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The Hundred Tournament - Men’s and Women’s: Discussion, News, Squads, Previews

Shadab picked up by Southern Brave.

Well there's more money thrown down the toilet.
 
Oppose The 100 is trending in the UK on Twitter.

ECB jokers take the message.
 
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ElRaja said:
so is the hundred draft, when was the last time domestic t20 preseason trended in the uk?
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Most fans are against this new format. The T20 Blast in its first week this year sold more advanced tickets than any previous edition since 2003, and some counties even saw record attendances.

That's all despite ECB sabotaging its own tournament, so imagine what they could do if they spent a fraction of the resources they've been putting behind this farcical Hundred.

Again, why the need to reinvent the wheel ? Put the T20 Blast on free to air TV. Why can't ECB make the case for its own product ?
 
There are actually a lot of good international players (even aussies, smith, starc etc.) that have decided to play in this stupid format
 
So is there going to be a new category of statistics for this format or what? Can't imagine it'd be combined with T20.
 
Markhor said:
Most fans are against this new format. The T20 Blast in its first week this year sold more advanced tickets than any previous edition since 2003, and some counties even saw record attendances.

That's all despite ECB sabotaging its own tournament, so imagine what they could do if they spent a fraction of the resources they've been putting behind this farcical Hundred.

Again, why the need to reinvent the wheel ? Put the T20 Blast on free to air TV. Why can't ECB make the case for its own product ?
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ecb need to reinvent the wheel because theres way too many counties. the counties retain domestic appeal but mean little to global audiences.

ecb is trying to appeal to a global audience im guessing. don't see the big deal tbh, twenty overs is silly enough, but its good entertainment in the right context. im guessing thats how this will pan out too. altho unless its on free to air i think itll be pretty meh....

fwiw i think theres still too many teams.
 
I could've seen this as being a fun one time tournament. I don't see this lasting more than 2 seasons at the most.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistani players picked for The Hundred Draft:<br><br>Mohammad Amir – London Spirit £100K<br>Shadab Khan – Southern Brave £75K<br>Shaheen Shah Afridi – Birmingham Phoenix £60K<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheHundredDraft?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheHundredDraft</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1186015962618912770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Steve Smith isn’t that great of a pick. Strange that aB didn’t put himself in the draft.
 
if ten years ago someone had told me one thirds of england's premier short form cricket competition would have a fifth of its overseas contingent from afghanistan and nepal i would have thought them crazy.

Prince of Pakistan said:
No Shahid Afridi? His value on the market has gone down quickly it seems. He has done well in the past in the UK.
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should have delayed his biography, dont think many teams will fork out that much for a 44 year old.
 
The Viper said:
Babar will be in the T20 and Test Squads vs England this summer.

It clashes with the Hundred- so Babar would miss most of the tournament.
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Ah right makes sense, but won't most of the England players also miss most of the tournament then?
 
angrypathan said:
Ah right makes sense, but won't most of the England players also miss most of the tournament then?
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I believe so. The tournament starts July 17 and finishes August 16. England vs Pak Test series starts 30th July.

Maybe they can be available for games between tests?
 
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Amir will be available for whole tournament as he is retired from tests and LOI will be in late August, early September.

Only tests will clash.

Shaheen will probably be in test Squad so will miss some of tournament.
 
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Rashid Khan was Trent Rockets’ first pick out of the 96 cricketers selected live tonight to compete in the first season of The Hundred. Players were selected from a pool of over 550 to play for one of the eight new men’s teams in the competition which starts next summer.

Leg spinning all-rounder D’Arcy Short, Lewis Gregory and Steven Mullaney were picked for Trent Rockets by Head Coach Stephen Fleming, where they will line up alongside England Test captain Joe Root. Jofra Archer will have West Indies international Andre Russell, opening batsman David Warner and Liam Dawson for company, as Mahela Jayawardena confirmed his Southern Brave squad.

Picking third on the night, Darren Lehmann confirmed Australian opening batsman Aaron Finch and mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman to play alongside Ben Stokes for Northern Superchargers, whilst Australians Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith were quickly selected for Gary Kirsten’s Welsh Fire in the opening round, where they will join Jonny Bairstow.

Oval Invincibles Head Coach Tom Moody opted for Sunil Narine, wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings and Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane to accompany Jason Roy, whilst Manchester Originals’ Simon Katich selected leg-spinner Imran Tahir, Dane Vilas and Phil Salt to play alongside Jos Buttler, who was selected earlier in the month.

London Spirit Head Coach Shane Warne snapped up Glenn Maxwell, Mohammad Nabi and England all-rounder Joe Denly for his Lord’s based side. They’ll join England’s World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan, who was picked as a Local Icon at the start of October.

The final team to make their selection in The Hundred Draft was Birmingham Phoenix, whose Assistant Head Coach Daniel Vettori snapped up Liam Livingstone, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and fast-bowler Shaheen Afridi to play alongside Chris Woakes next year.

The full list of player picks, for each team, in order of selection is outlined below.

Speaking about the evening and The Hundred Draft:

Andre Russell, Southern Brave’s first pick, said: “What a fun night – it’s an honour to be picked with so many other amazing international players in the mix. I’m really looking forward to spending the summer here and playing back in the UK. I know that The Hundred is going to be an exciting competition and I can’t wait to start training with my new Southern Brave teammates.”

Shane Warne, London Spirit Head Coach, said: “I’m used to playing a tactical game, but that was something else! Our position in the rounds meant that I had to think on my feet, and at times re-evaluate who I was going to pick and when. I’m thrilled to have Glenn Maxwell, Mohammad Nabi and Mark Wood join Eoin and Rory in the team and can’t wait to see them step up to the crease for London Spirit in the first season of The Hundred. I think 2020 is shaping up to be a really exciting year for cricket – so many people watched the sport for the first time this summer, and I’m confident The Hundred will get even more people watching next year.”

Alongside The Hundred Draft for the men’s competition, the next wave of marquee players were also announced for the women’s competition. Welsh Fire have welcomed Australia captain Meg Lanning to the team, London Spirit selected England star Tammy Beaumont, while New Zealand’s Suzie Bates is heading to Southern Brave.

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The Viper said:
Amir will be available for whole tournament as he is retired from tests and LOI will be in late August, early September.

Only tests will clash.

Shaheen will probably be in test Squad so will miss some of tournament.
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Pak is playing the Netherlands early July. So will probably miss most games.
 
Cape Town - Australia legend Shane Warne suggested Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga were not selected in the first edition of The Hundred draft as they had over-priced themselves.

Both Gayle and Malinga had priced themselves in the top bracket of £125 000 and Warne, who will be head coach of London Spirit in the inaugural tournament, insists they would have been snapped up had their price been even one step lower.

"I think they priced themselves wrong," Warne said.

"If they'd gone in at £100 000 and not £125 000, I think they'd have been picked up."

Northern Superchargers counterpart Darren Lehmann added: "It was a tough one, they've been superstars for so long but then the next generation is knocking on the door... you've only got two picks at £125 000."

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan was the first pick of the draft with almost half of the other 'top bracket picks' being Australians.

England's player of the summer, Ben Stokes, who previously edged Test captain Joe Root as the landmark pick of the Headingley side, believes the competition represents a step up for the domestic calendar.

"Oh yes, 100 percent. Every game will be a big game, with so many people watching and playing against the very best in the world," said Stokes.

"It makes you a better cricketer when you’re exposed to better players and I'm really looking forward to playing for the franchise.

"I think we look like the best team on paper as we've got all bases covered: power, spin and Ben Foakes as keeper - he's the best in England."

Smith, who scored runs relentlessly in the recent Ashes series, appeared via video link from Sydney to voice his approval of an enterprise that has been greeted with mixed opinions in the UK.

"It's going to be exciting, the first ever 100-ball comp and I'm looking forward to joining Jonny Bairstow and Mitchell Starc at the tournament.

"It's a bit different and it’ll be a learning curve for the first few games but it's exciting."

https://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/warne-gayle-malinga-priced-wrong-in-the-hundred-draft-20191022
 
Cricket's new The Hundred tournament is "not a threat" to the traditions of the game, says England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison.

The Hundred features eight teams, representing seven cities from around the UK, and will be played from 17 July-16 August.

Matches feature 100 balls bowled in blocks of five or 10.

"It's about getting more kids to play without taking anything away from our county environment," Harrison said.

Addressing the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee at Portcullis House in Westminster on the future of English cricket, Harrison, who began his role in January 2015, said: "The Hundred is all about growing the game in this country and protecting the things we value the most.

"It is a really good way of protecting Test and four-day cricket. This is engaging at a different level, that is something we should embrace and it is not a threat. It is a much greater threat to say everything is fine as we are."

Last weekend the Hundred saw an American-style draft system to determine which players would represent each new team, the first such draft in British sport.

Players such as West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, Australian opener David Warner and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan will feature alongside England stars including Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes.

"We have 1.1m who regularly attend cricket and 10.1m who are followers, we have got to bridge that gap," Harrison added. "It's to encapsulate the new audience but keep the existing audience happy."

This summer England won the World Cup for the first time and a captivating Ashes series finished level at 2-2.

