The Women’s Hundred competition starts on August 1st, and when it gets underway, the Oval Invincibles, along with their head coach, Jonathan Batty, will be aiming for their third successive title.
The Invincibles won the inaugural title in 2021, defeating the Southern Brave by 48 runs in the final. Then in 2022, they backed up their win by again beating the Southern Brave in the final, this time by 5 wickets. And as a result, they are favored to win again this year.
Who is the favorite to win the Women’s Hundred in 2023?
In the eyes of the bookmakers, the Women’s Hundred competition is very open, with all eight franchises having a chance of winning. The betting favorites are the Oval Invincibles, which is no major surprise. The Invincibles are +400 in the latest cricket betting odds online, putting them just ahead of the Southern Braves and the Trent Rockets, who are both at +450.
Next, it’s the Northern Superchargers and the Birmingham Phoenix, both at +500. Then comes the Manchester Originals at +550, with the London Spirit at +600. Finally, the last side in the betting is the Welsh Fire, who are slightly cut adrift, but not massively, at +800.
So in such a tight-looking competition on paper, what can make one franchise stand out above the others? Well, in the case of the Oval Invincibles, it could be their head coach, Jonathan Batty.
Who is Jonathan Batty?
Jonathan Batty is a former English County Championship cricketer who made his name at Surrey as a wicketkeeper/batter. Upon his retirement in 2012, he was described as the best player never to be capped for the England men’s team.
After retiring, Batty went on to become a full-time school teacher, combining his role as a Geography teacher with being the Head of Cricket at Caterham School. Working in a school in the Surrey catchment area meant Batty retained his links with the county, which led to him becoming a coach with Surrey Women and the Surrey Stars.
Impressed with the job done by Batty, he was offered the role of head coach of the Women’s Oval Invincibles team in 2021. And it’s fair to say that things have gone well.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/0RGUCQCozE
— Jonathan Batty (@jonathanbatty) August 22, 2021
Understated Batty should not be underestimated
Even when he was a player, plying his trade with Surrey and Gloucestershire, the name of Jonathan Batty was never a household one. And he still isn’t a household name now. But the influence Batty is having on women’s cricket cannot be underestimated and is growing.
As a result of helping the Oval Invincibles to the inaugural Women’s Hundred title, Batty was appointed the head coach of the Women’s Melbourne Stars team in May 2022, a role he still holds, and has now been extended for a further two years.
At the Melbourne Stars, Batty worked alongside Australian captain Meg Lanning, who also captains the Stars. Such is the impressive job the duo has done in Victoria, they were hired to do the same coach-captain roles for the Women’s Delhi Capitals in the inaugural season of the Women’s IPL in 2023.
The colours that we will roar for – 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒆𝒈 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 🫡#YehHaiNayiDilli #CapitalsUniverse #TATAWPL #MegLanning pic.twitter.com/HfXl7mWnTj
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 2, 2023
Safe hands
With Batty as head coach, the Oval Invincibles are in safe hands. Batty is now getting worldwide recognition for his excellent work in the women’s game.
And with him in charge, there is every chance the Oval Invincibles can make history by winning the Women’s Hundred for a third successive time.
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