is also super accessible to a wide range of people, it’s always great to see families and people of all ages come out to watch some amazing cricket. There’s something in there for everyone.
Ellie: Something so unique and important about The Hundred is the fact that the men and women’s games are equal. There’s the same buzz regardless of which team is playing and it really engages a broader audience for that reason. It’s inspiring to be part of a world class tournament that champions both genders and I’d hope that anyone watching The Hundred can be inspired to give cricket a go! It really is an amazing sport and The Hundred brings all of that together, with such a community spirit behind it.
What were your highlights from last year?
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Ellie Threlkeld of Manchester Originals. Credit: Matt Lewis – ECB/ECB via Getty Images
L: Aside from the actual games, a major highlight for me last year was one evening on the train home another passenger recognised me in my kit and we got talking. He worked at a summer football camp and said usually all the kids talk about is premiership football but for once they couldn’t stop talking about cricket and The Hundred! That, for me, sums up exactly what The Hundred is all about – building that buzz, creating quality entertainment, and inspiring the next generation of cricketers along the way.
E: The first match of the inaugural tournament was at the Kia Oval and the atmosphere was electric – the excitement for this new cricket event, playing in one of the best grounds in the world alongside international stars was an unparalleled feeling. Just look at the crowd we brought in at the first game, for a stand-alone woman’s game it was just brilliant and has set the tone for what we’ve already seen this year with even bigger audiences.
E: Seeing new people engage with cricket! The Hundred offers something to its audience that is unique, it’s about fun, celebration, community, and togetherness all in one. Seeing the young kids getting excited is also so cool, me and a few of the team have been stopped around Manchester by some young fans recognising us.I truly think the tournament has the potential to go a long way in attracting new people to the sport, regardless of sex, age and background, which excites me. Oh – and me and the girls are very pleased to have DJ Roesh with us again at Emirates Old Trafford, he’s provided a great soundtrack to the tournaments, with a few requests from us along the way…
L: Some of the world’s best cricketers, hottest music acts and finest food vendors are coming together – it really is a must-see event that I’m honoured to be at the centre of. Seeing the fans enjoy themselves, hearing the cheers and just generally feeling the buzz around the city is fantastic.
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What are your favourite things about being part of Manchester Originals?
Laurie Evans of Manchester Originals. Credit: Photo by Alex Pantling – ECB/ECB via Getty Images
L: Manchester is, I think, easily one of the best cities in the UK with its rich history across music and sport. We’ve got a great mix of international quality and local talent in both our squads and have the opportunity to make history for the Manchester team. The atmosphere in Emirates Old Trafford is also unparalleled.
E: To me, being part of Manchester Originals is so amazing because I’m a local. I started playing for Lancashire when I was nine and it’s been such a huge part of my life, so being a key part of the Manchester team in The Hundred is really special. Playing with some of the best international talent, representing the area I grew up in is for sure my favourite thing about being part of the Manchester Originals team. And the women’s team is amazing! I’ve made great friends and I’m constantly learning from some of the best.
What does a typical day look like for you during a season?
E: During a season we usually train about three or four times a week, that includes everything from batting, fielding and wicket keeping. There are a few gym sessions and running sessions in there too! Diet wise, it’s all about fuelling and recovering – but not being too harsh on yourself of course, enjoyment is a key part of the process.
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L: At the minute it’s waking up and getting a message from half the team asking if my coffee machine is usually working – that’s usually about 7.30am and then it’s straight to training for between four and six hours. When it’s not a match day, we spend most of the day training, but I like to sneak a bit of golf in when I get the chance – that’s been one of the highlights of being based in Manchester to be honest, there’s some great golf courses around the city.
What do you love most about Manchester?
L: The Mancunian spirit is great, I’ve come across so many friendly people and there’s a general buzz around the place that you don’t get in other cities. Just look at the music line-up for some of The Hundred games – there’s loads of Manchester talent on there which really represents the unique culture of the city. I’m looking forward to getting tucked into a bit more music and I’ve seen some great looking coffee shops that I also can’t wait to try. The chance to explore the city a bit more is exciting, especially being new to the Manchester Originals team.
E: Manchester is home. I’ve grown up in and around Manchester, it’s where my friends are, where my family is and where my love for cricket began. Emirates Old Trafford specifically feels like home to me, it’s friendly, sociable, and inclusive and I can’t think of a better place to have grown up and developed my cricketing skills.
Featured image: Alex Pantling – ECB/ECB via Getty Images
Sport
Manchester United to debut first ‘tifo’ banner before Lyon game
Danny Jones
Manchester United is set to debut its first-ever ‘tifo’ banner ahead of their big game against Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday night.
The Red Devils are staring down their biggest moment of the season – arguably one of their biggest in some time – as they must beat Lyon in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final to advance in the competition, which is their only chance of silverware this year.
It’s been a tough start for new manager Ruben Amorim since he arrived at Old Trafford, with Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS ownership group having been amidst turbulent times pretty much ever since they took up a minority stake in the club.
