The Hundred: Meet Trent Rockets
- Published
England batter Dawid Malan is part of a big-hitting line-up for Trent Rockets
After solid first campaigns for both Trent Rockets men and women, they will be hoping their England and international stars can fire them to glory. Here's BBC Sport's guide to the Trent Bridge-based side...
How did they perform last year?
The men finished in third place in the group following five wins and three losses.
They progressed to the eliminator round, but lost to eventual winners Southern Brave after scoring just 96 from 91 balls, which their opponents chased down with 32 balls remaining.
While the women had a difficult start in losing their first two matches, they found a rhythm by winning their next three.
However, success was short-lived as a three-wicket loss to Birmingham Phoenix and an unexpected nine-wicket loss to Manchester Originals knocked them out of eliminator contention.
Ones to watch: Marchant de Lange & Rashid Khan
Marchant de Lange and Rashid Khan were two of four bowlers to take a joint most 12 wickets in last year's Hundred
Last year, the Rockets signed Marchant de Lange as a replacement for Wahab Riaz. This year, he was their seventh pick - perhaps a little low considering his 2021 contributions.
The South African tore up The Hundred in 2021, claiming the competition's first five-wicket haul and ending up as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the men's competition, with 12 scalps.
He regularly clocks in at over 90mph, stands over two metres tall, and rocks a trademark moustache. His bowling brings the wow factor but he can also offer some power hitting lower down the order.
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world and joined De Lange at the top of the wicket-taking chart with 12 victims in his 2021 campaign.
Rashid is capable of slotting into the match at any point with his game-changing spin that batters often struggle to get away.
The Rockets also have a brilliant replacement for Rashid when he is on international duty, with South Africa left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, another of the highest-ranked T20 bowlers in the world, set to come in.
Ones to watch: Katherine Brunt & Meg Lanning
Katherine Brunt and Meg Lanning are now team-mates after going head-to-head in the Ashes over the years
Katherine Brunt is England's fine wine. She made her England debut in 2004 - the same year team-mate Alexa Stonehouse was born and has already offered her services to mentor the young seamer.
Full of experience, Brunt is one of the nicest people off the pitch, but on it, her fiery and elite mentality is pure entertainment. She is always up for a battle and is a genuine game-changer.
She might be 37 years old, but she is certainly not ready to hang up her spikes just yet. Expect fireworks.
Meg Lanning will surely be looking to impress in her first English professional tournament.
The aggressive top-order batter captains Australia, one of the greatest sporting sides ever. Forever dependable, Lanning knows her game, plays to her strengths, backs herself and thrives on putting bowlers under pressure.
Her quick hands and wristy shots often find gaps where no obvious gap exists. You'll be mesmerised by this hard-hitting Australian record-breaking legend.
Young Guns: Bryony Smith & Sam Cook
Bryony Smith joins from Welsh Fire, while Sam Cook was a key part of Essex's 2019 County Championship winning squad
South East Stars captain Bryony Smith joins the Rockets after a stint with Welsh Fire last year.
After three years out of the England set-up, Smith was recalled for the T20 series against South Africa and is also in the Commonwealth Games squad.
The all-rounder offers some tidy off-spin alongside being an absolute gun with the bat.
Fellow 24-year-old Sam Cook provides captain Lewis Gregory with another quick bowling option.
His pace may not be up there with the likes of De Lange, but his nagging line and length can be troublesome for any batter, while he also generates plenty of swing.
Like De Lange, Cook received a late call up to the Rockets in 2021 and his return to the side shows they are looking to build on their relatively successful inaugural year.
Why they will win The Hundred
Lanning just knows how to win, with two World Cup and four World T20 titles in her career.
The Rockets have greater batting depth this year, with explosive players like Lanning, Smith, England star Sciver, Elyse Villani, Marie Kelly and Abbey Freeborn.
They also have some brilliant spin options in Sarah Glenn, Georgia Davis, Alana King and the ambidextrous bowler Kelly, who can bamboozle batters with her variations. This year the women are a well-rounded side.
The men will have learned from their mistakes and won't want to feel that disappointment again. Plus, they have so much experience in their locker room - no situation should faze them.
They also have a sharp bowling attack that could cause absolute carnage with the likes of Rashid, Gregory, Cook, De Lange and Luke Wood.
Why they won't win the Hundred
The challenge for the women will be gelling and creating a winning team mentality from the off.
They struggled early on last year and remain winless at their Trent Bridge home.
Having a similar squad to last year could work against the men because they could become predictable and easy for their opponents to make plans against.
They may have an excellent pace attack but their spin options are limited beyond Rashid.