The Hundred - Cricket: Five youngsters to watch

bet365 News Team Published: Jun 30 2022 13:42

The 2022 season of The Hundred gets under way in early August and there is plenty of young talent set to star in this year's competition.

There was no doubting the success of last year's inaugural staging of the 100-ball cricket tournament that involved eight men's and women's teams based across England and Wales.

Southern Brave won the men's competition in 2021 and they can be backed at 3/1 to retain their title, while the winners of the women's tournament, the Oval Invincibles, are 4/1 to go all the way once again.

What	The Men's Hundred 2022
Where	England and Wales
When	Wednesday 3rd August to Saturday 3rd September
How to watch	Sky Sports The Hundred channel, BBC Sport
Odds	Odds: Top five - Southern Brave 3/1, Trent Rockets 11/2, Birmingham Phoenix 6/1, Manchester Originals 6/1, Oval Invincibles 6/1

We have taken a look at five young stars who could flourish in The Hundred this year, with the men's competition due to get under way on 3rd August, while the women follow eight days later.

Phil Salt - Manchester Originals

It has been a successful 12 months for batter Phil Salt, who has established himself as part of England's white-ball team, scoring his first century for his country during their recent ODI series success over the Netherlands.

Salt, 25, will now be hoping to take that impressive form into The Hundred after he somewhat underwhelmed for the Manchester Originals in the competition last year, with his best score in six innings being a knock of 30.

The Originals failed to reach the knockout stages in 2021, but with Jos Buttler and Ollie Robinson also in their ranks, they could represent good value at 6/1 to go all the way this year, especially if Salt can hit the ground running.

Harry Brook - Northern Superchargers

Batter Harry Brook's talents have been known for some time after he was named the rising star of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2018.

The 23-year-old underlined those talents in The Hundred last year, although he could not help the Northern Superchargers to the knockout stages despite firing 189 runs from just five innings.

Brook will be hoping to at least replicate those numbers in 2022, especially as he is now an England player, making his T20 debut against the West Indies in January, while he has also featured in the Test squad this summer.

What	The Hundred Women 2022
Where	England and Wales
When	Wednesday 3rd August to Saturday 3rd September
How to watch	Sky Sports The Hundred channel, BBC Sport
Odds	Odds: Top five - Southern Brave 7/2, Oval Invincibles 4/1, Birmingham Phoenix 6/1, London Spirit 13/2, Trent Rockets 13/2

Sophia Dunkley - Southern Brave

England's Sophia Dunkley was one of the breakout stars of The Hundred last year, as she was the third-highest run scorer in the women's tournament, with her 244 runs coming at an average of 40.66, while her strike rate was an imposing 141.86.

Dunkley's runs helped the Brave to seven wins from eight during the group stage, but a two-ball duck in the final against the Oval Invincibles will have left a sour taste in the mouth, especially as her team went on to lose that match.

The 23-year-old will be keen to right those wrongs this year, with the Brave priced at 7/2 to lift the trophy in 2022.

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Jemimah Rodrigues - Northern Superchargers

Arguably the best young player in the men's or women's tournament last year, Indian star Jemimah Rodrigues was the second-highest run scorer in the women's competition despite being just 20 years old at the time.

Rodrigues' tally of 249 runs included the highest knock in the competition of 92 not out, with 74 of those runs coming via boundaries, while she also passed 50 on two other occasions.

All that could not help the Northern Superchargers past the group stage in 2021, but Rodrigues is back this year and her team are priced at 7/1 to land the trophy.

Alice Capsey - Oval Invincibles

Teenager Alice Capsey made her debut for Surrey aged just 14 and two years later she was starring in The Hundred, helping Oval Invincibles to the title.

Capsey shone with both bat and ball in 2021, making a 41-ball 59 against London Spirit during the group stage, while her off-breaks returned 10 wickets across the tournament, including two in the final against the Southern Brave.

Still only 17, Capsey has gone on the shine for England A and senior international recognition must soon be around the corner, especially if she can produce in The Hundred once again.