top england and domestic players are confirmed for birmingham phoenix, one of eight new teams set to compete in the hundred from july 2020
england internationals chris woakes and amy jones have officially been selected for the birmingham phoenix men’s and women’s teams respectively.
joining england all-rounder woakes on the men’s team will be fellow world cup winner moeen ali and rising star seamer pat brown, who has won his first england t20 call-up on this winter’s tour to new zealand. the players were selected in the first stage of the hundred men’s draft, which culminates live on sky, on 20th october.
the women’s team has also picked their first players, each announcing two of the centrally contracted england women players in the first stage of the player selection process. playing alongside amy jones on the women’s team will also be england international spinner kirstie gordon.
also revealed is the identity and kit for birmingham phoenix, which will feature butterkist as its official kp snacks team partner.
final birmingham phoenix player confirmations
· men’s team: chris woakes (england men’s red ball central contract pick), moeen ali and pat brown (local icons)
· women’s team: amy jones and kirstie gordon (england women’s central contract picks)
the men’s team, based at edgbaston, will go head-to-head with stars from seven other teams in the competition, including england test captain joe root – who has joined trent rockets – and england limited-overs captain eoin morgan for london spirit. birmingham phoenix will also face england’s star bowler of the summer jofra archer as part of southern brave and all-rounder ben stokes in northern superchargers squad.
the women’s team, which will be playing at New Road, will face off against england captain heather knight, skipper for london spirit. anya shrubsole – knight’s vice-captain for england – will join up with danni wyatt at southern brave. nat sciver will join trent rockets, alongside katherine brunt, and manchester originals welcome sophie ecclestone, the icc’s emerging player of the year for 2018.
moeen ali said: “it has been really exciting to see how many world-class players and coaches have signed up to take part in the hundred. obviously it’s great that i’ll be playing at home with birmingham phoenix. as a young kid i watched a lot of cricket at edgbaston so i know how special it is as a ground and it’s nice to think of the number of kids that will come along to watch us.”
amy jones commented: “birmingham is my home city and i grew up watching cricket in the midlands so i can’t wait to play for birmingham phoenix. the hundred is a great opportunity for us to showcase the amazing talent we have not just in the england team, but across the women’s game in general.”
sanjay patel, managing director of the hundred said: “we are thrilled to share the first players who will be starring in the men’s and women’s competitions for the hundred next summer. our ambition is to inspire the next generation to pick up a bat and ball and we hope that a fire will be ignited in young people as they see their sporting heroes play in the hundred.”
the final stage of the the hundred draft is set to provide an historic first for british sport when it is staged on sunday, october 20. it will be broadcast live on sky one and sky sports, with extensive coverage across the bbc.
the five-week competition will be played at the height of summer, starting july 2020, featuring eight new city-based teams from manchester, leeds, nottingham, birmingham, cardiff, southampton and two in london (lord’s and the oval).
for the latest news and priority access to tickets visit thehundred.com
