The Hundred draft: What do teams need and which players might be signed?

A men's draft took place in 2019 before the inaugural competition but Thursday will see the first draft in the women's competition

The Hundred draft takes place on Thursday for the third edition of the 100-ball competition which sees eight teams compete across England and Wales.

It will make history with a first women's player draft in a major UK sport, and will also see a refresh of the men's teams before the tournament begins on 1 August.

BBC Sport has worked with data analysts CricViz to look at how the men's squads are shaping up, what each of the eight teams need and who they may target, plus a tactic expected to play a significant part in the women's draft.

• Hundred squads - how they look so far

Men's draft - what do teams need and who might they target?

Teams were allowed to retain players from last season with six keeping 10, Northern Superchargers nine and Welsh Fire just five. That leaves places at a premium with 13 slots available in each team, plus an England centrally contracted player and two wildcard picks that will be chosen closer to the tournament beginning.

Welsh Fire have the opening pick after finishing bottom in 2022. There will be 30 players drafted in the men's competition.

Here is where each team are at, and what they will be looking to add in the draft.

Welsh Fire

Retained: Jonny Bairstow (Eng), Joe Clarke (£100k), Ollie Pope (£75k), David Payne (£60k), Jake Ball (£50k), George Scrimshaw (£30k).

What do they need?

Fire need three top-six batters, with at least one able to offer a bowling option. The retention of three domestic seamers, none of whom can bat, gives them a balance issue that they need to resolve through targeting at least one all-rounder. With no overseas players retained and three of the first eight draft picks, the Fire have freedom to target some of the most high-profile foreign players.

Who might they target?

Somerset all-rounder Tom Abell, having been released by Birmingham Phoenix, is being lined up as a likely captain for the Fire but they should be able to pick him up for £100k at most. South Africa's Dwaine Pretorius would represent good value at £40k, and Fire also have the option of using their Right to Match (RTM) should they need to, which allows teams to match an offer made for one former player. A top-quality spinner is a must as well, with Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana someone whose lengths will likely suit Cardiff's unique dimensions.

Southern Brave

Tim David scored 84 runs in seven innings for Southern Brave in 2022

Retained: Jofra Archer (Eng), James Vince (£100k), Chris Jordan (£100k), Tymal Mills (£75k), Rehan Ahmed (£60k), Craig Overton (£60k), Finn Allen (£50k), George Garton (£50k), Alex Davies (£40k), James Fuller (£40k), Joe Weatherley (£30k).

What do they need?

Middle-order batters, with the possibility of two of them being overseas given Finn Allen is their only overseas retention. They would also ideally be looking for at least one left-hander in their top six, as their likely top three and current lower order are all right-handers. Brave may also target an off-spinner as leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is the only spin option in their squad going into the draft.

Who might they target?

Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan would be an obvious pick for the Brave's first £125k slot given his availability, left-handedness and ability to bowl quality off-spin. Australia's Tim David is another option in the top price band who would provide the Brave with the finisher they currently lack. For domestic options, either Ben Duckett or Leus du Plooy, who have both left Welsh Fire, would address their need for left-handed top-order batters.

Northern Superchargers

Retained: Ben Stokes (Eng), Harry Brook (£125k), Adil Rashid (£125k), Adam Lyth (£75k), Adam Hose (£60k), Brydon Carse (£60k), David Wiese (£50k), Matthew Potts (£50k), Wayne Parnell (£40k), Callum Parkinson (£30k).

What do they need?

Superchargers' retentions have left them with a fairly strong core, but they could do with a right-handed top-order batter to partner and complement Adam Lyth. That player would ideally be a wicketkeeper as well. They are also lacking a spinner who turns the ball from left to right, with Callum Parkinson the only back-up to Adil Rashid, so an off-spinner could be on their list of targets.

Who might they target?

Either Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan or Somerset's Tom Banton would fill their requirement for both a right-hander and a wicketkeeper. Should they opt for Banton, they would be able to use their overseas slot lower down and could target one of Theekshana or Afghanistan's Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the £75k bracket to solve their off-spin issues. Another option could be a domestic seamer like Olly Stone or Reece Topley.

Oval Invincibles

David Willey has taken 10 wickets and scored 222 runs in the first two years of the competition

Retained: Sam Curran (Eng), Sunil Narine (£125k), Will Jacks (£125k), Jason Roy (£100k), Tom Curran (£100k), Sam Billings (£75k), Saqib Mahmood (£75k), Jordan Cox (£50k), Gus Atkinson (£50k), Danny Briggs (£40k), Nathan Sowter (£30k).