"We had 3.15m into grounds in this country, the most successful summer we have had for domestic cricket," Harrison said. "We have an enormous pocket of fans who are not embracing the opportunities as they exist at the moment. An average English cricket fan is 50 years old, with a 77% male bias, 82% towards white British. We have got an awfully big opportunity if we get it right to get a diverse and multi-cultural audience."

'They could have voted it down - they didn't'
ECB chairman Colin Graves added: "We are changing cricket, you get resistance because nobody likes change. I played cricket for 40 years in Yorkshire and I understand where they are coming from but the game has got to move on.

"Everything we have done has been in consultation with our members and counties. We have 80,000 members who have been talked to. Nothing has been imposed. They could have voted it down - they didn't."

Asked what was wrong with T20 cricket for a new event to be launched, Harrison said: "Absolutely nothing, it has been a phenomenal format which has an amazing role. It's a fantastic format with eight consecutive years of growth and we are continuing to invest."

The competition will be on free-to-air television, with the BBC screening 10 men's matches from The Hundred and up to eight live matches from the women's competition, including both finals.

"If we hadn't had the new tournament terrestrial broadcasters would not have been back at the table," Harrison added. "We believe there is a market there for a new tournament.

"We want to bring down the barriers, make cricket more accessible. It's not just about linear channels, it's about the One Show, CBeebies, Asian Network, the enormous digital engagement the BBC brings us. If the men's World Cup taught us anything it is that the game is enormous in this country."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/50160696
 
They already have the best collection of overseas players after IPL. The perks of being a powerhouse.

This is going to be big. They have done very well to distinguish themselves from T20 cricket because the IPL will remain as the highest form of T20 cricket in the game.
 
Markhor said:
Shadab picked up by Southern Brave.

Well there's more money thrown down the toilet.
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Thoughts are with them. I hope they have the strength to cope with these tough times.

Luckily they have three sterling players in Archer, Warner and Russell to off-set his circus.
 
Mamoon said:
They already have the best collection of overseas players after IPL. The perks of being a powerhouse.

This is going to be big. They have done very well to distinguish themselves from T20 cricket because the IPL will remain as the highest form of T20 cricket in the game.
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No, it's just T17. What difference is 3 overs Gina make? Such a joke format. It will fail in 1-2 seasons.
 
HappyWarsFan said:
No, it's just T17. What difference is 3 overs Gina make? Such a joke format. It will fail in 1-2 seasons.
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As I explained in post #83, I think it is clever marketing and I think it will be a success. Excuse the poor analogy, it is like selling a product for 99 cents rather than a dollar.

The difference is extremely negligible, but it has a psychological impact on the consumer who think it is cheap and he/she is saving.

The difference between The Hundred and T20 is just 20 balls, but they have marketed it in a way that it feels like a unique format and a different brand.

The name, the 10 balls over and the emphasis on number of balls rather than number of overs can potentially make this format a hit.
 
Following reports in the last 24-hours about Andrew McDonald’s potential appointment as an assistant coach of the Australia men’s team, Birmingham Phoenix can confirm that Andrew remains fully committed to his role as men’s team Head Coach in The Hundred.

Birmingham Phoenix has held conversations with Andrew since the story broke yesterday morning and any potential appointment with Cricket Australia and the subsequent schedule of the Australia men’s team would not affect his position.

Andrew has played a key role in our initial planning stages and through the assembly of the Birmingham Phoenix men’s squad through the draft process. Everyone is looking forward to him joining us at Edgbaston for the launch of The Hundred next summer.
 
Northern Superchargers today announced Aaron Finch and Lauren Winfield as their men’s and women’s team captains for the inaugural season of The Hundred.

Australia’s white ball captain Aaron Finch will lead a star-studded Superchargers side including his compatriot Chris Lynn and England stars Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, Adil Rashid and David Willey.

Men’s team Head Coach, Darren Lehmann selected Finch as his first-round pick in The Hundred Draft. Finch brings with him considerable short form knowledge to the Superchargers having played for seven IPL sides as well as the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash. He also has valuable English county experience through stints at both Surrey and Yorkshire.

World Cup winner Lauren Winfield returns to the north having previously captained Yorkshire Diamonds in the Kia Super League. She has played white ball cricket around the world representing Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes and the Adelaide Strikers in the Women’s Big Bash. She is joined at the Superchargers by compatriot Linsey Smith and Australian star keeper-batter Alyssa Healy.

Aaron Finch said: “I’ve spent many years working alongside Darren and I’m really excited to be heading back to Emerald Headingley as captain of the Northern Superchargers. I think we have an excellent side with a good mixture of quality English cricketers and some match-winning overseas stars and I’m very confident of our chances when The Hundred kicks off next summer.”

Lauren Winfield said: “Women’s cricket has been going from strength to strength over the last few years and I’m delighted to be a part of the next chapter as captain of the Northern Superchargers. The Hundred means new teams, new kit, new team-mates, it’s all very exciting for everyone involved and I can’t wait to get out on the field next year and hopefully help lead the team to success.”

Darren Lehmann added: “I think we’ve picked a great team and I’m really excited to see what Aaron and I can do with the group. He is a world class cricketer and a superb leader. We want to start The Hundred with a bang and get even more people watching this innovative new short-form of cricket.”

Women’s Head Coach, Danielle Hazell said: “Having spent many years playing with Lauren I know she has what it takes to be a great captain for the Superchargers. She’s played and thrived in some of the highest-profile matches and arenas our sport has to offer which bodes well for the first season of The Hundred and beyond.”

The five-week competition will be played at the height of summer, starting July 2020, featuring eight new city-based teams; Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Trent Rockets, Birmingham Phoenix, Welsh Fire, Southern Brave, London Spirit and Oval Invincibles.
 
It should have been The Ten. This is just an attention seeking tournament. Not much difference between T20 and 100 to be honest. I don't know why they even reduced it to 100 balls per innings? Strange. I think T10 cricket must be promoted. It is more entertaining than T20 cricket.
 
Lord’s and Hove have been awarded the Finals Days in the first season of cricket’s newest competition, The Hundred.

The 1st Central County Ground in Hove stages the final of the women’s competition on Friday, August 14, while the men’s final will be hosted by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord’s on Saturday, August 15 in what promises to be an action-packed two days of cricket.

Lord’s, globally regarded as the Home of Cricket, will welcome international and domestic stars for the showpiece event, with more people than ever able to cheer them on with the redevelopment of the Compton and Edrich stands having completed its first phase of development.

Guy Lavender, Chief Executive of MCC, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the inaugural men’s final of The Hundred at Lord’s and we are committed to making it a great success. The Home of Cricket is a great setting for the final of this brand new competition, which will provide MCC the opportunity to welcome many more young people and families into the ground, including the Pavilion, not only for the final but across the group stages with our team, London Spirit.

“We have been fortunate enough to host some incredible finals over the years, not least with the recent exploits of both the England men’s and women’s teams winning their respective World Cups in exhilarating fashion, and we know this is going to be another momentous sporting occasion - as well as another seminal moment in the rich history of Lord’s.”

Lord’s will tailor its offering to meet the requirements of The Hundred. MCC plans to transform the ground with increased food and drink options – including vegan, halal and child-friendly concessions – and off-field entertainment to appeal to all.

The ground will also house fan zones with space for entertainment, retail and child-friendly activities. The intention is to create a vibrant experience that will be enjoyed by cricket fans of all ages.

The women’s competition will culminate in a showcase Finals Day in Hove the day before. The ground has a strong track record of staging sell-out England women’s internationals and the Kia Super League Finals Day in recent years.

The large crowd expected to attend the flagship event next August will be treated to an exciting line-up of world-class cricket, music and entertainment.

Rob Andrew, Sussex Cricket Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the first women’s Finals Day for The Hundred. We have a strong reputation for supporting and promoting the women’s game in Sussex and this will help grow the interest in girls’ and women’s cricket - one of our key priorities over the coming years.”

Sanjay Patel, Managing Director – The Hundred, said: “We’re delighted to award the first Finals of The Hundred to Lord’s and Hove – two grounds with a great history of staging showcase events in men’s and women’s cricket.

“The Hundred represents an incredible opportunity to broaden our audience for cricket and it’s great to see our Finals venues committed to delivering great spectacles next August to close the inaugural competitions with a bang.

“We’re looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic tournament, starting with the first men’s match in The Hundred on July 17 at the Kia Oval.”
 
Australian cricket superstar Steve Smith has been selected to captain Welsh Fire men’s team in the inaugural season of The Hundred this summer, bringing international leadership experience to the Cardiff-based squad.

A former Australia captain, Smith brings an enviable record in white-ball cricket to the competition as well as extensive experience from franchise tournaments around the world.

He’ll lead fellow countryman Mitchell Starc and England stars Jonny Bairstow and Tom Banton in a squad that features incredible firepower with both bat and ball.

World Cup star Liam Plunkett adds more pace to Fire’s attack that will also include Ravi Rampaul, while short-format specialists Qais Ahmad and Danny Briggs are joined by Simon Harmer in their spin bowling ranks.

Smith said: “It’s an honour to be asked to captain Welsh Fire in the first year of The Hundred. Our squad looks super strong with a great group of players who’ve dominated the international and domestic scenes for the past few years.

“Tom Banton is one of the most exciting young players in the world right now and Mitchell Starc brings the X-factor with the ball, so we’re looking to put on an amazing show for the fans in Cardiff.”

