Heather Knight – It is brilliant news that the Hundred will be holding the first-ever draft in the women’s game

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Beth Barrett-Wild says the impact of the Hundred on the women's game after just two editions of the competition has been enormous

The Hundred Women’s Competition is ready to have a draft process for the upcoming season, with at least 32 players set to be picked, The Hundred announced on Friday while seven players in each squad will be signed in the open market ahead of the new season.

The Hundred Women’s Competition is ready to have a draft process for the upcoming season, with at least 32 players set to be picked, The Hundred announced on Friday (November 18).

The first pick opportunity will go to Welsh Fire, who completed the bottom of the standings in the 2022 season, while the defending champions Oval Invincibles will get the last pick.

Ahead of the drafts, however, up to four players can be held by each side when the window opens in December, while the teams will also be able to utilize the Right to Match card to hold another player (if a slot is available in the squad for the same salary).

Seven players in each squad will be signed in the open market ahead of the new season, with a limit of three centrally contracted England players and three overseas players.

Speaking on the changes, England and London Spirit captain Heather Knight said:

“It is brilliant news that the Hundred will be holding the first-ever draft in the women’s game, and fascinating to see who the first pick is!

“We’ve already talked about it as a playing group – it’s really exciting and I think we’ve seen in the men’s game that drafts get people discussing and debating selection, so it’s great that the women’s competition will be part of that conversation.”

Beth Barrett-Wild, head of the Women’s Hundred, added:

“Introducing the draft represents another landmark moment for women’s sport in this country, as The Hundred continues to break new ground and accelerate professionalism within women’s cricket.

“The impact of the Hundred on the women’s game after just two editions of the competition has been enormous, generating unprecedented levels of visibility, making household names of our brilliant female players, and driving performance standards.

“The inclusion of a draft going into year three builds on all of this. It demonstrates progress off the field, and also acts to support all eight teams in creating evenly balanced squads on the field, to deliver the most exciting contest yet for fans to enjoy.”

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