All that being said, and with Man United’s financial obstacles now well-publicised by the co-owner himself, winning the tournament and therefore securing a shot at Champions League football next season is crucial to how their ambitious rebuild and, notably, stadium redevelopment plans pan out.
A pleasure to have worked with @ManUtd on this. The whole display should be fantastic. Let's ensure all fans are in the stadium early to create an atmosphere.https://t.co/yBzo3kXWrx
With that in mind, the club are looking to be bolder than ever when it comes to creating an atmosphere for the crucial knockout fixture, announcing that a tifo banner will be unveiled inside the stadium for the first time in the club’s history.
For any of those still unclear on what a tifo is, they are large, colourful, choreographed displays typically organised by the supporters themselves, which spotlight things like club badges, legendary players, insignias, messages and more.
Popular in various other parts of the continent and beyond, especially in the likes of Italy (where the trend first started) and Germany, as well as southern and eastern Europe, this particular part of global football fan culture hasn’t really made it over to the Premier League just yet.
Not too far away from the kinds of big banners that are commonplace throughout most football, only even more massive and usually much intricate in shape, design and detail, the club has confirmed their inaugural attempt at a United tifo will be shown in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
As for what it’s going to look like, the specifics are being kept under wraps for now, but the club are said to have worked with fan representatives closely on the project before being shared with captain Bruno Fernandes to get his seal of approval.
The flag shown during this year’s Munich Disaster memorial observation. (Credit: The Manc Group)
For now, the only details revealed are that “the ‘tifo’ will be raised from the ground to the roof, in front of the halfway line, creating a spectacular moment ahead of kick-off in M16.”
There have been plenty of big banner moments – both in protest and to mark important memorials – already this season, but this promises to be a whole different kettle of fish for the club.
During their most recent Europa League fixture, those up in the stands even got to witness Old Trafford putting on pyrotechnics for the first time, though it’s safe to say they didn’t quite nail the concept.
In fact, it looks like the club itself would be the first to admit it, as they also confirmed that the pre-match pageantry will include “red-and-white pyrotechnics will also appear adjacent to the banner, in a larger display than the one seen before the win over Real Sociedad in the previous round.”
Tifos are all well and good, but they need backing up with results, and it goes without saying that this match could define not just Man United‘s season but work wonders for Amorim’s future moving forward. This is the sort of standard they’re up against…
Ultras do not mess about when it comes to this kind of stuff.
Bury FC legend Nicky Adams confirms retirement after more than two decades
Danny Jones
Bury FC is saying goodbye to a veteran of Greater Manchester football as local legend Nicky Adams has announced he will be retiring at the end of the season.
The Bolton-born midfielder has enjoyed a 22-year career, playing for 10 different clubs in that time, most notably Bury, where he began as an academy product and earned his first senior minutes back in 2005.
Having been with the club across four different stints and by far the largest chunk of his playing days, making more than 200 appearances for the North West Counties side, he’s practically part of the furniture at this point.
But the time has finally come, as Adams revealed he will be retiring from professional football at the age of 38 – his longevity being an incredible achievement in itself.
⚪🔵 Nicky Adams has announced his retirement from football.
Adams has had a 22-year football career and will hang up his boots at the end of the season to take up a full-time coaching role.
Confirmed via a club statement on Tuesday, 15 April, the Shakers informed fans that Adams, who returned to his home club back in December, will be able to toast hanging up his boots with a promotion party if they avoid defeat against Burscough.
Adams has represented several other Greater Manchester teams in the past too, playing 85 games for Rochdale and 59 for Oldham Athletic, as well as 88 for Radcliffe FC.
Having scored 14 goals during his time with Bury, as well as serving as club captain, he told the club: “I think it’s perfect timing for me, I’m learning the coaching side of it. I’ve been doing that for the last few years, and I’ve got a big opportunity to go and do that full-time now.
“I came here at 16 years old; I’ve come back a few times now, I’ve played over 200 games for the football club, I don’t need to tell anyone what it means to me.
“I’ve had some unbelievable times here, and I’ll be forever grateful to this football club, which gave me the opportunity to go and be a professional footballer and go on the journey that I’ve been on. I’m forever grateful for that.”
Speaking on his return late last year, it’s plain to see how big an impression Gigg Lane has left on him.
He may be calling time on his playing days, but he’s not going anywhere.
Manager Dave McNabb went on to say: “I’m not really sure how to put into words the impact that Nicky has had on me and this group since he walked back through the door in December.
“His legendary status at this football club is well-known and documented. I had heard a lot of good things about his character and his personality through mutual friends and people within the game, so I knew he was going to be a good lad and have a positive impact in the dressing room.
Even with this knowledge, never did I expect to meet such an honest and caring man with enormous levels of integrity and with such high standards and principles. He’s a leader amongst men. When he talks, people listen. He gets the best out of others.
He is trusted and respected by everyone. He drives positive relationships within the group. He is the glue that holds things together. I’m proud to have brought him back to HIS football club, I’m proud to have played a very small part in his illustrious career but most of all, I’m proud to be able to call him a friend.
Signing off with a sentiment, McNabb added: “Good luck Nicky, you’re a legend.”
Daisy Jackson -
26th August 2022 