Welsh Fire men’s head coach, Gary Kirsten, said: “Steve’s knowledge and experience of leading teams in pressurised situations will definitely help us in this first season of The Hundred.

“He’s got a track record of getting the best out of his players while performing to a very high standard himself, which will be key for us this summer.”
Smith will lead Welsh Fire in the competition’s opening fixture against Oval Invincibles at the Kia Oval on Friday, 17 July.

Tickets are now on sale for The Hundred through a priority ticket window which is open to all signed up to thehundred.com until 28 Feb. Tickets for under 16s £5 for any match, with a family of four able to attend from £26. Most adult tickets are £30 or less.
For more information and to sign up for priority tickets for The Hundred, visit thehundred.com.

NOTES TO EDITORS
The Hundred
The Hundred is an action-packed, unmissable new 100 ball cricket competition that will put you on the edge of your seat. Taking place in summer 2020, the competition aims to grow the game and everyone is invited.

Featuring world-class players and homegrown talent, the eight brand new city-based women's and men's teams will compete over five weeks every summer (17 July – 15 Aug 2020), with both competitions running side-by-side.

For the latest news and priority access to tickets visitthehundred.com and follow us on Instagram @thehundred
Welsh Fire
Welsh Fire’s men’s team will play home games at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, with the women’s team also playing at Taunton and Bristol.

Men’s squad: Steve Smith (captain, overseas), Qais Ahmad (overseas), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Danny Briggs, Ben Duckett, Leus du Plooy, Simon Harmer, Ryan Higgins, Colin Ingram, David Payne, Liam Plunkett, Ravi Rampaul, Mitchell Starc (overseas), Ryan ten Doeschate

Women’s squad (to be completed by May): Meg Lanning (overseas), Lauren Filer, Katie George, Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Jess Jonassen (overseas), Sophie Luff, Claire Nicholas, Bryony Smith
 
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ECB is flexing its financial muscle to ensure that The Hundred becomes IPL’s biggest rival. The rosters are seriously impressive and star-studded, and the concept is fresh and unique.

Well done. ECB is truly a competent board. They wanted to win the World Cup and they did it.

They want to compete with the IPL and they look like doing it, and they are going to make strides in Test cricket again now that their focus is back on the format.
 
Mamoon said:
ECB is flexing its financial muscle to ensure that The Hundred becomes IPL’s biggest rival. The rosters are seriously impressive and star-studded, and the concept is fresh and unique.

Well done. ECB is truly a competent board. They wanted to win the World Cup and they did it.

They want to compete with the IPL and they look like doing it, and they are going to make strides in Test cricket again now that their focus is back on the format.
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The overseas contingent of this tournament is pretty average tbh. There are 4 players from Afghanistan, Some pretty average players from domestic as well.
 
USofA said:
I guess, welcome to T17 cricket!!??

Hidden in there is ECB basically officially admitting that they cannot draw the new generation to tests. The only way to get people watching cricket is the shortest form.

If England cannot draw people to test cricket, what will happen to the format.
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Would it not be S17? T20 (Twenty/20) T10 (Ten/10) and S17 (Seventeen/17). I know it's just a joke but yeah
 
Im hearing Australia have a rescheduled tour of Zimbabwe i believe and therefore there players may miss out on most of the Hundred.
 
Mamoon said:
ECB is flexing its financial muscle to ensure that The Hundred becomes IPL’s biggest rival. The rosters are seriously impressive and star-studded, and the concept is fresh and unique.

Well done. ECB is truly a competent board. They wanted to win the World Cup and they did it.

They want to compete with the IPL and they look like doing it, and they are going to make strides in Test cricket again now that their focus is back on the format.
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Mamoon said:
Not sure about the scheduling.
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West Indies v New Zealand ODIs & T20Is: July 8th - July 19th

England v Australia ODI Series: July 11th - July 16th

The Hundred: July 17 - August 15

West Indies v South Africa Test Series: July 23rd - August 4th

England v Pakistan Test Series: July 30th - August 24th

Zimbabwe vs Australia ODI series: August 4th on
 
Gotham Cronie said:
West Indies v New Zealand ODIs & T20Is: July 8th - July 19th

England v Australia ODI Series: July 11th - July 16th

The Hundred: July 17 - August 15

West Indies v South Africa Test Series: July 23rd - August 4th

England v Pakistan Test Series: July 30th - August 24th

Zimbabwe vs Australia ODI series: August 4th on
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Thanks. Very weird scheduling by ECB.

They will have to sort it out in the future. Can’t have a Test series and this competition at the same time.
 
Mamoon said:
Thanks. Very weird scheduling by ECB.

They will have to sort it out in the future. Can’t have a Test series and this competition at the same time.
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Can't afford to have such a significant period in peak summer without any international cricket. The test players will be available for the first couple of games for each team and the knockouts.

Given Welsh Fire have just appointed Smith as captain (which you assume they wouldn't do if he was unavailable for most of it) and it's a Zimbabwe series I'd take a guess that the major Australian players will be available.
 
Nat Sciver and Lewis Gregory will captain Trent Rockets in The Hundred

​England stars Nat Sciver and Lewis Gregory will captain Trent Rockets in The Hundred this summer as the Nottingham-based team looks for glory in the competition’s first year.

Sciver sits third on the ICC T20 all-rounder rankings and shone at the recent Women’s T20 World Cup. She scored over 200 runs in the tournament, with three half-centuries in four innings, as England reached the semi-finals.

A hard-hitting batter, and an inventive medium-pace bowler, Sciver brings captaincy experience from her time leading the Surrey Stars in the Kia Super League; lifting the trophy in 2018.

Trent Rockets’ women’s squad, with eight players announced so far, features her fiancée, Katherine Brunt, as well as Australian duo Elyse Villani and Sophie Molineux. England spinners Mady Villiers and Sarah Glenn also feature, with Beth Langston and Kathryn Bryce bringing more international experience.

Sciver said: “It’s a huge honour to be asked to captain Trent Rockets for this summer’s competition. It promises to be a great spectacle of sport and I’m excited by the squad we’re putting together.

“It’ll be fun to play alongside Katherine for a few weeks on the field and her international experience will be great for some of the younger players in our team. We’ve also got two of England’s most exciting young spinners in the squad in Mady and Sarah, while Sophie and Elyse offer more high-quality short format experience.”

Salliann Briggs, Trent Rockets women’s team head coach, said: “I’ve known Nat for a long time since her early years in the sport, so I can’t wait to work with her again now she’s one of the world’s best players.

“She has impressed as a captain in domestic competitions before and I have full confidence she’ll get the best out of the squad in The Hundred. Her international experience in one of the world’s best short-format teams will undoubtedly help our chances of success this year.”

For the men’s squad, Gregory made his England debut on the tour of New Zealand before Christmas before going on to lead England Lions in four matches on their unbeaten tour of Australia.

The Plymouth all-rounder has also led Somerset in the Vitality Blast in for the last two seasons and has earned a reputation as a big-hitting finisher, which his T20 strike rate of 146 attests to.

Gregory will lead more big hitters in the shape of Alex Hales, D’Arcy Short and Dawid Malan as the Rockets strive for success, with number one draft pick Rashid Khan the ace in the pack for the Trent Bridge side.

Gregory said: “I can’t wait to lead this team out at Trent Bridge this summer. We’ve got so many iconic local players that the support from the crowd should be incredible.

“There’s great balance in our squad, with batsmen who can hit the ball out the ground, seamers who can knock over stumps and spinners who can tie opposition up in knots.

“With Stephen Fleming at the helm and the firepower in the dressing room, I think we’ve got a great chance of challenging for the title in the first year.”

Stephen Fleming, Trent Rockets’ men's team head coach, said: “Lewis has all the attributes required to skipper our side this year and I’m confident he’ll get the best out of our talented squad.

“He’s got a good temperament on the field and works well with his players to achieve results. He’s also one of the best white-ball all-rounders in the country, who will add a huge amount to the team.”

Trent Rockets’ men’s team start their campaign in The Hundred on Sunday 19 July against Birmingham Phoenix at Trent Bridge, while the women’s side begin against Welsh Fire on 25 July in a double-header with the men’s side in Nottingham.
 
The ECB has today confirmed that the next two sale windows for The Hundred are to be delayed. Following February’s first priority access window, a second instalment, available for subscribers to The Hundred, was due to open on 2 April.

The competition’s inaugural general sale was scheduled for 8 April. It was scheduled to be the first time that tickets for The Hundred were available in an all-access sale.

Professional cricket throughout April and May has been cancelled and ongoing work continues to look at revised schedules across the whole game for June, July and August.

Sanjay Patel, managing director, The Hundred, commented: "In the midst of an epidemic which is affecting the nation in unprecedented ways, it would be wholly inappropriate for us to promote and sell tickets to The Hundred. We appreciate this may cause some disappointment to fans that were keen to purchase tickets in the April sales window, accessing early bird prices and securing tickets to the most in-demand games.

"When it is appropriate to go back on sale, we will of course offer the same ticket offers and accessible pricing. Like the rest of the nation, we all hope that it is not far away before cricket returns to our screens, stadiums, parks and clubs."
 
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Sad to see that this tournament that England fans have waited for a few years may not happen at all this year.
 
