Manchester Originals announce retained players on Deadline Day

• Manchester Originals men’s and women’s teams confirm returning players for fourth year of The Hundred 

• The Hundred Draft powered by Sage to take place at The Shard on Wednesday 20 March  

• First Emirates Old Trafford game to be played on Thursday 25 July, double-header against Welsh Fire 

• For more information and to sign up for priority ticket access visit thehundred.com  

Sophie Ecclestone, Jos Buttler, Laura Wolvaardt and Phil Salt will all be back in action at Emirates Old Trafford in The Hundred next season with Manchester Originals confirming the retention of 19 players on Deadline Day. 

England Men’s duo Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue are also among the names who’ll be back in action for Originals, as well as Emma Lamb and Mahika Gaur. 

Across both the Manchester Originals men’s and women’s teams, 19 players have been retained in total, meaning eight spots remain to be filled at The Hundred Draft powered by Sage. 

The Hundred Draft, powered by Sage, will take place at The Shard on Wednesday 20 March, live-streamed from 5.30pm on thehundred.com, YouTube and TikTok. Each team will take it in turns to select domestic and overseas players to complete their squads.   

Manchester Originals’ season in the fourth year of The Hundred gets underway at Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday 25 July, one of 68 games that promise world class men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment. 

Retained Players 

Manchester Originals Women: Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt (O), Emma Lamb, Mahika Gaur, Fi Morris, Kathryn Bryce, Ellie Threlkeld, Liberty Heap

Manchester Originals Men: Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton, Phil Salt, Paul Walter, Tom Hartley, Usama Mir (O), Wayne Madsen, Josh Tongue, Max Holden, Fred Klaassen, Mitch Stanley

England Men’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler said: “We had a great competition last year and we enjoyed the journey of getting all the way to the final, but we would love to go one step further and win it this campaign. The Hundred was a lot of fun last year, and I think we saw with the crowds and the number of close finishes that its really found its feet. It’s a very important part of the English summer and I’d love to take Originals all the way this year.”

England Women's bowler Sophie Ecclestone said: “I love captaining the Originals girls. It was a really big challenge last year but one I really enjoyed, and I’m exciting about getting the chance again. I’m glad we’ve kept a lot of our squad together, I think we moved in the right direction last year and the aim this year is to keep that going. I’m excited about adding to the squad in The Hundred Draft and it will be great to get back out there at Emirates Old Trafford in July.”

A record 580,000 fans were in attendance across The Hundred last season, including over 300,000 in the women’s competition. The Hundred’s blend of high-quality sport and entertainment saw 41% of all tickets sold to families, 23% to juniors and 30% to women.  

From 13-27 March there will be an exclusive window open to buy tickets for fans who have previously attended The Hundred. There will be a priority window open from 9-23 April for all fans who sign up in advance at thehundred.com.    

The general sale period begins from 25 April.   

Tickets are once again great value, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 3-15 (free for under 3s) and adults starting from £11. 

All games will again be live on Sky Sports and BBC broadcast and digital channels throughout the competition.  

To stay up to date with the latest news, buy tickets or to sign up for priority access, visit thehundred.com or follow The Hundred, and the eight teams, on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.  

ENDS  

Notes to Editors 

About The Hundred:  

The Hundred is an action-packed, unmissable cricket competition that fuses world-class cricket with blockbuster entertainment.  

Combining a short, fast format of cricket, with each game lasting less than three hours, and incredible entertainment beyond the sport, The Hundred is making cricket more accessible and reaching a broader audience. It’s simple: 100 balls per team, most runs wins, so every ball counts.  

The Hundred features eight teams from seven cities, with men’s and women’s competitions taking place side by side:  Welsh Fire (Cardiff), Southern Brave (Southampton), Northern Superchargers (Leeds), London Spirit, Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Oval Invincibles (London), Manchester Originals and Birmingham Phoenix. Each teams features some of the best international and domestic cricketers from around the world, including England Men’s & Women’s World Cup winners.  

About The Hundred Draft powered by Sage:  

More information about The Hundred Draft powered by Sage is available here. 

About The Hundred fixtures:  

The Hundred fixtures are available here.