The Hundred hopes for a crowning finish as Ben Stokes' injury dominates the headlines | The Hundred

Has anything changed? When Ben Stokes was led off the field at Old Trafford last Sunday wearing his Northern Superchargers kit after tearing a muscle in his left thigh following a run for the first goal, it was inevitable what was to follow.

“Ben Stokes' injury in meaningless Hundred is one of the stupidest moments in English cricket,” was the headline of a newspaper column blaming the tournament for Stokes' looming absence from the Test series against Sri Lanka. Of course, there is also the argument: cricketers get injured playing cricket. Things like that happen. But the reaction highlighted the never-ending division in the Hundred, now ending its fourth season.

Unfortunately for the organisers, Stokes' injury was the headline story of this year's edition, which competed with the Olympics for the attention of the casual sports fan (no prizes for guessing the winner). It also showed that conversations around the Hundred seem unable to take the game itself into account, with a man on crutches distracting attention from the action in the middle. Runs and wickets have not dominated this debate so far. Instead, we still have to debate the boring but crucial administrative sideshow: private investment.

The England and Wales Cricket Association's plans to sell 49% of its stake in the teams were the main talking point before the season, with potential investors invited to take a look at the potential buyers. If you haven't noticed, a simple mantra has emerged: the women's tournament works, the men's less so.

According to the ECB, five of the eight grounds used in the women's competitions have seen record attendances for centuries this year, and with Saturday's play-off at the Oval and Sunday's final at Lord's, the number could rise to seven. England are at the forefront – Nat Sciver-Brunt tops the list of run-scorers – and the imports are of high quality. Australia's Ash Gardner, who is second in the international T20 all-rounder rankings, took part in the tournament for the first time this season.

Several of Gardner's fellow countrymen – including Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head and Pat Cummins – have just finished their stints in Major League Cricket. The US tournament clashed with the start of the Hundred and increasingly takes up real estate space in the summer, presenting a different and lucrative proposition to the best players in men's tennis.

There were people who played in the MLC before flying to the UK, but that inadvertently made the Hundred seem stranger. Australian Chris Green was only signed for one game by Trent Rockets at the start of the tournament as Rashid Khan ended up in the US. Green was the star in the win over the Northern Superchargers, taking three wickets and hitting an unbeaten 25 off seven balls, probably making him a kid's hero that day. And then the parents had to explain venture capital.

Green returned to Lancashire to play in the One-Day Cup but was withdrawn by the Rockets after Rashid was injured, a move that seems unfair to the county and reminiscent of the disarray that reigns in the men's domestic fixture list.

There has been a twist in the general story of the women's competition. For three seasons, Southern Brave, coached by England great Charlotte Edwards, excelled, finishing runners-up twice before becoming champions in 2023. This year, with a similar group of players, it has gone the other way, a last-place finish with just one win. Welsh Fire, powered by the all-round excellent Jess Jonassen and Hayley Matthews, have reached their first final, where they will face Oval Invincibles or London Spirit.

In the men's tournament, a low-scoring weekend is likely, with only two teams reaching 170 and struggling to create excitement. “The ball has definitely done a lot more in some games,” said Jacob Bethell of the Birmingham Phoenix. “It's been tweaking everywhere, but I don't think it's the balls. If it's twitching on the 70th ball, it's the pitches.”

Bethell, a 20-year-old left-hander with the energy of the Next Big Thing, explains the challenge that awaits his side when they face Southern Brave for a place in the final on Saturday. “Your close attack is Tymal Mills, Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan. Then you have Akeal Hosein who you have to get rid of at the other end. You really don't get a break.”

The Invincibles have made it to the finals and are looking to win their second consecutive title. With players who have been there since day one – the Curran brothers, Will Jacks, Sam Billings – there is a certain identity here that is not always obvious in a franchise world full of mega-auctions and one-game deals. They are a great team who will face another excellent team. A game will break out. And then maybe, for once, we can talk about cricket.