London Spirit unveil heritage-inspired blue kit for The Hundred 2026

London Spirit have unveiled a striking new blue kit for the upcoming edition of The Hundred, with the franchise incorporating the iconic ‘eggs and bacon’ colors associated with the historic Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) into the design as a tribute to Lord’s legacy.The famous yellow and red striped pattern has long been associated with members of the MCC, whose traditional ties, blazers and caps remain a familiar sight at Lord’s during Middlesex and England Test matches. The MCC also owns Lord’s and holds a majority stake in the London Spirit, making the tribute a symbolic nod to the venue’s rich cricketing history.The launch of the new kit comes as preparations gather pace for the next season of The Hundred, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s 100-ball competition, which was introduced in a bid to restore the commercial and entertainment success of the IPL in India.London Spirit will enter the new season with some big names in their squad, including Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Adam Zampa, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton and David Willey.The franchise has also strengthened its coaching group by appointing former India batsman Dinesh Karthik as mentor and batting coach. The role marks Karthik’s first support staff position with a franchise team outside the IPL.Unlike the traditional English county structure, The Hundred features eight newly created city franchises designed to appeal to a wider and younger audience. The London Spirit represent the capital and play their home matches at Lord’s, generally regarded as the “home of cricket”.The Hundred: Format explainedThe format itself is vastly different from both ODI and T20 cricket. Each innings lasts a maximum of 100 balls, with bowlers allowed to deliver either five or 10 consecutive deliveries. No bowler can bowl more than 20 balls in an innings, while ends are changed every 10 balls rather than every over.The competition also includes a 25-ball power-play during which only two fielders are allowed outside the circle. No-balls result in two runs plus a free hit and a slow over can lead to restrictions for the bowling side.One of the unique features of the tournament is its simplified presentation, where the competition eschews traditional terms such as “overs” in favor of “sets of five balls”. Matches are designed to finish in around two and a half hours, creating a faster and more spectator-friendly experience.