The Hundred draft 2022 LIVE: Every team’s picks, fixtures and ticket news
The Southern Brave won the first men’s title last year, with many high-profile overseas stars available in this year’s draft
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The Hundred returns in 2022 after the inaugural edition of English cricket’s franchise short-format competition was held last year. Pre-tournament favourites Southern Brave became the first men’s champions, and will be hoping to again assemble a strong squad in the player draft. Teams were permitted to retain up to ten men’s players from 2021, negotiating new contracts during the retention window. After the retention period, there are 42 open spots across the eight teams to be filled in a snake-draft system held remotely.
Welsh Fire have the most spots to fill, with seven, while the defending champions and Trent Rockets have only four players to recruit. London Spirit have the top pick having finished last in 2021. Each team has a single “Right to Match” card that can be used to match the bid made by another outfit for a player under contract in 2021, provided they have a pick in the necessary salary band. 17 overseas and 25 domestic players will be slotted to teams during the draft, before squads are filled out by one overseas and one domestic wildcard in July.
While international commitments may impact on availability, there are a number of high-profile overseas stars likely to attract top-bracket attention – with David Warner, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell chief among them. Batters Laurie Evans, who failed to agree a retention deal with the Oval Invincibles, and Joe Clarke could capitalise on strong winter performances and be high-ticket domestic options.
Women’s picks also set to be announced
The assembly of the women’s Hundred squads works differently to the men’s, with no draft and instead an open recruitment process. London Spirit and Welsh Fire will be announcing their recruits in about five minutes’ time for both the men’s and women’s side - after most first-choice Australian players pulled out last year, which of Meg Lanning’s newly-crowned World Cup winners will find new homes for 2022?
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do the Southern Brave need?
As could perhaps have been predicted, the defending champions in the men’s Hundred have retained much of their squad. Tim David has established himself as a globe-trotting power-hitting superstar since playing only briefly in last year’s edition and has been kept on, and Marcus Stoinis will make his debut after missing out last year. Quinton de Kock could be brought back either with Southern Brave’s first pick or using the RTM card to complete the first-choice overseas group.
Three left-arm orthodox spinners were let go, so a player to fulfil that role is likely to be one of four draft choices this afternoon.
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do the Birmingham Phoenix need?
The Birmingham Phoenix have favoured a phalanx of power-hitters and handy all-round options, with data analyst Dan Weston influential. A partner for Will Smeed at the top of the order is a likely recruit unless Moeen Ali is pushed up, while a spinner to complement Moeen and Liam Livingstone may be targeted. The squad looks short of a left-arm seamer, so expect to see one added in the draft.
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do the Trent Rockets need?
Trent Rockets’ men require only four players having largely kept faith with last season’s group. Dawid Malan is one of their Test contracted assignees but now out-of-favour with England, which is valuable. Depending on the desired role for Mala, Trent Rockets may seek an overseas opener to partner Alex Hales or a middle-order player to slot in at three or four.
Rashid Khan could miss parts of the tournament playing for Afghanistan, so a reserve wrist-spinner may be useful.
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do the Oval Invincibles need?
Another strong team on paper entering the draft, the Oval Invincibles are widely tipped to use their “right-to-match” card to bring back Sunil Narine and fill one of their overseas slots. The likely departure of Laurie Evans is a blow, even if he was never quite used to his full potential. The domestic pace attack is one of the strongest in the competition already but Sam Curran and Saqib Mahmood may both be eyeing Test call-ups, so some cover may be useful.
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do the Northern Superchargers need?
There was a lot to like about the Northern Superchargers’ squad for the 2021 edition of The Hundred (Men’s), even if they fell short of the play-offs. In Adam Lyth, Faf du Plessis, Harry Brook, David Willey, John Simpson, Brydon Carse and Adil Rashid they have kept faith in a strong spine, with du Plessis’s likely availability good news after missing last year’s tournament with concussion.
James Foster has taken the reins at Headingley and a death bowler is almost certainly in his thinking early on, while a left-handed middle order ball striker to cover for Ben Stokes would be useful, even if the versatile Willey can fulfil a variety of roles. A spinner, too, may be added to combine with Rashid and Callum Parkinson.
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do the Manchester Originals need?
One side unlikely to be looking for top order batters are the Manchester Originals, with Jos Buttler and Phil Salt a potentially dominant opening pair who are now teammates at Lancashire after Salt’s offseason move north. The Originals also have a strong domestic spin bowling corps led by Matt Parkinson, and thus should seek overseas pace bowlers and middle order hitters. Andre Russell could be a target to fulfil both roles.
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do Welsh Fire need?
Welsh Fire never quite translated their supreme batting potential into consistent performances last year, and have released Tom Banton ahead of 2022. With Jonny Bairstow now looking more and more likely to be an England Test regular, a potential captain who bats in the top-order may appeal early on. Welsh Fire have four of the first 16 picks so have the ability to draft significant top-end talent - and coach Gary Kirsten is targeting a rounded squad.
“The key to these short format tournaments is having guys that you feel, on their day, can really contribute to the success of the team,” Kirsten said to the BBC.
“I think if you’re relying on just one, two or three players you can get into trouble.”
Though all-rounder Matt Critchley is a very useful option, a top-class wristspinner could also be high on the list of targets.
The Hundred Draft 2022: What do the London Spirit need?
Like most of the tournament’s key personnel, Trevor Bayliss is in India for the IPL as he assembles his London Spirit men’s squad for 2022. He faces a tough task to improve last year’s bottom-placed finishers, who have plenty of holes in their squad.
They are expected to use their first pick on Kieron Pollard, adding significant punch to a middle order that will also include Glenn Maxwell and experienced options in Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara. A high-quality domestic opener would be useful with Zak Crawley likely to miss parts of the tournament while on Test duty, while a lead quick bowler plus a left-arm spinner with the ability to bowl in the powerplay could help balance an attack short of proven options beyond the developing Mason Crane.
The Hundred 2022: Trevor Bayliss replaces the late Shane Warne at London Spirit
With the cricket world still very much processing the shock passing of Shane Warne, London Spirit have announced that World Cup winning England coach Trevor Bayliss will replace his fellow Australian at the Lord’s-based franchise, reuniting with Eoin Morgan.
Trevor Bayliss named London Spirit head coach after Shane Warne’s death
The 59-year-old takes on the role for an initial one-year period.
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