A new season throws its challenges, which will call for new strategies, and the sides that execute their plans better would take the lead over others. While it would be a tough call to pick up a winner at this point, here we look at the compositions of the eight sides, and this would perhaps allow you to come up with your own The Hundred predictions -
# Oval Invincibles
Sam Billings and his men would like to repeat the performance from last year when they won their first title. The side dominated the season with six wins and only one loss in the league stage. Their batsmen did well, and the bowlers were on the money. Billings would like a similar show from his team and expects stars like Sam Curran, Dawid Malan, Adam Zampa, and Will Jacks to do well. They have depth in their batting and bowling and shall be one of the favorites this season.
Squad - Sam Billings (c), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, Donovan Ferreira, Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Nathan Sowter, Tawanda Muyeye, Tom Lammonby, Marchant de Lange, Mark Watt
# Manchester Originals
For two consecutive seasons, the Manchester Originals have lost in the final. It has been tough on Jos Buttler's side as they have been among the most consistent teams yet failed to lay their hands on the trophy. They have an explosive batting line-up with Buttler, Phillip Salt, and Sikandar Raza, and they will trouble bowling attacks. The bowling attack looks weak compared to last year, but the side will make up for it with their batting strength. With power hitters in the team, the Originals are one of the teams to watch out for.
Squad – Jos Buttler (c), Jamie Overton, Phil Salt, Paul Walter, Tom Hartley, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Usama Mir, Sikandar Raza, Wayne Madsen, Max Holden, Mitchell Stanley, Josh Hull, Sonny Baker, Matthew Hurst, Tom Aspinwall, Scott Currie
# Southern Brave
Since winning the inaugural season in 2021, the team hasn't been able to repeat its magic. They finished third on the points table last year and made it to the Eliminator but lost by a big margin against the Manchester Originals. James Vince, one of the prolific scorers in the tournament, will look to lead from the front. They have several good players on the side, including Jofra Archer, Akeal Hosein, Joe Weatherley, and Kieron Pollard. They have one of the best bowling attacks this season, and the side will look to put up a strong challenge in every game it plays.
Squad – James Vince (c), Jofra Archer, Kieron Pollard, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Laurie Evans, Leus Du Plooy, Akeal Hosein, Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton, Finn Allen, Danny Briggs, George Garton, Alex Davies, James Coles, Joe Weatherley
# Trent Rockets
Lewis Gregory's side won the title in 2022 but failed to defend it successfully last year. The side finished fifth on the points table and failed to reach the Eliminator. The Rockets' skipper would look to relive the form they had two years ago. Gregory would lead a star-studded side with the firepower to defeat any side. Alex Hales, Rovman Powell, and Joe Root make this a formidable line-up, and there is Rashid Khan to work his magic with the ball. The team has a few other specialists and will be one of the teams to watch out for this year.
Squad - Lewis Gregory (c), Joe Root, Rovman Powell, Rashid Khan, Imad Wasim, Alex Hales, Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, Tom Banton, John Turner, Sam Hain, Sam Cook, Calvin Harrison, Jordan Thompson, Adam Lyth, Ollie Robinson, Tom Alsop
# Welsh Fire
They missed the Elimination game by a whisker last season. While the side finished with 9 points, they were behind in the net run rate compared to Southern Brave. Tom Abell would like his team to make a fresh start and aim for their first title. They have a strong batting lineup with David Willey, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and Glenn Phillips. Roelof van der Merwe and Haris Rauf add strength to this bowling attack, and it will be interesting to see if Welsh Fire’s batting firepower can help them script history in 2024.
Squad - Tom Abell (c), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, David Willey, Matt Henry, Joe Clarke, Haris Rauf, Tom Abell, Glenn Phillips, David Payne, Luke Wells, Roelof van der Merwe, Jake Ball, Stevie Eskinazi, Chris Cooke, Mason Crane, Ben Green
# Birmingham Phoenix
From being a finalist in 2021, it has been a downhill ride for the team. They finished sixth on the points table last season, winning only two games. Moeen Ali brings in tons of experience as a leader and would look to lead from the front. They have a strong batting lineup with Ben Duckett and Will Smeed. Liam Livingstone and Chris Woakes are among the top all-rounders in this format. With Naseem Shah, Sean Abbott, and Benny Howell in the squad, they won't be the easiest bowling attacks to score against, and the side will look to turn its fortunes this season.
Squad - Moeen Ali (c), Chris Woakes, Naseem Shah, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Jamie Smith, Will Smeed, Sean Abbott, Tom Helm, James Fuller, Dan Mousley, Jacob Bethell, Aneurin Donald, Rishi Patel
# London Spirit
They have been the worst-performing side in the last three seasons. They finished at the bottom of the points table in 2021 and 7th in 2022 and 2023. Dan Lawrence would look to improve his side's fortunes this year. A good start has eluded them, and the team will look for one this year. The side has experienced players and needs a good show with the bat from Adam Rossington, Daryl Mitchell, Daniel Bell-Drummond, and Michael Pepper. Zak Crawley, Dan Lawrence, and Mark Wood make it a good bowling attack and will look to deliver.
Squad - Dan Lawrence (c), Mark Wood, Olly Stone, Nathan Ellis, Liam Dawson, Zak Crawley, Jordan Thompson, Mason Crane, Adam Rossington, Chris Wood, Ravi Bopara, Michael Pepper, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Matt Critchley, Matthew Wade, Daryl Mitchell
# Northern Superchargers
The Superchargers finished last on the points table last season, winning only two games. Harry Brook would like the team to get over the horrors. They have lacked consistency, with a 5th-place finish in 2021, which is their best so far. They have a good squad with matchwinners like Nicholas Pooran, Ben Stores, and Matthew Short. Other T20 stars in the side include Jason Roy, Adil Rashid, and Callum Parkinson. The side looks strong in every department, and the skipper would hope for more consistency this year.
Squad - Harry Brook (c), Ben Stokes, Nicholas Pooran, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Daniel Sams, Matthew Short, Jason Roy, Adam Hose, Tom Lawes, Matthew Potts, Graham Clark, Callum Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Jordan Clark, Dillon Pennington.
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