The Hundred

The Hundred Team Guide and Predicted Finishes: Invincibles dangerous

David Wiese
Wiese provides finishing power for Originals

Ed Hawkins ranks the teams on batting and bowling power and names possible XIs for England's summer 'franchise' league


Trent Rockets 9/2

League finishing positions: 1-3
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 2
Top six sixes boundary rank: 6

Squad: Joe Root, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Rashid Khan, Dawid Malan, Alex Hales, Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, Colin Munro, Sam Cook, Daniel Sams, Samit Patel, Sam Hain, Brad Wheal, Matt Carter, Tom Moores, John Turner

Possible XI: Hales, Malan, Munro, Hain, Gregory, Sams, Moores, Patel, Cook/Wheal, L Wood, Sodhi

Analysis: The champions have lost Rashid Khan but he played only twice last term. Imad Wasim comes in for the first three games and then Ish Sodhi takes over. They have retained the power-studded batting line-up. Their sixes numbers are a surprise but that economy rate ensures they should be bang in the mix.


Southern Brave 5/1

League finishing positions: 7-2
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 7
Top six sixes boundary rank: 5

Squad: Jofra Archer, Tim David (Mitch Santner from Aug 20), Leus du Plooy, James Vince, Chris Jordan, Devon Conway, Tymal Mills, Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton, Finn Allen, George Garton, James Fuller, Alex Davies, Joe Weatherley, Jafer Chohan, Matt Fisher

Possible XI: Conway, Allen, Vince, du Plooy, David, C Overton, Ahmed, Garton, Jordan, Mills, Fisher

Analysis: It is fair to assume that Jofra Archer is not fit. Not that Brave are short of pace options. Matt Fisher and Tymal Mills form a strong combo. Still, there is a suspicion they are a batter light with Leus Du Plooy and Tim David, both finishers, in a spot too high. Alex Davies didn't have a stellar campaign last year. The data suggests they struggle and they're too skinny for us. David is replaced by Mitch Santner from August 20.


Manchester Originals 5/1

League finishing positions: 2-6
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 3
Top six sixes boundary rank: 7

Squad: Jos Buttler, Wanindu Hasaranga (replaced by Usama Mir), Phil Salt, Laurie Evans, Ashton Turner, Jamie Overton, Tom Hartley, Richard Gleeson, Paul Walter, Josh Tongue, Josh Little, Wayne Madsen, Tom Lammonby, Mitchell Stanley, Max Holden, Ben Raine

Possible XI: Buttler, Salt, Evans, Madsen, Turner, Walter, J Overton, Hartley, Gleeson, Usama, Little

Analysis: Such is the Originals' bowling strength that Josh Tongue may get little action. Pakistan leggie Usama Mir is an excellent replacement for Wanindu Hasaranga. One gets the feeling that Paul Walter and Jamie Overton need to have good seasons to balance the gap between the two sets of specialists. They've lost power in the form of Andre Russell and Tristan Stubbs.


Birmingham Phoenix 11/2

League finishing positions: 4-1
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 1
Top six sixes boundary rank: 3

Squad: Chris Woakes, Ben Duckett, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Shadab Khan, Adam Milne, Benny Howell, Will Smeed, Kane Richardson, Jamie Smith, Tom Helm, Miles Hammond, Chris Benjamin, Dan Mousley, Henry Brookes, Jacob Bethell

Possible XI: Smeed, Duckett, Moeen, Livingstone, Shadab, Hammond, Smith, Woakes, Howell, Milne, Richardson

Analysis: Lower-order power is missing. And they've still not solved the problem position of the 'keeper. Jamie Smith will be required to convert first-class excellence into the shortest form and it could be they hide him in the batting order somewhat. He's not a hitter. Or Chris Benjamin plays. But he's not a hitter, either. Otherwise they have ten guns. Shadab Khan is replaced by Tanveer Sangha from August 14.


