How the Hundred teams are shaping up ahead of the auction

 This post is assessing the position that Hundred teams are in ahead of the draft on Monday. 252 overseas players are competing for 7 spots and 258 domestic players are battling for 28 spots. Below is the most regular team I expect each team to pick from their current selections:

Northern Superchargers

The Superchargers have put together a strong top order to their batting, although it is danger of becoming top heavy, with five batsmen who prefer to bat in the top three when you factor in Ben Stokes.  They have a very impressive spin bowling lineup but seriously lack depth in the quick bowling department with the exception of David Willey. 

Strengths

• Top order batting
• Spinners

Weaknesses to address at the auction

• Death bowling
• Spin hitters
• Powerplay bowling
• Batting finishers

Picks left 5

Manchester Originals

With only 5 players including their Test player Jos Buttler, it's a bit of an unknown quantity for the Originals. This means they can take their pick from the overseas players and the best domestic talent left however, so it will be interesting to see what they end up with. They have begun to build a strong top order including Joe Clarke, Phil Salt and Wayne Madsen. 

Strengths 

• Top order batting

Weaknesses to address at auction

• All areas

Picks left 10

Birmingham Phoenix

Phoenix have put together a strong squad with a versatile middle order and exceptional overseas bowling options in Zampa and Afridi. Birmingham are in the surprising position of being short of top order batsmen, given the multitude of options in the English game and could target the likes of Ian Cockbain and Daniel Bell-Drummond to fill this void. 

Strengths

• Middle order batting
• Spin bowling
• Death bowling 

Weaknesses to address at the auction

• Powerplay batting options
• Seam bowling allrounders

Picks left 3

Southern Brave

My pick of the squads assembled so far with great pace bowling options, the best finisher in the competition in Andre Russell and young talent that will improve such as Delray Rawlins and George Garton. The final piece of the batting jigsaw would be a middle order overseas player who can take on spin. Nicholas Pooran anyone? 

Strengths

• Powerplay bowling
• Death bowling
• Top order batting

Weaknesses to address at the auction

• Middle order spin hitter
• Backup spinner

Picks left 2

Oval Invincibles

Oval Invincibles have got a really good squad so far, as well as one of the top t20 coaches in the world in Tom Moody. The top five is very strong and capable of taking every bowling attack in the competition down. The squad looks a bit short of quick bowlers though at the moment so a player such as Olly Stone could be a target if still available when the Invincibles get a chance in the draft. 

Strengths

• Top 5 batsmen
• Death bowling
• Spinners

Weaknesses to address at auction

• 90 mile an hour bowlers
• Batting finishers

Picks left 4

London Spirit

London Spirit have the best captain in the competition and have built an outstanding middle order in addition to an impressive quick bowling contingent. They could still do with improving their wicket keeping options and adding another opening batsmen.

Strengths

• Captaincy
• Middle order
• Pace bowling

Weaknesses to address at auction

• Wicket keeper
• Opening batsmen

Picks left 2

Trent Rockets

Starting the last auction with the first pick and getting the world's number one T20 spinner gave Trent Rockets a great head start. The opening partnership of D'Arcy Short and Alex Hales will be key to any success this team has. The quick bowling appears to be lacking a bit of quality and it was surprising that Harry Gurney wasn't retained. 

Strengths

• Top order batting
• Spinners
• Keepers

Weaknesses to address at auction

• Death bowling
• New ball bowling
• Middle overs batting 

Picks left 2

Welsh Fire

Welsh Fire are a team who have a fair few spaces to fill at auction. They have a very exciting top three but the rest of the side is yet to take shape at this point. With two overseas spots to fill, it will be interesting to see who they target. Looking at the squad they could do with a death bowler and a batting finisher, so the likes of Kieron Pollard and Kagiso Rabada could be in demand for this side. 

Strengths

• Top order batsmen

Weaknesses to address at auction

• New ball bowling
• Death bowling
• Spin options
• Batting finishers

Picks left 7

Top 15 domestic players Hundred teams should target in the draft

Ahead of Sunday's Hundred draft, I am writing a few pieces to set the scene. The first of these is to state which players I think should get picked up and the teams that they could suit. I realise I have put Manchester Originals on every player's possible interested teams, but with only five players they could do with a fair few of these!

1) Harry Gurney

A proven performer around the world, it was particularly surprising to see him not retained by Trent Rockets. Gurney missed the full 2020 year with a shoulder injury ruling him out of several tournaments he had contracts for and he has also lost his IPL deal for 2021 reminding everybody of the volatility of the T20 market. In 2019, Gurney took 56 wickets in 42 games with an economy of 8, which is outstanding for a T20 death bowling specialist. Expect the even shorter game to suit his slower balls and yorkers. If you want a death bowler, there is no better option in the domestic game. 

