The fifth iteration of the lads’s Hundred competition has come to a detailed because the Oval Invincibles claimed their third successive title by beating the Trent Rockets by 26 runs at Lord’s.
The highest three all secured their place within the match finale with one recreation remaining, with the Trent Rockets within the play-off for the primary time since they gained in 2022, while it was a maiden look within the knockout stage for Northern Superchargers below the management of Andrew Flintoff.
With the match now accomplished, we pinpoint a few of the people who’ve had a profitable marketing campaign and people who maybe struggled to make their anticipated impression.
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Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker amongst largest inventory risers
It has been a outstanding summer season for 24-year-old Jordan Cox, who has loved a prolific Hundred marketing campaign as the present main run-scorer with 327 at a median of 65.40.
The highest order batter has been in imperious type for finalists Oval Invincibles, hanging three consecutive half-centuries at 178.68 and smashing a tournament-high 21 sixes, ten of which got here in his blistering 29-ball 86 throughout his aspect’s document rating of 226 towards Welsh Hearth.
Cox has had a powerful season for Essex, averaging slightly below 60 within the County Championship and concluded the Vitality Blast marketing campaign with a staggering 60-ball 139 to information his aspect to a profitable chase of 221 towards Hampshire Hawks.
His first style of worldwide cricket in autumn final yr didn’t fairly go to plan and he was cruelly robbed of constructing his Check debut in New Zealand after struggling a damaged thumb, and while he was not named within the newest England white ball squads, it appears solely a matter of time earlier than a chance presents itself as soon as extra.
Quick bowler Sonny Baker has had a breakthrough month with the Manchester Originals, incomes himself a maiden England call-up for the upcoming ODI sequence towards South Africa and T20 sequence in Eire.
The bustling 22-year-old, who appeared within the 2022 Hundred for Southern Courageous earlier than even making his skilled T20 debut, has claimed 9 wickets within the competitors this season at a cheap charge of simply 7.68, notably taking a hat-trick towards Northern Superchargers at Headingley.
Baker’s scalps embrace the likes of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, impressing not solely along with his excessive tempo however capacity to limit batters up entrance within the PowerPlay and in addition bowl efficient yorkers in the direction of the again finish of the innings which has compelled the legend James Anderson to accept a largely watching temporary in his first style of franchise cricket.
Having made the transfer from Somerset to Hampshire through the winter, Baker is a part of a crop of thrilling younger fast bowlers on the Utilita Bowl, alongside fellow England prospect Eddie Jack, with many tipping a possible fast-track Ashes choice, regardless of having solely made his First Class debut in January this yr through the England Lions tour of Australia.
Elsewhere, all-rounder Rehan Ahmed has continued his splendid 2025 season with 189 runs and ten wickets for Trent Rockets, persevering with his new-found function at quantity three which has seen him notch 5 centuries for promotion-bound Leicestershire within the County Championship.
While Ahmed can be becoming a member of up with the England squad subsequent week, three gamers who won’t be there are Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone however their performances within the Hundred counsel the trio should have one thing to supply at worldwide degree.
Jonny Bairstow, 35, has not been within the England white ball setup for the reason that 2024 T20 World Cup and it appears a recall is extremely unlikely, although did any possibilities no hurt with 243 runs at a strike charge of 164.18 for strugglers Welsh Hearth, with a contest joint-highest rating of 86 not out towards London Spirit.
Liam Livingstone, 32, was axed forward of the house sequence towards West Indies at the start of the summer season however like Bairstow, has additionally averaged in extra of 40 this marketing campaign and was at his destructive-best when he took down Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan in a match-winning 69* off 27 balls towards Oval Invincibles for his Birmingham Phoenix aspect.
At 27, Sam Curran does have age on his aspect and might contemplate himself fairly unfortunate to not be included within the newest England squads as one of many standout gamers within the Hundred with each bat and ball constantly, hanging at 178.40 for his 223 runs and in addition taking 12 wickets along with his creative change-ups.
After a troublesome few years, Curran has up to now been ignored since Brendon McCullum assumed all-format management however his all-round capacity could also be troublesome to disregard for much longer in a division England seem gentle on and his IPL expertise could also be useful forward of the T20 World Cup co-hosted by India.
Blended fortunes for present England stars
It has been a busy interval for a lot of of England’s main gamers, coming into the match instantly after the gruelling Check sequence with India concluded.
For a lot of the transition from purple ball to white ball is second nature.
Joe Root (228 runs @ 32.57) had a gradual begin with three single-figure scores in 5 innings however ended the group stage with two half-centuries, together with a useful 64 not out which guided Trent Rockets to victory at Welsh Hearth and secured their place within the prime three.
Harry Brook (221 runs @ 44.20) has led Northern Superchargers to the Eliminator stage for the primary time of their historical past, displaying his sometimes outrageous stroke play, while wicketkeeper Jamie Smith additionally handed 200 runs for London Spirit at a strike charge above 170.
Zak Crawley has been considerably of a shock package deal, making the transfer to Northern Superchargers the place he has amassed 280 runs at a strike charge of 162.79 and turn out to be the catalyst on the prime of the order for his or her improved performances.