People who think this is just 20 balls less in an innings are clueless. You only change ends after 10 balls. So you change ends 9 times in an innings only. In a normal T20 match you change ends 19 times in an innings. There is a significant difference here. This will allow you to get a game of cricket in 2.5 hours max and therefore the BBC are interested so they can fit it into their schedule. Ten matches will be shown on free to air television in the UK. This is a welcome change for the game in this country, increasing the visibility and access to the game.
 
Hard to see this going ahead this summer as planned with the current world situation.

Might well have to wait for 2021.
 
Tom Harrison insists the importance of the Hundred has been “accelerated” by the coronavirus crisis, even if it remains set for a 12-month delay when the England and Wales Cricket Board reconvenes next week.

Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, was speaking after it was announced that the start to the professional cricket season is further delayed, with no matches to be played before 1 July. The three-Test series against West Indies, originally due to start on 4 June, is still viewed as England’s first assignment but has been pushed back accordingly.

While a draft schedule has not been published, the T20 Blast similarly moves to the later summer months should staging cricket be possible – no given, Harrison admitted – though there was an absence of any guarantees that a meaningful County Championship can take place, only allocated blocks for “red-ball cricket”.

Concurrent Test and white-ball series could allow all four sets of men’s tourists to be hosted but if there is a further delay, the number of fixtures will start to drop off. Harrison, however, was unable to give any guarantees for the women’s team given the expense of needing to create the required “bio-secure” conditions behind closed doors.

Meanwhile a final decision on the Hundred being played this year has been delayed until Wednesday as the ECB works through the financial and legal implications of its seemingly inevitable postponement, including negotiations with broadcasters and compensation due to players (reported to be 12.5% the value of their contracts).

Despite suggestions the new 100-ball tournament may never see the light of day, given a predicted recession in 2021 and its projected loss of £7.5m in year one, Harrison doubled down on its value to the sport that emerges from the pandemic.

Harrison said: “I don’t think [this crisis] in any way dilutes the case for the Hundred, it absolutely accelerates it and makes it something cricket needs to get behind.

“The Hundred is a profit centre for the game of cricket in this country, it will generate really important commercial value and help us [in] keeping the lights on through the network – making sure county cricket is healthy and strong long into the future.

“I am absolutely committed [to the Hundred], as I think the whole game is. The first-class counties understand its importance to the future of the game and how it will help us achieve stability for everything the game has cared about for hundreds of years. That’s super-important to us.”

Harrison said 180,000 tickets had already been sold for the Hundred – the fastest sale outside of World Cup cricket, he claimed – and that the competition with other sports for the desired “new audience” will only increase once physical distancing is relaxed.

While this summer’s priorities are the two Test series against West Indies and Pakistan, as well as white-ball series against Australia and Ireland, the logistics are vast when factoring in travel restrictions and possible quarantine periods. In the case of West Indies it will also involve cooperation with a number of Caribbean governments, while there are growing doubts that Australia’s one-day side will be cleared to make a 24-hour journey for six white-ball matches.

The staging of any matches remains subject to clearance from the British government too, of course, but Harrison revealed that the ECB had been asked to lead the explorative work into “bio-secure” events for football, tennis, rugby and horse racing by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Harrison said: “Nothing is impossible but I think we are starting to get comfortable with the idea that there won’t be crowds this summer. Clearly there will need to be a significant testing regime in place. [But] testing elite athletes just cannot be a priority in the context of the national health crisis and the issues frontline workers and vulnerable people are facing. At the right time, this becomes a relevant discussion and the government will tell us when it is the right time. It is not yet, clearly.”

English cricket has also received “numerous offers” to stage cricket abroad this winter should the summer be wiped out. Abu Dhabi is one such destination, Australia and New Zealand others. But fitting England matches into a winter that includes a T20 World Cup and a five-Test tour to India makes such moves difficult.

Harrison once again stressed the economic damage to English cricket will be vast even if all the revenue-driving fixtures are salvaged. But he also insisted it would be “the wrong conclusion to draw” that some of the 18 first-class counties might not survive, adding: “We will do everything in our power to ensure the health of the network.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/24/ecb-delay-start-cricket-season-hundred-tom-harrison
 
England cricket chief Tom Harrison says the controversial Hundred has become "even more important" due to the economic damage from coronavirus ahead of a meeting that will decide the fate of the new competition.

Last week, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) further delayed the start of the 2020 season until 1 July at the earliest but said the inaugural Hundred would be on the agenda this Wednesday.

The new 100-balls-per-side format, to be played by eight franchises rather than English cricket's established 18 first-class counties, is meant to start in July.

ECB officials have long insisted it will attract a new audience vital to safeguarding cricket's future, with some matches set to be broadcast live on terrestrial television.

But public health restrictions, the problems of bringing in overseas stars and the issue of launch costs at a time of economic crisis mean a delay appears inevitable.

"We'll look at how the situation impacts the Hundred, which was envisaged as being a tournament that enabled us to widen the audience for the game," said Harrison.

"With an in-stadia environment, with international players, it's going to be very, very difficult."

Many voices within English cricket have been opposed to the Hundred from the outset, arguing there is no space for a new format in an already congested calendar.

They say many of the ECB's aims could be achieved with better support for the existing Twenty20 Blast.

But Harrison, one of the key movers behind the competition, said current conditions made it more important than ever.

"If anything this crisis and the implications, long-term or medium-term, mean the case for the Hundred is even more important," he said.

"So I don't think this in any way dilutes the case for the Hundred, it absolutely accelerates it and makes it something cricket needs to get behind."

Even before the pandemic, the ECB had itself forecast the Hundred would make a loss in its first five seasons.

Costs in the first year, including the £1.3 million paid to each county, were estimated at £58 million pounds, against an income of £51 million.

Not playing the Hundred could potentially save the ECB millions at a time when it has launched a 61 million pounds virus aid package for the domestic game.

But Harrison is convinced it will make money in the long run - and help preserve the existing county set-up.

"It will help us achieve one of our priorities, which is keeping the lights on through the network - making sure county cricket is really healthy and strong long, long into the future," he said.

"And it will help broaden the audience for the game. There will be a huge clamour for audience coming out of this crisis, for all sport."`

https://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/fate-of-crickets-new-100-balls-per-side-format-in-balance-20200428
 
The England and Wales Cricket Board has been urged to open up the Hundred to private investment – including equity stakes for counties and even Indian Premier League team owners – in response to the coronavirus crisis.

An ECB board meeting on Wednesday will discuss the tournament’s postponement until 2021 but its chief executive, Tom Harrison, has countered talk of a full cancellation by stressing its importance to English cricket has been “accelerated” by the pandemic.

Under the terms of the Hundred, which is owned by the ECB, each of the 18 first-class counties were to receive £1.3m per year from the tournament, with host venues also due £65,000 per match, 30% of ticket sales and hospitality revenues. But though initial instalments made up part of the £61m rescue package provided by the ECB last month, there are no guarantees the full amounts for 2020 will be paid. Harrison has also warned the sport could lose “well in excess of £300m” if no cricket is staged this year.

This has led Oakwell Sports Advisory, a consultancy group that lists the Premiership Rugby investors CVC among its clients, to recommend turning central payments to the counties from the Hundred into equity stakes and potentially opening it up to private investment more widely.

In a report entitled The Impact of Covid-19 on English Cricket, Oakwell states: “The ECB should consider converting its revenue distributions to counties into equity stakes and gifting these to each county. Therefore each Hundred franchise would own its revenue distribution % as an equity stake too.

“This has real capital value for a county. This will attract potential private capital into buying stakes in Hundred franchises and help counties fund the overall game.”

Oakwell also states more should be done to attract leading Indian players to the Hundred. The BCCI is yet to allow such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to join overseas Twenty20 leagues but investment from IPL franchise owners could change this.

Coronavirus crisis makes Hundred even more essential, claims ECB chief

The report added: “The Hundred needs to be able to attract Indian players and subsequently an Indian fanbase, too. The Indian subcontinent constitutes 90% of the 1bn cricket fans aged 16-69 globally.

“Indian investment into the Hundred, including from IPL team owners, may facilitate the involvement of Indian players in the longer term. In addition to generating revenue out of India, this would be vital in unlocking the south-Asian UK-based fanbase.”

The ECB rejected a private franchise model for Twenty20 in 2008 and on creating the Hundred opted to follow Cricket Australia’s approach to the Big Bash League by retaining full ownership of the eight teams; whether the post-coronavirus climate forces a rethink remains to be seen.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/apr/27/ecb-private-investment-boost-the-hundred-cricket
 
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Decision expected today on the prospects of the tournament going ahead this year.
 
The Hundred's inaugural season is set to be formally delayed after a board meeting of the England and Wales Board Cricket Board on Wednesday night.

The fate of the new competition was discussed at a wider-reaching session last week, when all professional cricket in the country was pushed back to at least July 1 as a result of coronavirus.

That teleconference overran significantly and, rather than rush to a final conclusion, it was instead agreed that the issue of The Hundred would be picked up again during this week's meeting.

There has been a growing consensus that pushing the competition back is not only the most realistic course of action, but one that offers the greatest chance of a successful launch, albeit a belated one.

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...to-be-officially-delayed-at-ecb-board-meeting
 
Moeen Ali has endorsed postponing the Hundred this year, reasoning that the England and Wales Cricket Board’s flagship competition is too important to be diluted because of current world events. The ECB last week called a halt to all cricket until 1 July at the earliest because of coronavirus while the board is set to convene on Wednesday evening to discuss delaying its 100-ball competition by 12 months.

