Analysing the Strength and Weakness of all Teams in "The Hundred"

With less than 100 days to go for “The Hundred” which is unequivocally the world’s much-awaited and anticipated competition, there are a lot of discussions going around the teams, players to watch out for, and which team has a strong chance of winning the inaugural competition.

A total of eight teams will be participating. Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire will lock horns against each other in the month-long tournament that kick starts on July 21. Each team has a good mix of international stars and domestic talent.

Here are the eight squads that will be hitting the ground:

Birmingham Phoenix	London Spirit	Manchester Originals	Northern Superchargers	Oval Invincibles	Southern Brave	Trent Rockets	Welsh Fire
Sophie Devine*	Deandra Dottin*	Kate Cross*	Hollie Armitage	Fran Wilson*	Maia Bouchier	Katherine Brunt*	Katie George*
Amy Jones*	Naomi Dattani	Danielle Collins	Nicola Carey*	Georgia Adams	Freya Kemp	Nat Sciver*	Alex Griffiths
Ria Fackrell	Heather Knight*	Mignon du Preez*	Alice Davidson-Richards	Tash Farrant	Tara Norris	Elyse Villani*	Georgia Hennessy
Ashleigh Gardner*	Amara Carr	Alice Dyson	Helen Fenby	Megan Belt	Carla Rudd	Kathryn Bryce	Lauren Filer
Marie Kelly	Aylish Cranstone	Cordelia Griffith	Alyssa Healy*	Eva Gray	Paige Scholfield	Abbey Freeborn	Sophie Luff
Evelyn Jones	Danielle Gibson	Hannah Jones	Bess Heath	Marizanne Kapp*	Anya Shrubsole*	Nancy Harman	Natasha Wraith
Emily Arlott	Susie Rowe	Lizelle Lee*	Beth Langston	Rhianna Southby	Stafanie Taylor*	Lucy Higham	Amy Gordon
Kirstie Gordon*	Chloe Tryon*	Georgie Boyce	Katie Levick	Sarah Bryce	Danni Wyatt*	Sophie Molineux*	Meg Lanning*
Phoebe Franklin	Charlie Dean	Natalie Brown	Linsey Smith*	Alice Capsey	Lauren Bell	Annabel Sutherland*	Beth Mooney*
Abtaha Maqsood	Freya Davies*	Ellie Threlkeld	Lauren Winfield-Hill*	Jo Gardner	Sonia Odedra	Michaela Kirk	Bryony Smith
Thea Brookes	Hannah Jones	Alex Hartley	Georgia Davis	Dane Van Niekerk*	Amelia Kerr*	Ellie Mitchell	Sarah Taylor*
Gwen Davies	Sophie Munro	Emma Lamb		Rachael Haynes*	Fi Morris		Georgia Wareham*
Isabelle Wong	Tammy Beaumont*	Sophie Ecclestone*		Mady Villiers*	Sophia Dunkley
Georgia Elwiss				Rachael Haynes*	Suzie Bates*
Ellyse Perry*

* Players who have represented/represent their country

There are a total of 38 players who have either always played for their country or are currently representing their nation in the mix.

Team	Players who have represented/represent their country	Total players
Australia	Ashleigh Gardner, Nicola Carey, Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes, Elyse Villani, Sophie Molineux, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham	12
England	Amy Jones, Kirstie Gordon, Freya Davies, Heather Knight, Kate Cross, Linsey Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Fran Wilson, Anya Shrubsole, Katherine Brunt, Nat Sciver, Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt, Katie George, Sarah Taylor, Mady Villiers	17
New Zealand	Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates	3
South Africa	Chloe Tryon, Mignon du Preez, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk	5
West Indies	Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor	2

Though all the squads look nice and solid on paper, if there is one team that can give the remaining seven sides a run for their money, it could be Birmingham Phoenix. A strong squad consisting of 15 members boasts of New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine and Australian all-rounders Ashleigh Gardner and Ellyse Perry. The trio among themselves shares a whopping sum of 533 international wickets and 11,419 international runs in 538 international appearances.

Birmingham Phoenix Women are heading to the tournament as main favorites with odds at 4/1 to win Women’s Hundred in July according to SportsBettingDime.com

Apart from Devine, Gardner, and Perry, there is England’s swashbuckling wicket-keeper bat Amy Ellen Jones, who can be the X-factor player. Jones is one of the safest houses behind the stumps and has the reputation of hitting the long ball at will.

Along with the international stars, Birmingham Phoenix has a good pool of domestic talent. The county players have been a part of Kia Super League and have shown that they have the ability to dazzle in the shortest format of the game.

In addition to the players, the role of the coach is very important in the success of the team. Birmingham Phoenix has Ben Sawyer as its coach. Sawyer is an Australian cricket coach, who is the current head coach of the Sydney Sixers women’s team in WBBL, an assistant coach of the Australia women’s national cricket team, and a coach of New South Wales Breakers. Under his tutelage and the Perry-Sawyer combination, Sydney Sixers have already won two out of six titles. Birmingham Phoenix will hope that Sawyer brings the same success for the team in The Hundred.

Juili Ballal

I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.