What do they need?

Invincibles need a top-order batter, preferably a left-hander and either a finisher or another all-rounder. With only Sunil Narine on their current roster, two of their three draft picks will have to be overseas players, though a lot of what they do will likely be dictated by what has happened earlier in the draft, as the Invincibles do not have a pick until the £60k price band.

Who might they target?

Australia's Usman Khawaja or New Zealand's Devon Conway would be good fits for the left-handed top-order batter they need, though the latter is unlikely to be available so deep into the draft. Pakistan's Azam Khan would be an attractive option as a middle-order hitter and has a good chance of being available. For their remaining domestic spot, David Willey could be an option to replace the left-arm seam of the departing Topley.

Birmingham Phoenix

Retained: Chris Woakes (Eng), Liam Livingstone (£125k), Moeen Ali (£100k), Shadab Khan (£100k), Adam Milne (£75k), Benny Howell (£75k), Kane Richardson (£60k), Will Smeed (£60k), Tom Helm (£50k), Chris Benjamin (£40k), Dan Mousley (£30k).

What do they need?

Phoenix need an opener to partner Will Smeed, ideally one who can keep wicket as Chris Benjamin is their only recognised keeper. They have plenty of bowling options but should target a left-arm seamer as they currently have quite a samey attack with several right-arm quicks. Another factor to consider is all three of their overseas spots have been covered by retentions, so they will sign three domestic players.

Who might they target?

Any one of Fred Klaassen, Topley or Willey would make sense as a left-arm seam option and all would be easily gettable should they decide to use their first pick on that role. More likely is they will use that slot for the batter they need, with Duckett an attractive option given his ability to keep wicket. Should they decide Benjamin's keeping is good enough, they could target Stevie Eskinazi in one of the lower bands.

London Spirit

Ben Duckett is likely to be in high demand after scoring 452 runs in the opening two years of the competition

Retained: Mark Wood (Eng), Glenn Maxwell (£125k), Nathan Ellis (£100k), Liam Dawson (£75k), Dan Lawrence (£75k), Zak Crawley (£60k), Jordan Thompson (£60k), Mason Crane (£50k), Adam Rossington (£50k), Chris Wood (£40k), Ravi Bopara (£40k).

What do they need?

Spirit lack experienced leaders with Eoin Morgan and Kieron Pollard leaving. Elsewhere, they need a left-hander to bat in the top six and need to find a finisher to round off their order. The bowling attack looks strong and with plenty of variety, so their third pick could be a spare batter.

Who might they target?

Duckett will be one of the most sought-after domestic players in the highest price band, and Spirit will be among the teams keen to sign him given his left-handedness and ability to bat more or less anywhere in the middle order. Should they get him, it would allow them to target an overseas player at £100k, with the likes of Azam, West Indies' Sherfane Rutherford or South Africa's Rilee Rossouw within reach at that level.

Manchester Originals

Retained: Jos Buttler (Eng), Phil Salt (£125k), Wanindu Hasaranga (£125k), Tom Hartley (£75k), Jamie Overton (£75k), Paul Walter (£60k), Richard Gleeson (£60k), Josh Little (£50k), Wayne Madsen (£40k), Tom Lammonby (£40k), Mitchell Stanley (£30k).

What do they need?

Originals need to strengthen their middle order, ideally with a left-hander. Their bowling attack is pretty well-stocked, with all bowling types covered besides an off-spinner, so they could look to either find a batter who offers some off-spin, or a specialist to complete their attack. They only have one overseas spot to fill with Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Little occupying the other two.

Who might they target?

Given Originals do not have a pick in the £125k bracket, they will likely miss out on Duckett, making them more likely to use their overseas pick on that role. Rossouw, West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer and Conway are all players who could fit the bill, and they can expect at least one of them to be available at the time of their first pick.

Trent Rockets

Tom Kohler-Cadmore scored 132 runs for Trent Rockets in 2022 after joining from Northern Superchargers

Retained: Joe Root (Eng), Rashid Khan (£125k), Alex Hales (£100k), Dawid Malan (£100k), Lewis Gregory (£75k), Luke Wood (£75k), Colin Munro (£60k), Sam Cook (£60k), Samit Patel (£50k), Daniel Sams (£50k), Matt Carter (£30k).

What do they need?

Rockets' priority will be either a seamer or a middle-order batter, with the latter perhaps more likely given their need for a wicketkeeper as well. They have already filled their overseas spot so will be shopping for the best domestic talent. The positions of their picks, with one very early and two very late, limits their strategy and much will depend on the rest of the draft as to who they can pick up.

