The Hundred: Meet Birmingham Phoenix

England stars Amy Jones and Liam Livingstone will be aiming to light up The Hundred for the Phoenix

They've packed their sides with arguably the most local talent of all The Hundred teams, and their women have pulled off one of the signings of the summer in Shafali Verma. How will Edgbaston's finest fare against some of the best in the country? Here's BBC Sport's guide to the Birmingham Phoenix.

The coaches

Daniel Vettori and Ben Sawyer will coach Birmingham Phoenix's men's and women's sides

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was a late call-up as men's head coach for this season after the withdrawal of Australian Andrew McDonald, who is set to return in 2022.

Vettori was due to be McDonald's assistant but has plenty of Twenty20 coaching experience, including with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash and Middlesex in the T20 Blast.

Ben Sawyer will take charge of a women's side containing one of the best players the women's game has ever seen, and one he has already coached to great success - Australia and Sydney Sixers star Ellyse Perry.

As Sixers head coach, Australian Sawyer has won two Women's Big Bash League titles and led his side to another two finals.

And during his tenure as Australia women's assistant coach, they have won two T20 World Cups and the 2019 Women's Ashes series in England.

Ones to watch: Livingstone's power and magical Moeen

England stars Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali could light up The Hundred with both bat and ball

Lancashire's Liam Livingstone has been widely regarded as one of the biggest hitters on the county circuit for a while now, and his talents have been on show for England this summer already.

And England's white-ball team is not an easy one to break into - so that is some achievement. He also has plenty of overseas experience in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals and Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash, so playing on the big stage won't come as a shock.

An opener by trade, Livingstone finds himself in England's middle order currently and also bowls some handy off spin, showing his versatility which is a real asset to any captain.

Birmingham-born Moeen Ali will captain his hometown team.

The England all-rounder has experience of leading a side to a white-ball title, having captained Worcestershire Rapids to victory in the 2018 T20 Blast.

While Moeen has had a difficult spell in his international career recently, he has remained a force in T20 cricket, impressing again in this year's postponed IPL.

Ones to watch: Sensational Shafali and brilliant Jones

Powerful India opener Shafali Verma and versatile England keeper Amy Jones will be crucial for the Phoenix

India's 17-year-old prodigy Shafali Verma has had a remarkable rise to the top - she is the world's best T20 batter already!

She became the youngest Indian cricketer to play all three formats at international level at the age of 17 years and 150 days in June.

She lit up 2020's T20 World Cup with some immense power hitting at the top of the order - so expect her to play her natural attacking game in The Hundred.

The loss of Ellyse Perry, due to personal reasons, will be a big blow for the Phoenix. She's won five World T20 titles and a 50-over World Cup with Australia, as well as two WBBL trophies, with her playing a pivotal role.

Her replacement is going to be key, but in her absence England wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones is going to be key.

Jones has batted at the top of the order for England, and more recently in the middle order, and her flexibility could prove invaluable as the competition progresses.

She possesses great power, and is capable of hitting 360 degrees - something all the best modern-day players can do.

Also, in Jones, Birmingham have one of, if not the best, keepers in the world. She is more than capable of standing up to the stumps to the quicker bowlers, and has fantastic hands to pull out the most incredible stumpings. Keep an eye out.

Young guns: Local heroes Brown and Wong

Pat Brown and Issy Wong are Birmingham Phoenix's youngest but brightest talents

Worcestershire native Pat Brown made headlines as England's most promising young white-ball bowler when he took 31 wickets at the age of 20 in the 2018 T20 Blast.

Boasting variations galore in his armoury, Brown bamboozled batters with his slower balls and cutters and earned himself an international call-up soon after.

He has faced setbacks since then, though, with back injuries halting his England progress and a difficult 2020 Blast as he made his comeback from them, but there is still plenty of potential in him to play a big part for Birmingham.

Issy Wong is another product of Warwickshire's junior set-up, and another fast bowler - she's previously spoken about wanting to be the first woman to bowl at speeds in excess of 80mph.

Just 19 years old, Wong was part of England's bio-bubble in 2020 and travelled to New Zealand with the side for their winter tour.

A professional with Central Sparks, she possesses pace and bounce rarely seen in the women's game and will be a real asset for any team. She can also solve a Rubik's cube in a matter of seconds.

Why Phoenix will win The Hundred

The Phoenix will hope England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss can play for most of the tournament

The teams that will do well in this tournament are those that grasp the nuances of this format very quickly and both Phoenix sides have adaptable, experienced cricketers.

The men's side possess World Cup winners Moeen and Chris Woakes as well as South Africa spinner Imran Tahir, while Liam Livingstone offers plenty of modern white-ball expertise.

If they are impacted by England selections, which is likely for most teams, they have a solid base of county cricketers waiting in the wings. In Pat Brown they have a canny bowler with expert control of his variations who has had an excellent few years in the T20 Blast.

The women's side will win the tournament because of their batting - Verma and Erin Burns have already been named and Georgia Elwiss and Jones will also offer plenty of power and experience when they play, but their domestic players are more than capable of backing them up.

Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Gwen Davies and Thea Brookes all have a wealth of experience in the women's domestic game. They all also play for Warwickshire, as does England Academy player Ria Fackrell, so they know each other well and be able to feed off each other's strengths.

Why they won't win The Hundred

Somerset captain Tom Abell is part of the Phoenix's batting line-up

Their men's team could potentially be let down by their batting depth. On paper, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone look as if they have a lot to do.

Their county players have all had plenty of experience in the T20 Blast but there aren't really any names that jump out as absolute gamechangers, particularly in the power hitting department which is so crucial in short format cricket.

The women's side fortunes are likely to depend on who they sign to replace Perry. Her experience, both at the top and end of an innings with the ball, would have been invaluable, and without her they may just be a bowler light, particularly if injuries hit.