Possible interested teams : Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire

2) Saqib Mahmood

A fledgling talent and another I was surprised to see released by his team. Capable of bowling with the new ball as well as finishing the innings, Mahmood's stock has risen sharply in the last couple of years. His 50 over record is so far better than his T20 record but selection for England shows how highly he is rated around the country. As a player with his best years ahead of him, expect him to be picked up sharpish. 

Possible interested teams: Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire, London Spirit

3) Tom Abell

Abell was probably released by Manchester Originals due to his £100,000 pick last time around and will certainly still get a team this time around. Abell represents a possible captaincy option for teams in the draft whilst being a proven explosive middle order batsman, where there is a slight lack of other options available. Last year, he struck 227 runs at an average of 32, with a strike rate of 137. I wouldn't be surprised if Manchester tried to get him back at a lower price.

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Birmingham Phoenix, Oval Invincibles.

4) Samit Patel

A superb all-round cricketer who is perhaps rated higher in other countries than in England as shown by his surprising omission from last year's draft. It would be staggering if he missed out again as his franchise performances around the world have continued to impress onlookers, particularly in the Pakistan Super League. In the 2020 franchise season, he played 40 matches, averaging 25 and at a strike rate of 140. He also took 34 wickets at an economy of 7.5. As a player, he fills two roles in one. 

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Trent Rockets, Oval Invincibles.

5) Ben Foakes

Despite a poor 2020 campaign in the Blast, Foakes is widely recognised as the best gloveman in the country and you would expect him to find a team fairly comfortably. He is also a very capable middle-order batsman. 

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Southern Brave, London Spirit

6) Danny Briggs

A very underrated cricketer who impressed during his spell with the Adelaide Strikers. The Blast's all time leading wicket taker who rarely gets taken apart by batsmen. Last season took 12 wickets with an economy of 6.55 in the Blast.

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Birmingham Phoenix, Southern Brave, Oval Invincibles, Welsh Fire

7) Ravi Bopara

Had a very poor Blast campaign at Sussex, averaging just 12 and with a strike rate of 93 but he has been a proven performer for a long time in this format of the game. He impressed in the recent T10 which will remind teams of his ability. In 2019 Bopara produced regular match-winning performances in Essex's successful T20 Blast victory. 

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire, Oval Invincibles

8) Daniel Bell-Drummond

Last year's leading run scorer in the Blast and hitting them at a 155 strike rate, you'd think he'd be nailed on to be selected for a team, even with the tough competition for places in the opening slot and most teams already having strong opening options. 

Possible interested teams: Birmingham Phoenix, Manchester Originals

9) Olly Stone

Stone's recent Test match performance against India will thrust him into the limelight but he also enjoyed a successful Blast campaign last season. One of the few players not picked up so far to have the ability to hit 90 miles an hour and I expect him to be picked in the first few rounds of the draft.

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire, Oval Invincibles.

10) Jake Ball

Last year's Blast leading wicket taker with 19 and a death bowling specialist. Expect him to be snapped up in the draft.

Possible interested teams: Trent Rockets, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers

 11) Jamie Overton

Overton is an interesting case. Before last season, most people would have seen him as a bowler who bats a bit. In the most recent campaign however, he struck 104 runs in 55 balls with the bat but went for 194 runs off his 20 overs with the ball. He's clearly a very talented striker and is suited to coming in late in the innings which makes him an attractive options for teams with few quality finishers left available.  Just don't rely on him for too many overs

Possible interested teams: Oval Invincibles, Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire, Manchester Originals

12) Tom Lammonby

Lammonby is a young man with a bright future and this selection would be more about what he could do in the future than what he has done to date. But 9 sixes in 5 innings shows he is capable of clean striking and his left-arm seam bowling can provide teams with a vital 6th bowling option. At only 20, there is a possibility for a team to keep him for several years to come. 

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Oval Invincibles, Trent Rockets.

13) Matthew Fisher

A talented bowler who has struggled to play regular cricket due to injuries. Nevertheless, he has shown glimpses of his talent in the Blast, both with the new ball and bowling at the death. Provided 8 wickets in 4 games for Yorkshire last season before Covid put an end to his season and he is also thought of as having pedigree with the bat.

Possible interested teams: Northern Superchargers, Welsh Fire, Manchester Originals

14) Daniel Moriarty

The third left arm spinner in this list and certainly a young talent to watch in the future. He produced really strong performances for Surrey in last year's Blast which saw him finish with 17 wickets and an economy of 6.91. There is strong competition for left arm spinners as highlighted above with Briggs and Patel and with the likes of Tom Smith and Callum Parkinson also available but I feel Moriarty's potential gives him the edge over some of the other options. 

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Birmingham Phoenix, Welsh Fire

15) Ian Cockbain

Cockbain struck his runs at a strike rate of 169 in the last Blast and hit 22 sixes, the equal most. Players from unfashionable counties such as Gloucestershire tend to be overlooked by pundits and fans, but it would be foolish for teams to not consider Cockbain as a strong option to bat in the top four. He deserves his chance to prove himself.

Possible interested teams: Manchester Originals, Trent Rockets, Welsh Fire