Despite the official tournament not getting underway until next summer, excitement is already building around cricket's newest invention.

The Hundred will be coming in the summer of 2020, and preparations are already well underway for the spectacle.

A lot of cricket fans kicked up a fuss when the new competition was announced, with plenty voicing their concern over the idea, but there are also a lot of fans that are left unsure on what is actually happening and how it will work.

Well fear not. GiveMeSport have you sorted and here we will do our best to explain everything to you and what's happening ahead of next year's tournament.

What's Happened So Far?

On Thursday, 40 men and women were drafted to eight respective teams, with a bigger draft set to take place later this month.

Some of England's elites have been drafted, and later this month, the world's elite will be selected for the eight teams competing.

What Is The Hundred?

It's a very simple concept and one that will hopefully get more people interested in the sport.

Eight teams. Seven cities represented. 100 balls.

All eight teams will have a men's side and a women's side, and they will all compete to be crowned champions.

After 100 balls, the team with the most runs wins. Simple.

The balls can be bowled in blocks of five or 10, with the team having the option of switching ends halfway through a 10-ball spell. The maximum number of balls a bowler can deliver is 20.

When Is It?

Due to The Hundred being an idea to attract more children to the sport, the competition will begin in the summer holidays next year.

The concept is a quicker game full of excitement so that children can remain interested, rather than having to watch a five-day Test match for example.

The tournament will start July 17 and will end August 16.

Teams will play each other once, apart from their paired 'rivals', whom they meet twice (home and away).

There will be 32 league matches in total, with the top three finishers competing in Finals Day (top team automatically reaches the final, with second versus third for the other spot in the final).

The paired rivals that will end up playing each other twice are: Leeds and Manchester, the two London teams, Birmingham and Nottingham and Southampton and Cardiff.

Teams So Far

The Draft

On October 20, the rest of the teams will be filled out.

Every team will need 12 more players to reach the 15 required, and some of the world's elites are available for selection.

There are seven set salary bands, with up to two players to be picked at each of the following: £125,000, £100,000, £75,000, £60,000, £50,000, £40,000 and £30,000.

Players will be able to select a minimum salary band at which they are willing to play at, but if that reserve price isn't met, they won't be selected during the main draft.

Teams will be able to select a maximum of three overseas players, but there is no limit to the number of players from any county or country.

After the main draw has taken place, each team has the opportunity for a final 'wildcard' pick.