The Hundred: Meet Birmingham Phoenix

England wicketkeeper Amy Jones will captain Birmingham Phoenix again this season

After the men were beaten finalists and the women were denied in the eliminator, 2022 will all be about fine tweaks and getting their hands on silverware for Birmingham Phoenix. Here's BBC Sport's guide to the Edgbsaton-based side...

How did they perform last year?

Woulda, coulda, shoulda was the story for Birmingham Phoenix's men in 2021.

They romped to the final with six wins from their eight matches to finish top of the standings, only to fall short in the final against Southern Brave.

It all hinged on the bizarre dismissal of Phoenix batter and tournament MVP Liam Livingstone, run out by Tim David, after thinking he had hit a boundary and gently jogging instead of sprinting.

Phoenix women were down in the dumps after just one win in their first five games, only to rise from the ashes.

They won their last three games to complete a remarkable turnaround and qualify for the eliminator against Oval Invincibles.

Phoenix gave the Invincibles a fright in the battle to reach the final after their opponents made 114, but following a solid start their batters were blown away for 94 by Invincibles' bowlers Tash Farrant and Marizanne Kapp.

• The Hundred 2022: Finalised squads in full

Ones to watch: Liam Livingstone & Imran Tahir

Liam Livingstone has wrists of steel and forearms like tree trunks - can anybody in the world of cricket right now hit the ball further than him?

He whacked an incredible 27 sixes in last year's tournament - nearly double as many as Phoenix skipper Moeen Ali (15) who was the next highest.

The 28-year-old's 348 runs in the 2021 competition saw him named MVP - expect more fireworks this year.

Imran Tahir might be 43 but when Phoenix spinner sprints away in celebration after taking wickets, his much younger team-mates can't catch him. After taking the first hat-trick in last year's tournament even Usain Bolt would have got a run for his money.

Sporting a lucky headband, he is a crafty fox with the ball in hand, and the ultimate showman so expect dazzling deliveries and wild celebrations.

Ones to watch: Ellyse Perry & Issy Wong

Australia's Ellyse Perry is one of the greatest players ever, while England's Issy Wong is one of cricket's most promising young stars

Ellyse Perry was a dual international in cricket and football for Australia - making her debut for both senior sides aged 16, and incredibly has appeared in World Cups for both sports.

She dedicated herself completely to cricket and now, aged 31, the all-rounder is a living legend of the women's game still operating at the peak of her powers.

Cool and calm with the bat, Perry also has three major assets that make her a deadly bowler: pace, control and intelligence.

At the other end of her career, Issy Wong is a 20-year-old who likes to live life in the fast lane.

She can solve a Rubik's cube in under 60 seconds and is aiming to become the fastest woman bowler in the world.

Wong consistently bowls at over 70mph and wants to break the 80mph mark. She is quickly developing a reputation for big moments - the huge Liverpool fan jokingly referring to herself as "the Divock Origi of cricket" during her recent England Test debut.

Young guns: Will Smeed & Davina Perrin

Will Smeed dazzled as a teenager in last year's Hundred and Davina Perrin will be hoping for a chance to do the same this year

By his own admission, opener Will Smeed is a "bit nerdy" having landed A*s in maths, further maths, chemistry and physics at A-level.

However, the 20-year-old Open University student goes from geek by day to explosive batter at night.

He was the youngest player in the men's Hundred last year, and its breakthrough star, with his dazzling 65 off 35 balls against Welsh Fire especially memorable.

Never mind A-levels, Davina Perrin has not even sat her GCSEs yet. She said signing for Phoenix is a "dream come true".

Aged just 15, the youngster from Wolverhampton is a raw talent and a potential star player of the future.

Perrin is part of the African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) Programme spearheaded by Ebony Rainford-Brent, which aims to increase opportunities for black cricketers.

Why will they win The Hundred?

To get a shot at glory in the final and just fall short has left the Phoenix men's players hungry to go one better this time around.

Coach Daniel Vettori will look to turn that into something to motivate them when it comes to the crunch games.

Livingstone, in particular, will be a man on a mission after last year and between him, Tahir, Moeen and Australia veteran Matthew Wade, Phoenix have some experienced match-winners.

Edgbaston can create a fantastic atmosphere on its day and Phoenix women perhaps felt the extra pressure last year, losing three out of their four home matches - captain Amy Jones said she "had goosebumps" playing in front of a pumped-up crowd and was probably not alone.

But with a group of players a year older, coach Ben Sawyer will look to use the partisan support to their advantage.

On the pitch Phoenix's blend of experienced international players such as Perry, Jones, New Zealand's Sophie Devine and India's Deepti Sharma should ally well with fearless youngsters Wong, Abtaha Maqsood and maybe even Perrin.

Why they won't win The Hundred

There's a lot riding on the shoulders of Moeen and Livingstone in the batting department. But it's the Phoenix men's bowling that looks like it might be undercooked because of injuries.

On paper, they have a strong attack but will they ever get their best bowling line-up together on the field at the same time?

Matthew Fisher has already been ruled out with a back injury, Chris Woakes has not played a first-team game this summer due to various niggles, Olly Stone has only just returned from a stress fracture, while New Zealand's Adam Milne and Australia's Kane Richardson have struggled with hamstring problems recently.

Phoenix women will fall short because they have heaped far too much responsibility on their all-rounders to score the bulk of the runs.

Perry, Devine and Sharma will be expected to contribute heavily with the bat and, if they hit a lean patch, Phoenix could struggle.