The inaugural Hundred was played in England last year and many international stars from India, South Africa, West Indies and of course England participated in the newest format of the game. The tournament turned out to be a grand success as it garnered a lot of viewership as well as crowds in the stadium.
After missing out on playing in the inaugural season of the Hundred, the leading Australian stars are all set to be a part of the second edition of the Hundred that will be played in England in 2022.
Last year, 11 Australian women cricketers, including Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney and others, withdrew from the inaugural edition of the Hundred due to the strict two-week quarantine to be followed after returning home from England. The two-week quarantine would have eaten up the Australians’ preparation time for the India series, which started in September. While the Australian international players did not feature in the first season of the Hundred, the domestic players from Down Under participated in the marquee event.
Going into the Hundred that will be played this year, it is known that several key Australian players, including captain Meg Lanning, wicket-keeper-batter Alyssa Healy, and all-rounder Tahlia McGrath have signed up to play the English franchise cricket competition. With most of the quarantine requirements eased, the Australians will be more than happy to play this exciting tournament. It is also known that their salaries have been doubled compared to that offered last year.
The women’s Hundred will be played between August 11 and September 3 this year. The tournament will start just four days after the Commonwealth Games that will be hosted by Edgbaston. The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) is hopeful that most of the international players featuring in the Commonwealth Games will stay back in England to play the Hundred.
Beth Barrett-Wild, the head of the women’s Hundred told the Unofficial Partner podcast, “We didn’t quite end up with the original line-up of overseas stars we thought we were going to have, especially in the women’s competition. Hopefully, we’ll see them back next year. I think with the Commonwealth Games happening immediately prior to the Hundred, we’re optimistic that we’ll get into a good place with that.”
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Author of the poetry book ‘The Scent of Rhythm’, I am a passionate writer and a Sports enthusiast who writes on Cricket and plays Badminton.