Nevertheless, his Check opening companion Ben Duckett has discovered runs somewhat tougher to come back by with a median of solely 17.57 and hanging at 114.95, while his Birmingham Phoenix teammate and England golden boy Jacob Bethell has additionally not had the impression he would have hoped for with simply 122 runs in eight innings.
Elsewhere, former white ball captain Jos Buttler unsurprisingly discovered himself in the direction of the highest of the batting charts with 283 runs at 40.42, along with his England and Manchester Originals teammate Phil Salt additionally breaking the 200-run barrier however at nowhere close to his normal damaging finest.
When it comes to the bowlers, Jofra Archer continued to construct properly with eight wickets in six matches and solely on one event did the Southern Courageous pacemen concede greater than a run-a-ball.
Josh Tongue, not identified for his white ball exploits, ended the group stage because the main wicket-taker with 14 at an exceptional strike charge of 8.21.
There was barely much less success for England’s restricted overs tempo duo Saqib Mahmood and Luke Wood.
Mahmood featured 5 occasions for Oval Invincibles however proved extremely costly at an economic system charge of 11.42, while left-arm swing bowler Wooden solely managed to say three scalps in seven outings for London Spirit.
Headline abroad names flatter to deceive
The overriding high quality of a franchise match is commonly decided by the performances of the worldwide signings and the Hundred has attracted quite a few large names this season, although not all have been in a position to dwell as much as expectations.
Steve Smith’s maiden Hundred marketing campaign was unable to encourage perennial strugglers Welsh Hearth because the Australian might solely muster 133 runs with no half-centuries.
Pantomime villain David Warner started the competitors in high-quality type for London Spirit with two scores within the 70s in his first three video games however since then solely managed to move 10 as soon as in 5 video games.
London Spirit additionally had Kane Williamson as captain and while the New Zealand nice registered over 200 runs, like Warner, they got here at a reasonably modest strike charge of below 130 which was considerably decrease than different main batters in the direction of the highest of the run-scoring charts.
Heinrich Klaasen is famend as probably the most damaging batters in world cricket, although apart from a speedy fifty towards Northern Superchargers, the South African struggled to hit his straps and solely managed a contact over 110 strike charge all through.
Birmingham Phoenix’s all-Kiwi tempo assault additionally did not ship as anticipated, with Trent Boult, Adam Milne and Tim Southee solely claiming 12 wickets between them.
It was certainly not all disappointment for the abroad stars, and maybe unsurprisingly it was on the defending champions Oval Invincibles the place all three of their imports have been a convincing success.
Rashid Khan missed the final two group video games on worldwide obligation and has subsequently been changed by Adam Zampa for Sunday’s remaining, although nonetheless managed to rack up 12 wickets in his six matches and Edgbaston-aside, all of which got here at a sometimes economical charge.
Donovan Ferreira should not be a family title however is quick changing into an enormous franchise asset for his ball-striking capacity within the center order and he has executed that function for the Invincibles to perfection with 17 sixes in complete and a staggering 244.92 strike charge.
Australian seamer Jason Behrendorff was a barely left-field choose within the draft however the 35-year-old has proved to be a dependable new-ball choice with ten wickets at an economic system charge of simply 7.33.
Elsewhere, Australian duo Chris Inexperienced and Riley Meredith have continued their type from the Vitality Blast and proved stable acquisitions for the Welsh Hearth with 22 wickets between them, although in the end proved not sufficient to assist drag their aspect into rivalry.
Home large hitters disappoint
Followers of the Vitality Blast will turn out to be accustomed to seeing common names showing on the prime of the batting and bowling charts every year, although a few of the finest performers from the 2025 marketing campaign have been unable to duplicate their type within the Hundred.
The ever dependable James Vince had an uncharacteristically poor match for the Southern Courageous with a median of simply 12.87, after scoring 155 runs greater than some other batter in 2024.
23-year-old opener Will Smeed returned to the Birmingham Phoenix fold after lacking by means of harm final yr, although his 15.62 common represents a big drop from the T20 Blast the place he collected over 500 runs for Somerset.
The Northern Superchargers prime order had a reshuffle within the draft and one man who hoped to learn from a recent begin was Michael Pepper, returning to the Headingley franchise after two disappointing seasons with London Spirit.
Performances for Essex in recent times have put him on the fringes of the England squad however he as soon as once more endured a depressing Hundred match with solely 62 runs in seven innings, taking his profession common within the competitors to a mere 11.19.
One other new addition to the Superchargers batting order was Surrey’s Dan Lawrence, although like Pepper, he additionally struggled to make a significant impression with just one notable contribution and 4 single-figure scores.
A formidable Welsh Hearth batting lineup on paper didn’t materialise on the sphere and for 2 of Somerset’s extra constant performers, they may really feel disillusioned with how their match panned out.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore saved one of many innings of the competitors till the ultimate group recreation with nothing however pleasure to play for, smashing 84 off 46 balls in a lone chase towards Southern Courageous, although solely managed 97 runs in his earlier six innings, while captain Tom Abell equally discovered runs arduous to come back by all through the marketing campaign with a prime rating of 48 towards Trent Rockets of their penultimate recreation.
By Dom Harris
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