A number of factors, including the prospect of overseas stars being unable or reluctant to travel, means a delay is the expected outcome and Moeen believes it a necessary measure. The England all-rounder was set to captain Birmingham Phoenix but he pointed out any schedule will already be bloated without a fourth format being added to the calendar.

Speaking via conference call, Moeen said: “It is better for it to be delayed. As players we want the Hundred played with all best players around the world available to come and play so it makes more sense that way.

“It is probably going to be too much to squeeze in the last couple of months of the season. It would be hard work to squeeze in the Hundred as well. It is such a big deal for us in this country and we want it to be played when everything is right and no problems around the world.”

The ECB developed its eight-team competition as a means of capturing a new audience, a prospect that would have increased after England’s triumphant World Cup campaign during a memorable summer last year.

So a delay in launching the Hundred could make luring new fans all the more difficult but Moeen believes the tournament could be even bigger if more overseas players who were unavailable to feature this year can be tempted to come over in 2021. He added: “The mood and wave cricket was on in England last year made it an amazing opportunity this year to play the Hundred but with what has happened around the world that is going to be harder now.

“If we can get other international players who were not available this year to make the Hundred even stronger for next year through a mini-draft then we can attract a new audience to come and watch cricket.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...cks-delaying-launch-of-the-hundred-until-2021
 
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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today confirms that the launch of The Hundred will now take place in summer 2021.

The news follows a meeting dedicated to the subject, where the Board concluded it was not possible for the competition to be staged this year.

The new competition has a vision to grow the game and is part of the ECB’s long-term strategy to inspire a new generation to choose cricket.

A number of reasons were outlined for the decision including:

Operational challenges caused by social distancing, alongside ongoing global travel restrictions, making the competition’s ambition to feature world-class players and coaches unattainable in 2020.

A behind-closed-doors competition directly contradicts the competition’s goal to attract a broader audience through a unique event experience for viewers and spectators.

With significant furloughing across the partnership network of 20 venues, the logistics of delivering a brand-new sporting event, without a tried-and-tested delivery plan, would be incredibly challenging.

Refocused efforts will now look forward to 2021, centering on the competition’s four key objectives to support the game, which will be even more imperative as the nation emerges from this pandemic:

Engaging a broader audience in cricket to grow the game

Driving participation throughout the game with the support of partners Sky and BBC

Delivering guaranteed revenues and support for First-Class Counties (FCCs), MCC and the wider game

Developing young talent as they grow their skills playing for and against teams made up of world-class players and coaches
ECB Chief Executive Officer, Tom Harrison, commented: “The situation we find ourselves in as a country means that delivery of The Hundred will not be possible this summer.

“Whilst we are naturally disappointed that we won't get to realise our ambitions this year, The Hundred will go ahead in 2021 when we are safely able to deliver everything we intended to help grow the game.

“As we emerge from the fallout of COVID-19, there will be an even greater need for The Hundred.

“Our survival as a game, long-term, will be dependent on our ability to recover financially and continue our ambition to build on cricket's growing fan base. That need has not gone anyway, if anything, it is now more critical.

“The Hundred will create millions in revenues for the game, through hosting fees, hospitality and ticket sales, as well as delivering £25m in annual financial distributions to all First-Class Counties and MCC. Its role in driving participation alongside supporting the development of the women’s game will be material in generating take-up of our game across country-wide communities.

“The Hundred is an important element of the game's Inspiring Generations strategy, which has been debated and agreed upon across the whole game. While financially, our plans may be impacted, our ambition, ‘to inspire a generation’ should in no way be diluted.’

“We would like to thank our broadcast partners, for their extraordinary commitment and support to get The Hundred to this point and our commercial partners for their ongoing support. We very much look forward to working with them as we build to the 2021 launch.”

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/1662809/ecb-announces-the-hundred-will-take-place-in-2021
 
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Right decision to postpone it. Better to do a full launch next year when the current issues will hopefully be resolved.
 
The Hundred, cricket's flagship new tournament, has become the latest sporting casualty of the coronavirus pandemic after being postponed until 2021.

The competition's organisers, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), hoped it would deliver a new, more diverse audience to the sport and have invested millions of pounds into it.

Eight new city-based teams - a first for the sport in the UK - had been created, star players had been signed up to big-money contracts, and some matches were to be shown live on BBC television for the first time since 1999.

But what happens now? What are the ramifications for cricket following this latest sporting postponement of a competition which had a £40m budget in its first year?

Can it just all go ahead as planned in 2021?

After announcing news of the postponement, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison told BBC Sport that The Hundred would be going ahead in 2021 "as had been planned" for this year, with the same eight teams playing the same 100-ball format.

"This is a competition that is designed not only to become a commercial powerhouse but to grow the audience of cricket around the country for young people, for diverse communities, and build on what we have with cricket in this country," Harrison said.

Fifteen players were signed by each of the eight teams in October and organisers hope to largely move forward with the same squads for next year rather than holding a new draft.

That said, international player availabilities for 2021 could well prove to be a sticking point.

Leg-spinner Rashid Khan, for example, was signed for the maximum price of £125,000 by Trent Rockets for 2020 but, as it stands, has international commitments with Afghanistan in July and August 2021.

Further complications will be caused by the changes to rules regarding Kolpak players after Brexit.

Kolpak contracts allow sportsmen and women from countries with associate trade agreements with the European Union, such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Caribbean nations, to be afforded the same right to free movement as EU citizens.

Fourteen Kolpak players were signed as non-overseas men's players for 2020 but when rules change when the UK leaves the EU, those players will no longer be eligible as domestic players and all overseas spots are currently taken.

'You might see me working in Tesco'

One area the cancellation of The Hundred in 2020 may be acutely felt is the women's game.

The men's and women's tournaments were set to run simultaneously and, while the men are able to fall back on their county wages, there is no equivalent for women.

Discussions are ongoing regarding player salaries for 2020 but those talks remain at an early stage.

A number of options are on the table, including players receiving a percentage of what they were due to earn or deferring contracts until next year.

After the Kia Super League was disbanded, The Hundred was due to be the only source of income for many female cricketers in England, other than for the 21 players centrally contracted to England.

Spinner Alex Hartley, who was part of the England team which won the World Cup in 2017, lost her central contract last year and fears she could end up being lost to the game.

"I am missing out on a significant amount of money that I was relying on to support myself," the 26-year-old told BBC Sport.

"I am playing things by ear but you might see me stacking toilet roll in Tesco by the end of the summer if no cricket is played because I will have no job."

Prize money was set to be equal but, unlike the men's contracts, the individual deals earned by women's Hundred players have not been disclosed.

The salary brackets are far lower than the men's, however. The lowest paid men's player was due to earn £30,000, while the highest paid women's player was set to take home £15,000.

"I haven't played cricket since August last year," Hartley added.

"Why would a team want to pay me to play cricket for them if I haven't played cricket for 18 months?"

Harrison said there has been "no dilution on our commitment to women's cricket".

The ECB still intends to award 40 new full-time contracts for female players this year, as previously announced.

Male players signed for The Hundred were set to earn up to £125,000 for the five-week tournament and some had "their lives changed" by October's draft, according to England and Yorkshire's Dawid Malan, who was set to play for Trent Rockets.

"They probably got picked up for more than they get paid in county cricket," Malan told BBC Sport. "It was a massive financial boost for the players who got picked up."

Somerset's Eddie Byrom, 22, was a surprise signing for Manchester Originals and told BBC Sport he was planning to put his £30,000 deal towards a deposit for a house - plans which may now be put on hold.

His team-mate Tom Abell was also snapped up by the Originals, on a £100,000 contract, and he explained how the postponement will not only have a financial impact, but could affect his career aspirations.

"The opportunity it would have presented, and hopefully still will in the future, is immense," Abell said while, like Byrom, stressing there are more important things going on in the world at present.

"My dream and ambition is to play for England. If you want that to be realistic you have to be playing in these sorts of competitions."

Some players, including Tymal Mills and Harry Gurney, had reportedly taken out insurance on their earnings.

Malan added: "There could be a lot of players losing a lot of money because of this, but we can't really complain about that because there are people all over the world who are unemployed because of this situation."

What about the counties?

The Hundred's cancellation comes at a time when the finances of the 18 first-class counties are under significant pressure because of coronavirus.

Last week, Glamorgan, who will host Welsh Fire at their Cardiff home, said they are still supportive of the competition, a view held by many other counties.

The ECB has already paid out half of the £1.3m due to each county from The Hundred, while a £61m rescue package was announced this month to help the counties deal with the crisis.

That said, one county told BBC Sport they will miss out on about £2.7m they were expecting to receive through hosting fees, hospitality and retail had the tournament gone ahead as planned.

'The Hundred could be bigger than the IPL'

The ECB still hopes to host some cricket, both domestic and international, this season, potentially behind closed doors, but Harrison said cricket will be dealing with a "very significant financial impact" after the pandemic.

On Monday, a report from financial advisory firm Oakwell Sports recommended allowing external investment into the eight Hundred teams to lessen the financial burden on the governing body.

It said foreign investment could also help grow the competition overseas by attracting foreign fans and players, particularly from South Asia.

Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Harrison did not rule out foreign investment and said one of the benefits of The Hundred is it can help "diversify revenue streams going forward".

Businessman Salman Iqbal, who owns Pakistan Super League team Karachi Kings, told BBC Sport he would "love" to invest in a Hundred team and if the competition allowed investment it could become "bigger" than the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"All sports need investment," Iqbal said. "They need good investments and owners who know cricket and know how to market sports."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/52491765
 
England batsman Jason Roy says the unavoidable postponement of The Hundred will only delay cricket's ability to capitalise on last year's World Cup triumph.

With a new tournament, a new format and new city-based franchises, hopes were high at the England and Wales Cricket Board that new fans would flow into the game.

The prospects of a successful launch were boosted when England defeated New Zealand last summer in an unforgettable Lord's final that captivated a mass audience not seen in the sport since the 2005 Ashes.

But the spread of the coronavirus pandemic means the start of The Hundred has been pushed back to summer 2021.

Roy, a top-tier £125,000 pick by Oval Invincibles, understands the decision to delay but a playback of the World Cup final on Sky Sports Cricket over the Easter weekend offered a reminder of the unfortunate timing.

"You saw the response to Sky showing the World Cup final on TV, everyone was watching it and we were getting great feedback again," he said.

Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and more reacted to England's World Cup win in a special watchalong on Sky.

"It's a huge shame that we won't be able get out in front of a home crowd again, especially after all that. but who knows what will happen towards the end of the season? It is hugely disappointing (to postpone) but there are bigger things at stake.

"Obviously there was a huge incentive for the ECB, it was a huge competition that they put a lot of money into but it's only right that it be delayed until next year. You want the best players coming over and at the moment they can't. Unfortunately that's just the way it is at the moment."

Roy joined several of his fellow World Cup players on video link to watch the dramatic conclusion to the final and confessed the tension of his own decisive contribution got to him.

After fumbling in the outfield during the concluding Super Over, it was Roy who picked up and hurled the decisive throw that allowed Jos Buttler to break the stumps, run out Martin Guptill and secure the trophy.

"It was amazing to relive it with a few of the boys, we jumped on a Zoom call and watched the game, it was good fun," he said.

"I had to skip to the last ball of the Super Over. The nerves were running again! I was like 'don't mess this up, don't mess this up'."

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...y-delay-cricket-capitalising-on-world-cup-win
 
The launch season of the new tournament has been delayed until 2021 as a result of ongoing uncertainty around coronavirus. The eight city-based franchises were the same across both the men’s and women’s editions and there were high hopes it would lead to a major boost in exposure for the latter.

Equal prize pots offered a step towards parity and, even though the size of the lowest men’s contract (£30,000) was higher than the top women’s deal (£15,000), for some players it was due to be the only payday of the summer.

Edwards, who was signed up as head coach of Southern Brave, told BBC World Service: “A lot of people are out of work. A lot of players were hoping to have contracts for the Hundred, which were quite lucrative for some of them, and everyone’s going to miss out which is so unfortunate and at such an important time for women’s cricket.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...lay-to-the-hundred-will-damage-womens-cricket
 
I had tickets for one of the saturdays..getting a refund now. Hopefully will book again for next year..
 
Players due to take part in The Hundred this summer have had their contracts terminated by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

On Thursday, the new tournament was postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The eight men's teams selected their squads in a draft in October, while the women's teams were in the process of completing their squads.

The ECB sent players a letter to inform them of the decision.

An ECB statement said: "We can confirm that a letter terminating current player contracts has been issued today to all involved.

"This letter is necessary paperwork to legally update and inform players of the situation, which follows a notification last week around the launch of the new competition being moved to 2021.

"We are working closely with PCA on a number of options for players regarding next year's launch."

The 100-ball competition, involving eight teams in separate men's and women's tournaments, was due to begin on 17 July and end on 15 August.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52539645
 
Players on the move as first batch of men’s and women’s players confirmed for The Hundred in 2021

Ollie Pope joins Welsh Fire as the men’s retention window opens for The Hundred
Windies stars Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor re-sign for London Spirit and Southern Brave respectively, alongside a group of England Women’s players re-committing to The Hundred

The first 18 players confirmed to take part in The Hundred have been revealed today – with England batsman Ollie Pope one of the first players to move teams.

Pope will be heading to Cardiff to play for Welsh Fire, where he will be joined by England bowler Katie George – one of eight women’s players whose decision to roll over their 2020 contract offer has been confirmed.

Alongside Pope, the destination for the England Men’s Test Centrally Contracted players has also been announced. The first eight women’s players to have rolled over their contracts have been unveiled, including six England players and two West Indian superstars.

While many of the men’s teams have retained the same Test players that were due to play for them this year before the inaugural year of the competition was postponed due to Covid-19, two England stars – Pope and Rory Burns - are on the move. Burns will cross London to join Oval Invincibles.

This announcement marks the start of a three-month men’s retention window meaning until the end of January, the eight men’s teams will be able to retain players from their original 2020 squad for the 2021 season. A men’s draft will be held in early 2021 to select the remaining players.

London Spirit have decided to keep hold of Zak Crawley and there’s more good news for Spirit fans with Deandra Dottin re-signing for the side off the back of some impressive form against England in the recent Vitality IT20 Series.

Alongside recruiting Rory Burns, Oval Invincibles have retained two England players with Sam Curran and Fran Wilson both confirming their commitment to the men’s and women’s sides respectively.

Further south, Southern Brave keep a pair of superstars with Jofra Archer and West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor signing up, but with Pope joining Welsh Fire they’ll now have a space to fill in the men’s draft.

The two northern teams remain unchanged with Kate Cross and Jos Buttler staying at Manchester Originals, and Lauren Winfield-Hill and Ben Stokes remaining Northern Superchargers players.

England Men’s Test captain Joe Root and England Women’s leading allrounder Nat Sciver will stay at Trent Rockets, while three local heroes in Amy Jones, Dom Sibley and Chris Woakes will line up for Birmingham Phoenix.

Ollie Pope said, “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Welsh Fire. The side had a really strong squad lined up and I’m sure they’ll be working hard to retain some of the star names and further strengthen the side in the upcoming draft.

“We have all experienced a year none of us could have predicted but The Hundred promises to be a hugely exciting competition next year and I can’t wait to take part.”

Katie George added, “We were building a really strong side at Welsh Fire and I’m really pleased to re-sign with them for 2021. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the team falls into place and I’m really looking forward to getting going next summer.

“The Hundred is hugely important to the ongoing growth of the women’s game, from both a performance and profile perspective. As a player I am hugely excited to get to play with and against some of the best cricketers in the world, and I’m sure the fans will get even more excited as more names are confirmed over the next few months.”

Sanjay Patel, Managing Director for The Hundred, said, “This is a really exciting moment for The Hundred to see where the England Men’s Test Central Contract players will be playing next year and to announce the first wave of re-signed players for the women’s teams.

“Over the next few months we will see world-class players and massive names from around the world committing to The Hundred and we can’t wait to launch the competition in 2021.”

Confirmed players for The Hundred in 2021

Birmingham Phoenix – Amy Jones, Dom Sibley and Chris Woakes

London Spirit – Zak Crawley and Deandra Dottin

Manchester Originals – Jos Buttler and Kate Cross

Northern Superchargers – Ben Stokes and Lauren Winfield-Hill

Oval Invincibles – Rory Burns, Sam Curran and Fran Wilson

Southern Brave – Jofra Archer and Stafanie Taylor

Trent Rockets – Joe Root and Nat Sciver

Welsh Fire – Katie George and Ollie Pope


Notes:

HUNDRED PLAYER MOVEMENT

The Hundred will launch in 2021, an action-packed unmissable 100-ball cricket competition that will put you on the edge of your seat.

Wondering how the 120 players will be picked by the eight men's teams for 2021? Here’s how it’ll work:

HOW WERE THE HUNDRED MEN'S TEAMS SELECTED IN 2020?

Each team had a squad of 15 players. Among each 15 was one England red-ball contracted player, and 14 Drafted players. Teams were permitted a maximum of three overseas players.

HOW WILL THE HUNDRED MEN'S TEAMS BE SELECTED IN 2021?

This is a three-step process:

Stage 1: England player allocation

Stage 2: The Player Retention Window

Stage 3: The 2021 Draft

STAGE ONE:

ENGLAND MEN'S PLAYER ALLOCATION

Players from the 2020/21 England red-ball contract list fit into one of four categories:

An England player who was centrally contracted in 2019/20 and will be again in 2020/21 can be retained by their 2020 team.
An England contracted player in 2019/20, who is not given a contract in 2020/21 can negotiate with their 2020 team for a position in 2021. If no agreement is made, they will be released to the Draft.
A player drafted by a team in The Hundred who was not England contracted in 2019/20, but is contracted in 2020/21 can be retained by their team for 2021. However, the team’s other England player must be released to the ‘England pot’
A player not drafted by a team in The Hundred who was England contracted in 2019/20, but is in 2020/21 will go straight into the ‘England pot’.
England players and management are able to withdraw from team selection. In the 2021 squads, this applies to James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

As there are more than eight eligible contracted players, some teams have more than one player. No team has more than two players.