London Spirit 6/1

League finishing positions: 3-8
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 6
Top six sixes boundary rank: 8

Squad: Mark Wood, Nathan Ellis, Liam Dawson, Dan Lawrence, Zak Crawley, Jordan Thompson, Mason Crane, Adam Rossington, Chris Wood, Ravi Bopara, Michael Pepper, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Matt Critchley, Matthew Wade, Daryl Mitchell, Dan Worrall

Possible XI: Crawley, Rossington, Wade, Mitchell, Bopara, Thompson, Critchley, Dawson, Wood, Ellis, Crane

Analysis: Ravi Bopara striking at 184 last term may squeeze out Dan Lawrence. They can't really afford to be without that sort of hitting considering they've lost Glenn Maxwell and Kieron Pollard. Another Olly Stone injury means he misses out. Matt Critchley is a good pick-up from Welsh Fire. Mark Wood's body may not let him start, or finish, the tournament.


Northern Superchargers 6/1

League finishing positions: 5-4
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 5
Top six sixes boundary rank: 2

Squad: Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Harry Brook, Reece Topley, Tom Banton, Matthew Short, Adam Lyth, Adam Hose, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, David Wiese, Bas de Leede, Wayne Parnell, Callum Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Saif Zaib

Possible XI: Banton, Lyth, Short, Brook, Stokes, Wiese, Parnell, Rashid, Parkinson, Carse, Robinson

Superchargers have a strong-looking front six and David Wiese in the finishing slot. Wayne Parnell and Adil Rashid can give it a whack, too. Their chances rest on how Stokes and brook slot in post Ashes. Stokes, for example, will surely rest. Perhaps a team to make a late charge.


Oval Invincibles 6/1

League finishing position: 5-4
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 6
Top six sixes boundary rank: 1

Squad: Sam Curran, Sunil Narine (replaced by Adam Zampa from August 13), Will Jacks, Jason Roy, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Tom Lawes, Heinrich Klaasen (Jimmy Neesham from Aug 20), Ross Whiteley, Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson, Ihsanullah Khan, Danny Briggs, Nathan Sowter, Zak Chappell, Tawanda Muyeye

Possible XI: Roy, Jacks, Klaasen, Billings, S Curran, Whiteley, T Curran, Cox Briggs, Zampa, Atkinson

Analysis: Invincibles have the best white-ball hitter in the world at the moment in Heinrich Klaasen, who is available until August 20. Jmmy Neesham replaces him. They need to get him in as early as possible. Jason Roy is no guarantee to finish as opener in this team with powers on the wane. Sunil Narine will be replaced by Adam Zampa by week two. Ihsanullah being replaced by Spencer Johnson for death bowling isn't ideal. They can go well given the six data. An army of spinners have appeal. The 8.4015/2 on the exchange has trade potential.

Back-to-lay Invincibles @ 8.4015/2

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Welsh Fire 7/1

League finishing position: 8-7
Cumulative first 5 bowling economy rank: 4
Top six sixes boundary rank: 4

Squad: Jonny Bairstow, Tom Abell, David Willey, Shaheen Afridi, Joe Clarke, Glenn Phillips, Ben Green, Haris Rauf, David Payne, Roelof van der Merwe, Jake Ball, Stephen Eskinazi, Dan Douthwaite, George Scrimshaw, Luke Wells, Chris Cooke

Possible XI: Bairstow, Eskinazi, Clarke, Phillips, Abell, Willey, Douthwaite, Afridi, Rauf, van der Merwe, Ball

Analysis: The pairing of Jonny Bairstow and Glenn Phillips with the bat and Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf with the ball suggest an upturn in fortunes for Welsh Fire. They didn't win a game last year and only three in the inaugural campaign. But hold on. Where on earth is the spin bowler of repute? That's a lot of reassurance required from Roelof van der Merwe. They improve but maybe by not enough.


Ed Hawkins' finishing positions

1 Trent Rockets

2 Birmingham Phoenix

3 Manchester Originals

4 Oval Invincibles

5 Northern Superchargers

6 Welsh Fire

7 Southern Brave

8 London Spirit

*Bowling economy rank is cumulative economy of expected first five bowlers in possible XIs. Batting six % rank is cumulative six percentages of boundaries in possible XIs.

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