Suzie Bates, Mady Villiers, Ross Whiteley and Heinrich Klaasen signed by Oval Invincibles in The Hundred Draft

• Oval Invincibles select Ross Whiteley and Suzie Bates as their first picks in the men’s and women’s competitions
  
• Heinrich Klaasen will make their first appearance in The Hundred
• In the men’s competition 30 players drafted, 34 players drafted in the women’s competition
• For more information and to sign up for priority ticket access visit thehundred.com  

Ross Whiteley, Suzie Bates, Dane van Niekerk and Mady Villiers were all signed by Oval Invincibles at The Hundred Draft, powered by Sage.

Whiteley and Bates were Oval Invincibles’ first picks of the men’s and women’s competitions, while Heinrich Klaasen will make his first appearance for the London-based team in The Hundred.

The women’s competition staged a draft for the first time, with Dane van Niekerk and Mady Villiers both returning to Invincibles two of the other stand-out stories of the day.

The Hundred Draft saw 64 spots filled across the men’s and women’s competition, with the eight teams taking it in turns to select players – the order for selections is based on last year’s finishing positions.

The open market process will see the remaining 56 places filled in the women’s competition, while 16 spots remain up for grabs in the men’s competition by virtue of The Vitality Wildcard Draft, which will be held in the week commencing 3 July.

Across the men’s and women’s competitions, the following players were signed for Oval Invincibles:

Women: Dane Van Niekerk, Maddy Villiers, Paige Scholfield, Suzie Bates

Men: Heinrich Klaasen, Ihsanullah, Ross Whiteley

England Women’s bowler Mady Villiers said: “It’s really good to be back with the Invincibles. The Kia Oval is the best ground in the world and the fans create an unbeatable atmosphere. With this squad, I believe we can win it again.”

England Men’s all-rounder Will Jacks said: “I'm really looking forward to being a part of the Oval Invincibles team this summer. We have a well-balanced squad with some exceptional talent, including the likes of Sam Curran and Saqib Mahmood who will bring experience and quality to our team. The fans can expect some exhilarating cricket and hopefully we can go all the way and lift the trophy.”

The third year of The Hundred will start with a double-header at Trent Bridge on Tuesday 1 August – the first of 34 matchdays that promise high-octane men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment.

More than half a million people attended games during The Hundred’s second year in 2022, including a record-breaking 271,000 watching live women’s fixtures across the competition and more families buying tickets than in 2021.

Tickets are now exclusively on sale for anyone who has previously bought tickets for The Hundred until 28 March. Those yet to attend can sign up in advance at thehundred.com to get priority ticket access from 5–18 April.

Tickets will then go on general sale on Thursday 20 April. Tickets this year remain great value in line with 2022 pricing, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 6-15, free for children five and under, and adults starting from £10.   

Over 14.1 million people tuned in to watch The Hundred action in 2022 and games will again be broadcast 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, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. 

To view all the players picked in The Hundred Draft, powered by Sage, please visit www.thehundred.com/draft.

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

About Sage:

The Hundred Draft is powered by Sage. Sage supports insights and key decision-making moments in The Hundred. As Official Insights Partner, Sage brings fans closer to The Hundred’s big decisions, powering the Decision Review System (DRS) in broadcast and on the cricket grounds’ big screens, together with sponsoring the umpires’ kit during the competition. Across The Hundred Draft, coaches used data, analysis, and insights to help them make the crucial decisions needed to build their squads in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Sage aims to bring fans closer to the action as part of this exciting start to The Hundred.

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. 

Highlight statistics from The Hundred 2022: 

• More than 500,000 people attended games across the course of the competition 
• The Hundred continued to take cricket to new audiences with more women (28%), children (22%) and families (41%) attending than in the first year 
• 2022 once again set a new global record for total attendance at a women’s cricket competition, with 271,000 people attending  
• All eight venues broke their previous best for domestic women’s attendances  
• Of the Sky and BBC TV coverage, 42% hadn’t watched any other ECB cricket in 2022 prior to The Hundred, resulting in 5.9m new viewers 
• Women (31%) and children (14%) made up a significant share of the TV audience
  

About The Hundred fixtures:

For all fixtures in The Hundred, follow this link.