Once teams have chosen to retain or release players, any teams without an England player needed one. They then selected a player from the ‘England pot’ until all teams have one player. This was done in a draw order and resulted in Ollie Pope joining Welsh Fire.

As there are more than eight eligible contracted players, a new draw was made to select the remaining player(s). This meant that Rory Burns joined Oval Invincibles and Dom Sibley joined Birmingham Phoenix.

STAGE TWO:

THE RETENTION WINDOW

Teams start with their 2020 squad lists. From today they can negotiate to retain any or all of their players for 2021. A maximum of three overseas players are permitted.

Players can move up or down the squad list in terms of salary bracket.

NEW SALARY BANDS FOR 2021

Round 1: £100,000
Round 2: £80,000
Round 3: £60,000
Round 4: £48,000
Round 5: £40,000
Round 6: £32,000
Round 7: £24,000

Negotiations may take place during the ‘Retention Window,’ running from today (8 October 2020) through to the end of January 2021. Any player who has not agreed terms by the end of the retention window is automatically released.

Only players contracted to a team for 2020 will be able to sign contracts during the retention window.

STAGE THREE:

THE 2021 DRAFT

At the end of the retention window, The Hundred will publish the final retained player list. This will highlight slots available to teams for the 2021 Draft.

If only one player is retained in a salary band, the higher slot in that band will be left open for the Draft.

A draw for the picking order of the Draft will take place after the retention window.

Each team will have a ‘Right to Match’ option. This will apply to players contracted for 2020, but released into the 2021 Draft pool. If a new team wishes to sign that player, his 2020 team may stop this by guaranteeing him the same salary band. Each team may only do this once, and only if they have an available slot in their squad list at that salary band.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE HUNDRED DRAFT?

Each team have the opportunity for a final ‘Wildcard’ pick
This will be chosen before the 2021 season begins
Wildcard player will receive the lowest salary band
HOW ARE THE WOMEN’S TEAM PICKED?

In a two-stage process
All players can roll-over their 2020 contracts – the eight players announced today have done this
Any players not rolling-over their contracts are selected in an open-market system
 
Adil Rashid, David Willey and Katie Levick have been retained by Northern Superchargers for the inaugural edition of The Hundred while Hollie Armitage has joined the side after becoming the first women's player to switch teams.

England leg-spinner Rashid and all-rounder Willey will play for the men's team next summer, while leg-spinner Levick will represent the women's team.

Levick will be joined by batter Armitage, who has made the move from Oval Invincibles after the women's players were given the chance to retain their existing contracts or switch to another side after The Hundred was postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Huddersfield-born Armitage said: "I love being up north - there's no better place to be playing cricket and I can't wait to get started.

"There's been a lot of publicity around The Hundred, and I think it will be great - both on and off the field. I expect the competition to be central to women's cricket really taking off in this country.

"In terms of the format, there will be tactics which remain the same as T20 and some new innovations as well."

Levick, who took three wickets for Northern Diamonds in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Final defeat to Southern Vipers, added: "With the women's competition set-up, the power has gone to the players in a sense, and we got the option to stay on.

"The Superchargers were my first-choice last year, so it was a no-brainer for me to take up that option again. To get that secured really early on is great.

"I was excited for the first competition this summer just gone, and it was only a global pandemic which derailed it. I can't wait for next year. It will be a fantastic spectacle for everyone.

"We had the makings of a really good team with the Superchargers last year, and hopefully we carry as many players over as possible because we'll have a great chance of success."

Rashid and Willey were selected as local icons before the first men's player draft in October 2019 and will continue to represent Superchargers, alongside their allocated Test player, Ben Stokes.

Rashid said: "I'm really pleased to be staying with the team. We were all sad that The Hundred couldn't take place this year but that was beyond anyone's control.

"With myself, Ben and David already confirmed we're looking to build a really strong side for 2021 and hopefully we can have a successful first season."

Willey added: "I've loved spending the past five years playing in Yorkshire and it's exciting to be taking part in a new competition at my home ground.

"I've really enjoyed playing in white-ball tournaments both here and around the world and I'm looking forward to testing myself in The Hundred.

"Rash and I were delighted to be chosen as local icons last year and it means a lot that the side have continued to show faith in us."

It had previously been announced that England Women batter Lauren Winfield-Hill has been retained from the initial Northern Superchargers squad.

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/n...rthern-superchargers-as-hollie-armitage-joins
 
England’s World Cup winning captains Heather Knight and Eoin Morgan will be leading London Spirit women’s and men’s teams respectively in The Hundred next year, it has been announced today. Knight and Morgan will be joined by Naomi Dattani and Dan Lawrence, who have also been retained.

Eoin and Heather will join the team based at Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, where they both lifted the World Cup. Heather led England to victory against India there in the ICC Women’s World Cup in 2017, and Eoin followed suit with the men’s side two years later in equally dramatic fashion.

Eoin Morgan said, “I am delighted to be retained as Captain of London Spirit. We have the makings of a great squad and I’m looking forward to playing at the Home of Cricket in this exciting new format. I believe we will have a great blend of skills both in the squad and our coaching staff and I can’t wait to get going.”

Heather Knight said, “It is a real honour to be retained as skipper for next year. We are beginning to build an exciting side and hopefully we can make a real impact on the pitch.

“While it was obviously disappointing that the competition wasn’t able to take place this year, The Hundred promises to be a real leap forward for our sport and I can’t wait to lead the side in 2021."

All-rounder Dattani was part of the Western Storm squad who won the Kia Super League in 2019. The Middlesex captain also made history earlier this year, when she became one of the first wave of professional domestic female cricketers, signing for the new London & East regional team, the Sunrisers.

Naomi Dattani added, “It’s really exciting to compete in The Hundred next year. The competition will be a big step forward for the women's game, offering the opportunity for professional women’s cricket to be presented on the same platform, and with equal billing, alongside the men’s game. The wait will definitely be worth it, and I’m really looking forward to get going in 2021.”

Dan Lawrence was named as a men’s local icon pick by London Spirit last year prior to the postponement of the competition. The talented young batter was called up as a reserve for the England men’s Test squad this summer following a successful winter down under with the England Lions.

Dan Lawrence said, “I’m thrilled to be retained by London Spirit. The Hundred will give players a great opportunity to learn from the best and with Eoin Morgan as Captain I hope to develop my game and be a major part of the success of the team.

“It is a very exciting new format and I think the squad we are putting together will perform really well. The added bonus will be the opportunity to play at Lord’s which is every player’s dream.”

Last month it was announced that Zak Crawley and Deandra Dottin will be part of the London Spirit men’s and women’s squads respectively in 2021.
 
Oval Invincibles have today announced that Georgia Adams, Tom Curran, Tash Farrant, and Reece Topley will be part of their men’s and women’s squads for the first season of The Hundred in 2021.

Tom Curran will be playing at his home ground alongside brother and fellow England international Sam who was retained by Oval Invincibles last month. Renowned for his death bowling ability in white-ball cricket, Tom has featured in high profile leagues across the world including the Big Bash and the IPL.

Tom Curran said, “I am thrilled to be playing for Oval Invincibles. I love playing at the Oval and it will be special to play in the first season of The Hundred at my home ground.

“I think The Hundred is an incredibly exciting competition and I’m really looking forward to it. We are building a strong squad with a number of local players which I hope will help us be successful next summer.”

Georgia Adams starred for Southern Vipers in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy this summer, leading the side to the trophy with over 500
runs including an incredible 154* in what was a breakout tournament for the Sussex-based batter.

Georgia Adams said, “I can’t wait for next year so we can finally get the long-awaited chance to compete in The Hundred. It will definitely be the spectacle of the summer and I’m particularly looking forward to playing a format of cricket where I can express myself as a batter and play expansive cricket.

“I’m excited about joining up with my teammates at Oval Invincibles and getting the opportunity to be based at one of the top cricket grounds in the country.”

Left-arm seamer Tash Farrant is no stranger to the Oval and the South East of the country - the England international captained the South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and has been a key member of a very successful Kent side since 2012.
Tash Farrant said, “It’s great to know that I’m staying at Oval Invincibles for the first season of The Hundred. The women’s game continues to grow despite the wider challenges the entire sport is facing and next summer can’t come soon enough.”

Fellow England and Surrey seamer Reece Topley will be lining up alongside the two Curran brothers at the Kia Oval. Topley battled back from a series of injuries to feature for England in this summer’s Royal London Series against Ireland. The left-arm quick moved to Surrey in 2019 on a white-ball deal after spells with Essex, Hampshire and Sussex.

Reece Topley said, “It was a no brainer to stay at Oval Invincibles and I’m really pleased it has been confirmed. I’ve got some good memories of playing at the Oval already and I’m looking forward to creating some more in The Hundred next summer.”
The newly confirmed quartet join Rory Burns, Sam Curran and Fran Wilson at Oval Invincibles ahead of the first season of The Hundred in 2021.
 
The Hundred Women’s Competition will be played across the same eight venues due to host the Men’s Competition in 2021.

The decision has been taken due to the operational implications of COVID-19, with double-headers and increased alignment with the men’s teams providing the Women’s Competition with appropriate visibility and exposure – including more comprehensive broadcast coverage.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the plan had been for The Hundred Women’s Competition to use 20 venues across England and Wales but the shift to eight venues for 2021 recognises the need to adapt for the first year of the competition.