Who might they target?

Duckett is an obvious choice for a team in need of a wicketkeeping middle-order batter, and there is a good chance he will be available at the time of Rockets' first pick. If Duckett is picked up, Rockets might consider going for Tom Kohler-Cadmore instead. Should they decide a quality seam bowler is the priority, they might consider the likes of Stone or Paul van Meekeren.

Who might miss out in the men's draft?

Strategy at drafts and auctions can be much more complicated than simply picking the best players. A combination of 'draft dynamics', such as considerations around players' reserve prices, prioritisations of roles, pick orders and the effect the Future Tours Programme has on overseas-player availability will contribute towards how teams use their picks.

While West Indies possess some of the world's most talented short-form players, they are set to play a series against India and then have their 6ixty competition, followed by the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), making their players less attractive options.

Pakistan have a relatively clear schedule, though there could be a series with Afghanistan that clashes with The Hundred. That possibility could well turn teams off the idea of targeting somebody like Babar Azam.

Additionally, most teams are well-stocked with top-order batters or, in the case of the Phoenix, have maxed out their overseas quota. With Babar's reserve price at £100k, Welsh Fire and Northern Superchargers are the only teams who might possibly consider him, though the likelihood is they will prioritise other areas.

Other players who might well price themselves out of the draft are Australia pair Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa. Both have reserves of £125k leaving them very little wiggle room, and with their availability uncertain because of the South Africa series, teams may steer clear.

Domestically, Eskinazi has been one of the best white-ball players in the country over the past year, but it would not be a surprise if he missed out on a deal because of the plethora of top-order batters either already retained or seen as higher in the pecking order.

It would be strange for Eskinazi, given he was good enough to be picked as an overseas player for Perth Scorchers in Australia's Big Bash League, yet might fail to secure a contract as a domestic player in England's equivalent league. Such are the vagaries of draft dynamics.

Women's draft - will the RTM play a crucial role?

This will be the first time the women's competition has had a draft, with players signed in an open market in the first two campaigns.

Sides have been able to retain four players - with all doing so apart from Welsh Fire, who now only have two after Annabel Sutherland's withdrawal on Wednesday - and will top up their squads to eight in the draft. They will then complete their squad in the open market.

An important element of the women's draft will be how teams opt to use their RTM. With some high-profile players in the draft, including numerous England players, the likelihood is that several teams will use their RTM to secure talent who featured in their squad last season.

Here are some of the RTMs we are most likely to see used in the women's draft.

Southern Brave

Danni Wyatt has a reserve price of £31,250, meaning she has to be drafted in the first two rounds of picks. Southern Brave have one pick in that bracket but it is the seventh, meaning some of the other top talents in the draft will already have been selected. However, the fact they can play their RTM to sign Wyatt back means they can prevent any of the six teams before them signing her and instead secure one of England's best short-form players.

Birmingham Phoenix

Sophie Devine scored 103 runs and took two wickets for Birmingham Phoenix in 2022

Phoenix can play their RTM to re-sign New Zealand's Sophie Devine. As with Brave, they are in a poor position for their first pick, having to wait until fifth before they can fill their one remaining £31,250 slot. However, given Phoenix have only retained one overseas player, the likelihood is they will use their RTM to lock in the services of Devine for another season and maintain their strong core that includes Amy Jones, Ellyse Perry and Issy Wong.

Oval Invincibles

Invincibles have the option of using their RTM on former captain Suzie Bates. The New Zealand opener lowered her reserve price to £18,750 on Wednesday, but she cannot be drafted in any bracket below that price. That gives Invincibles some flexibility because they do not have a slot available at £25,000 - Bates' original reserve price - and they would have needed to use their slot in the £31,250 bracket to sign Bates. However, regardless of all this, Invincibles have option to use the RTM on Bates and it could be an attractive option as it guarantees them a proven star who might not otherwise be available.

Manchester Originals

Kate Cross has taken 17 wickets in the first two years of The Hundred

Given Welsh Fire and London Spirit have not retained a frontline seamer, they might target Kate Cross - one of England's best players in that role. However, Originals will probably prevent them from doing so by using their RTM on their first pick to pair her with England's premier spinner Sophie Ecclestone. The only factor that might prevent Originals from doing this might be it would then mean they cannot sign an overseas player in the top price bracket. If they decide to prioritise securing a top overseas talent in their first pick, then they might reason it is worth losing Cross, but that would be a much riskier strategy.

Article produced by CricViz's Patrick Noone in conjunction with BBC Sport's Callum Matthews.

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