Today, the ECB have announced the list of players who will be retained by franchises for this year's Hundred competition in August, with four Middlesex players and one Sunrisers player named in the list of 137 players retained.
In the Men's competition, new Middlesex arrival, Leus du Plooy will once again represent Southern Brave in 2024, Stephen Eskinazi will feature for Welsh Fire in Cardiff, Max Holden has been retained by 2023 finalists Manchester Originals, and Tom Helm will again play for Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston.
In the Women's competition, Sunrisers star Mady Villiers will once again feature south of the river for the Oval Invincibles.
The ECB's press release can be read below:
The Hundred teams announce retained players on Deadline Day
Rashid Khan, Ellyse Perry, Hayley Matthews, Jos Buttler, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Haris Rauf are among the players retained by The Hundred teams on Deadline Day ahead of the fourth year of the competition.
Teams in the men’s competition are able to retain up to 10 players, and teams in the women's competition can retain up to eight.
Across both competitions, 137 players have been retained in total, meaning 75 spots remain to be filled at The Hundred Draft powered by Sage.
The Hundred Draft, powered by Sage, will take place at The Shard on Wednesday 20 March, live-streamed from 5.30pm on thehundred.com, YouTube and TikTok. Each team will take it in turns to select domestic and overseas players to complete their squads.
Northern Superchargers men’s team – under the new leadership of England legend Freddie Flintoff – will have the first pick.
In the women’s competition, Birmingham Phoenix – who have retained both Ellyse Perry and Sophie Devine – will be the first side choosing.
Across both competitions, England stars Amy Jones, Dawid Malan and Jason Roy, as well as a host of international players, will be up for grabs. The full line-up of players available to sign in The Hundred Draft will be confirmed on Monday 4 March.
The Hundred’s fourth year gets underway at The Kia Oval on Tuesday 23 July with an Oval Invincibles v Birmingham Phoenix double-header – the first of 68 games that promise world class men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment.
Northern Superchargers and England Women bowler Kate Cross said: “It’s great to be retained by Northern Superchargers. We came pretty close last time round, and we want to build on that this year. I think we’ve got a really good group of players to build on, it’s always good to keep the core of a successful team together. The Hundred is an amazing competition to play in. The atmosphere is always fantastic, and the cricket really seemed to go to a new level last season. I’m looking forward to being back at Headingley in front of our fans.”
Trent Rockets all-rounder Rashid Khan said: “I’m so glad to be back at Trent Rockets for The Hundred this season. I was really disappointed to have to miss the competition last year, and it’s exciting to be able to return and hopefully to help the team to progress. We have kept our squad together since the first year and I think that will help us. I’m really excited about getting back in front of the fans at Trent Bridge.”
A record 580,000 fans were in attendance across The Hundred last season, including over 300,000 in the women’s competition. The Hundred’s blend of high-quality sport and entertainment saw 41% of all tickets sold to families, 23% to juniors and 30% to women.
From 13-27 March there will be an exclusive window open to buy tickets for fans who have previously attended The Hundred. There will be a priority window open from 9-23 April for all fans who sign up in advance at thehundred.com.
The general sale period begins from 25 April.
Tickets are once again great value, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 3-15 (free for under 3s) and adults starting from £11.
All games will again be live on Sky Sports and BBC broadcast and digital channels throughout the competition.
To stay up to date with the latest news, buy tickets or to sign up for priority access, visit thehundred.com or follow The Hundred, and the eight teams, on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
ENDS