The model will be reviewed after 2021, with competition organisers keen to learn year on year and, where necessary, refine the model to continue to deliver the optimum structure for The Hundred Women’s Competition, and growth for the wider women’s game.

Head of The Hundred Women’s Competition & Female Engagement, Beth Barrett-Wild, said: “It has always been our intention to review the structure of the Women’s Competition on an annual basis, to ensure that we are maximising the scale and prominence that The Hundred platform provides to profile the women’s game.

“Looking ahead to 2021, it’s clear that the wide ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of elite sporting events and society more generally, necessitates a change to our plans from 2020.

“The move to an integrated eight-venue model with the Men’s Competition next summer will simultaneously enable us to reduce our operational risk, protect the delivery of the Women’s Competition, and optimise the opportunity to work with our broadcast partners to provide maximum visibility and exposure for the women’s game.

“We therefore believe that this is the best structure for the Women’s Competition in 2021. However, with the women’s game transforming and growing at pace, it is important that we remain flexible in our approach to evolving this model in the future.”
 
Australian stars Ashleigh Gardner and Asam Zampa headline a group of eight players who have signed up for Birmingham Phoenix in next year’s inaugural The Hundred competition.

Leg-spinner Zampa, who is ranked five in the ICC men’s T20 bowler rankings, and all-rounder Gardner, who won the ICC women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, join a further six locally-based players from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in committing to Birmingham Phoenix.

Warwickshire batsman Adam Hose and fast bowler Henry Brookes, alongside Worcestershire seamer Pat Brown, have signed up for the Birmingham Phoenix men’s team. Warwickshire and Central Sparks batters Ria Fackrell, Eve Jones and Marie Kelly have also joined the Edgbaston-based outfit.

Adam Zampa said: “I’m over the moon to know that I’m staying with Birmingham Phoenix and to help this new team mount a serious challenge in this first year of The Hundred.

“Birmingham is a fantastic city and I’m really looking forward to calling Edgbaston home. Hopefully we can welcome crowds and our new fans to the ground because, having played against England at Edgbaston, I know that the atmosphere there is awesome.”

Ashleigh Gardner said: “We’ve got the makings of an excellent Birmingham Phoenix squad and I can’t wait to get going in next year’s competition and to continue working with head coach Ben Sawyer, who I know so well from Sydney Sixers and the Australia women’s team.

“Speaking to players around the world, there’s so much excitement around The Hundred and it’s fantastic to see so many of the best players coming for this first competition. I believe that we’ve got a great chance of going all of the way and bringing the trophy back to Birmingham.”

Birmingham Phoenix announced last month that Birmingham-born England all-rounder Moeen Ali will captain the men’s team in 2021 with leading New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine appointed women’s team captain.

They will be joined by fellow England stars and Birmingham’s own all-rounder Chris Woakes and wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones in the men’s and women’s squads respectively. Warwickshire and England men’s Test batsman Dom Sibley was also announced within the Phoenix squad last month.

Further players will be announced in the coming weeks.
 
Southern Brave today announced the signing of 13 players ahead of The Hundred launching in 2021.

World Cup winners Anya Shrubsole and Danielle Wyatt will be lining up on the south coast for the women’s squad, while England internationals Liam Dawson, James Vince and Chris Jordan are among those confirmed for the men’s squad.

They will join up with global stars Jofra Archer and Stafanie Taylor who have already been confirmed as playing for Southern Brave in the exciting new 100-ball format which features world-class domestic and international players in men’s and women’s competitions.

The competition will be played at the height of summer and feature eight city-based teams from Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton and two in London. It will be screened live by Sky and the BBC.

Left arm spinner Dawson and his Hampshire captain Vince will be joined by an array of quality quick bowlers with Jordan signing up alongside his Sussex teammates George Garton and Tymal Mills. In addition, Sussex allrounder Delray Rawlins is confirmed as staying at the Ageas Bowl based side.

Shrubsole is one of England’s most successful ever bowlers with over 200 international wickets including match winning figures of 6-46 in the 2017 Women’s World Cup Final at Lord’s. Wyatt holds the record for the highest IT20 score by any England player with a blistering innings of 124 from only 64 balls against India in 2018.

The local link continues at Southern Brave with Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp, Tara Norris, Carla Rudd and Paige Scholfield all joining the squad. The group were all part of the Southern Vipers squad which won Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy last summer.

James Vince said: “I love playing at the Ageas Bowl and I’m delighted that I’ll get to represent Southern Brave next year in The Hundred. The draft went really well for us in 2019 and keeping so many of our picks should put us in a great position ahead of the start of the competition. It’s really important that we’ve retained a number of local players and I hope fans can enjoy seeing them in action next summer.”

Danielle Wyatt said: “I’m delighted to be playing for Southern Brave next year. Our squad is looking strong already with a mixture of quality local players and world class cricketers like Anya Shrubsole and Stafanie Taylor already confirmed. The Hundred is going to be great for the women’s game and I can’t wait to take part next summer and help inspire a new generation to watch and play the game.”
 
At first I was like hmmm, but the idea is growing on me. The most appealing aspect is how an entire game may potentially end in 2.5 hours and I feel the concept wont compromise on quality, cricket is just too long; even T20 which takes about 4 hours on average [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION]
 
A host of star names have put pen to paper to play in The Hundred this year, with over 100 players now confirmed for the new, action-packed 100-ball competition.

Welsh Fire have confirmed the signing of eight players including England internationals Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton and Ben Duckett. They are joined by a host of women’s stars with Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Lauren Filer, Sophie Luff and Natasha Wraith all confirmed.

The number one IT20 men’s batter in the world will play for Trent Rockets, with the Trent Bridge team confirming Dawid Malan will be staying with the side. He will be joined by local faces Matthew Carter, Tom Moores and Steven Mullaney.

Scottish international and ICC Women's Associate Player of the Decade, Kathryn Bryce, and fellow Lightning teammate, Abbey Freeborn, have also been retained by Trent Rockets.

Manchester Originals have confirmed a number of world class players with South African duo Lizelle Lee and Mignon du Preez signing up, alongside the exciting talents of Phil Salt and Joe Clarke.

England white-ball opener and Men’s World Cup winner Jason Roy will stay at Oval Invincibles, where he will be joined by two quality overseas bowlers in South African seamer Marizanne Kapp and West Indies spinner Sunil Narine.

London Spirit have also made strides in securing their overseas players with Pakistani quick Mohammad Amir, and a pair of all-rounders in Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and South Africa’s Chloe Tryon all due to represent the side at Lord’s this summer.

England international Kirstie Gordon and talented young Scottish legspinner Abtaha Maqsood will stay at Birmingham Phoenix alongside Tom Helm and Benny Howell, while Southern Brave welcome seamers Lauren Bell and Sonia Odedra, legspinner Max Waller and keeper Alex Davies.

Finally, Northern Superchargers have retained four players with Helen Fenby, Bess Heath, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Adam Lyth all staying with the Headingley-based side.

The remaining retained men’s players will be announced on deadline day on February 4 while the women’s squads will continue to be revealed in the coming months.

The Hundred will take place this summer and feature eight city-based teams from Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton and two in London. It will be screened live by Sky and the BBC.

Jonny Bairstow said: “I’m delighted to be staying at Welsh Fire and I'm really looking forward to representing the team this summer. Ben (Duckett) and Tom (Banton) are both excellent players and we’ve got the makings of a really strong line-up.”

Lizelle Lee said: “I’ve got some fantastic memories of playing in England both internationally and in the Kia Super League and I can’t wait to take part in The Hundred later this year for Manchester Originals. It’s really exciting to be playing in a new competition and I think it’s a great opportunity to continue to grow the women’s game.”

Dawid Malan said: “I was really pleased when Trent Rockets picked me in the men’s draft and it was a no-brainer to stay with the side. We’ve got a really exciting mix of local talent and overseas stars and we’ll be aiming to bring the trophy to Trent Bridge.”

Marizanne Kapp said: “The Kia Oval is a fantastic place to play cricket and I’m really looking forward to playing for Oval Invincibles there. We’ve got a great group of players and I’m hoping we can go all the way in the competition.”

Full list of signings announced today:

Birmingham Phoenix: Emily Arlott, Kirstie Gordon, Tom Helm, Benny Howell, Phoebe Franklin, Abtaha Maqsood

London Spirit: Mohammad Amir, Amara Carr, Aylish Cranstone, Jade Dernbach, Danielle Gibson, Mohammad Nabi, Luis Reece, Adam Rossington, Susie Rowe, Chloe Tryon

Manchester Originals: Joe Clarke, Danielle Collins, Mignon du Preez, Alice Dyson, Cordelia Griffith, Hannah Jones, Lizelle Lee, Phil Salt

Northern Superchargers: Helen Fenby, Bess Heath, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Adam Lyth

Oval Invincibles: Megan Belt, Alex Blake, Eva Gray, Marizanne Kapp, Sunil Narine, Jason Roy, Rhianna Southby, Nathan Sowter

Southern Brave: Lauren Bell, Alex Davies, Sonia Odedra, Max Waller

Trent Rockets: Kathryn Bryce, Matthew Carter, Abbey Freeborn, Dawid Malan, Tom Moores, Steven Mullaney

Welsh Fire: Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Lauren Filer, Sophie Luff, Natasha Wraith
 
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