The Hundred: Meet the Trent Rockets

From one of the best mystery spinners in the men's game to one of the most destructive and consistent all-rounders in the women's, here's BBC Sport's guide to the Trent Rockets team in The Hundred.

The coaches: The data man & the experienced Beams

Former England head coach Andy Flower has stepped in to coach the men's team, while Salliann Beams, who has experience of leading sides to finals, will be in the charge of the women's team

Trent Rockets are one of the sides who have been forced into a coaching change as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was due to take charge of the men's team, but has opted out of the inaugural year, with former England head coach Andy Flower taking up the mantle instead.

The 53-year-old led England to number one in the Test rankings in 2011, and that was after success in the Twenty20 World Cup in 2010.

He has experience in franchise leagues all around the world, including the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Indian Premier League (IPL), and he steered Maratha Arabians to T10 League glory in 2019.

The former Zimbabwe international is known as a tough cookie, and demands high standards from his players. Flower is big on data and hired England analyst Nathan Leamon to work alongside him at Multan Sultans in the PSL so expect his side to be well prepared.

The women's team is being led by former England international Salliann Beams.

Since retiring in 2008, she has held numerous coaching roles. She is currently in charge of Australian side Tasmanian Tigers, and leads Hobart Hurricanes in the Women's Big Bash. Under her guidance the Hurricanes have finished bottom twice and second-bottom once.

The 37-year-old has had more success in England, having coached Loughborough Lightning to a second and third-placed finish in the Kia Super League during her three-year tenure from 2016 to 2018.

Ones to watch: The number one pick & belligerent Hales

Number one pick Rashid Khan and powerful top-order batsman Alex Hales will be hoping to do the business for Trent Rockets

Trent Rockets were the lucky team to have the number one pick when the draft took place in 2019.

Who do you go for when you've got an extensive list of world-class overseas and domestic talent? Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan.

Rashid, a regular in Twenty20 competitions all around the world, is currently ranked as the second-best bowler in international T20 cricket, and averages a quite ridiculous 12.63 in the format. He also takes a wicket every 12 runs, which is practically unheard of.

Trent Bridge is one of the smaller grounds in England, so his canny change-ups are going to be key to restricting opposition totals.

Powerful. Brutal. Belligerent: those are just three of the words you could use to describe opener Alex Hales.

At 32, the right-hander is at the top of his game. He was the top run-scorer in the 2021 Big Bash, scoring 543 runs. He's scored more than 8,000 runs, at a strike-rate of 145.58, in T20 cricket.

Ones to watch: The power couple - Sciver & Brunt

Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt will be teaming up at Trent Bridge

We couldn't really pick anyone else, could we?

England all-rounders Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt's planned marriage was postponed in 2020 because of the pandemic. They are a deadly duo in the international arena, and teaming up together here will make Trent Rockets a formidable outfit.

Sciver is ranked as the second-best all-rounder in international Twenty20 cricket, and is fourth on the one-day list.

With the bat she brings power, innovation and an ability to pace and structure an innings, while she has a knack of chipping in with key wickets with ball in hand.

The 28-year-old has played 160 times for England now, and her experience will be crucial because she's set to take on the captaincy too.

Where do you start with Katherine Brunt? She's got a reputation as being one of the fiercest competitors in the game, so expect to see plenty of stern faces and her throwing herself around the outfield.

She's represented England 228 times, taking 291 wickets. If there is any swing to be had, Brunt will find it.

The 35-year-old is also incredibly useful with the bat.

The Young Guns: England's rising star & Notts' key left-hander

The Hundred is another opportunity for Sarah Glenn and Tom Moores to boost their growing profile

Ok, we admit it. We might be cheating slightly including Sarah Glenn considering she's played 24 times for England already, but at just 21 we haven't even begun to see the best of the spinner.

Glenn continued her rise by being the Professional Cricketers' Association's women's player of the year in 2020, after an impressive series against West Indies.

In total she's taken 27 wickets, at an average of 12,48, in international Twenty20 cricket, and 11 more in one-day internationals. She's handy with the bat too, and is known to hit the ball in unusual areas - potentially down to her hockey background - which makes setting fields to her extremely tough.

Someone who has played almost 150 first-class games might not be considered a young gun, but such is the experience in the Trent Rockets squad, wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Moores will be one of the youngest members of the squad at 24.

He is a left-handed batsman, and has experience of winning the T20 Blast with his county side Notts Outlaws. He averages 24.6 and strikes at 135.7 in the format.

This tournament will only help his development, especially with top-class left-handed batters such as Australia's D'Arcy Short and the number-one ranked T20 batter in the world in England's Dawid Malan alongside him in the changing room.

Why Trent Rockets will win The Hundred

Rockets captain Lewis Gregory will be hoping to play all the right tunes with his team and field selections

The main reason the men's team will win the competition? Experience. The average age of their 15-man squad is just a smidge under 30.

When games get tight, on the small and unusually-shaped Trent Bridge, that experience is going to be invaluable.

In Hales, Malan, Joe Root and Short, runs shouldn't be an issue and they are bound to post imposing totals, and be unfazed by big chases.

Captain Lewis Gregory is an experienced hand too, and his stock is rising after an impressive Big Bash earlier in 2021.

The women's team will win The Hundred because of their England stars. Sciver and Brunt are consistent performers, while in Glenn the Rockets have one of the most promising talents in the game.

Likewise with their three overseas stars -the trio of Rachel Priest, Sammy-Jo Johnson and Heather Graham - they are cricketers who produce solid display after solid display.

Scotland's Kathryn Bryce will play a key role, and the likes of Lucy Higham and Teresa Graves are improving all the time.

Why they won't win The Hundred?

Serial competitor Katherine Brunt will be hoping the Rockets can avoid mistakes throughout the competition

The main reason the men's team won't win the competition is their bowling. They are lacking wicket-taking options at the start and end of the innings, and if Rashid fails to fire they could struggle.

Elsewhere there is no real express pace or surprise option, and while Wahab Riaz - one of Rockets' overseas signings - can take wickets, he does tend to be quite expensive.

They will also be without Root for the majority of the tournament due to international duty, and Malan has been touted for an England Test recall.

While a strength of the men's side is experience, the same can't really be said for the women's squad. While Brunt, Sciver and Priest have it in abundance, Glenn is still learning, Graham only has only one international appearance, and Johnson none.

All of their other domestic players are aged under 24 as well. In tight moments, they could lack the necessary experience and nous to get over the line.

They shouldn't struggle for wickets, but runs may be hard to come by. They are lacking a top-order hitter to get them off to a fast start and may have to rely on their middle order a few times throughout the tournament.