The Hundred - men's draft 2023: The movers, the shakers, the headline-makers

The Cricketer breaks down all the signings, and the signings which never materialised, in the men's draft for the 2023 Hundred...

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Birmingham Phoenix

Players signed in the draft: Ben Duckett (England, £125,000), Jamie Smith (England, £50,000), Miles Hammond (England, £40,000)

A quietish draft for Birmingham, who only had three spots to fill and used one of those to confirm the terribly-kept secret of Duckett's departure from Welsh Fire.

Miles Hammond, the Gloucestershire batter, was re-signed for a third campaign at Phoenix.

Jamie Smith's signing caps off an excellent winter for the Surrey man. He will compete for the gloves with Duckett and Chris Benjamin.

London Spirit

Players signed in the draft: Mitchell Marsh (Australia, £125,000), Olly Stone (England, £100,000), Michael Pepper (England, £30,000)

Spirit also only had three spaces to fill, and they used them to bring in big-hitting allrounder Michell Marsh from Australia and England fast bowler Olly Stone on big money.

Michael Pepper, the last pick in the draft, provides a wicketkeeping alternative to Adam Rossington and is a handy batter regardless.

Stone and Wood is a tasty combination of English fast bowlers if both can remain fit through the first half of the summer.

Marsh joins compatriots Glenn Maxwell and head coach Trevor Bayliss under Dan Lawrence's captaincy following Eoin Morgan's retirement.

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Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf have both joined Welsh Fire (Trevor Collens/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester Originals

Players signed in the draft: Laurie Evans (England, £100,000), Ashton Turner (Australia, £100,000), Josh Tongue (England, £50,000)

A dramatic turnaround in fortunes for Laurie Evans, who 24 hours ago had a ban for a failed doping test provisionally lifted and then earned £100,000 from Manchester Originals, whom he captained last year, after his name was a last-minute addition to the draft list.

He is joined by Big Bash-winning captain Ashton Turner and Josh Tongue, whose £50,000 signing is a lovely fillip for a seamer who almost retired due to injury last year. Tongue joins Richard Gleeson, Mitch Stanley, Josh Little and Jamie Overton in an intriguing pace attack.

Northern Superchargers

Players signed in the draft: Reece Topley (England, £100,000), Tom Banton (England, £100,000), Michael Bracewell (New Zealand, £75,000), Bas de Leede (Netherlands, £40,000)

Tom Banton was the big winner, benefiting from the need for wicketkeeper-batters despite a poor Hundred record with Welsh Fire.

Reece Topley was rewarded for his excellent year with England and joins fellow seamers Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse.

New Zealand's Michael Bracewell, fresh from replacing Will Jacks for the IPL, will take his big-hitting all-round skills to Headingley, while Netherlands allrounder Bas de Leede looks an excellent piece of business.

Oval Invincibles

Players signed in the draft: Heinrich Klaasen (South Africa, £60,000), Ross Whiteley (England, £60,000), Ihsanullah (Pakistan, £40,000)

Invincibles didn't have any work to do until the £60,000 categories, and they used those two slots to bring in wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen – though he is unlikely to keep with Sam Billings around – and Ross Whiteley, who had a torrid Big Bash but retains the reputation of a big hitter.

Ihsanullah, excellent in the PSL for Multan Sultans, is an exciting fast-bowling signing at just £40,000.

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Laurie Evans has gone through a whirlwind 48 hours (Ashley Allen/Getty Images)

Southern Brave

Players signed in the draft: Tim David (Australia, £125,000), Leus du Plooy (£125,000), Devon Conway (New Zealand, £75,000)

The year-one champions went left-field by snapping up new Derbyshire captain Leus du Plooy for £125,000 – the left-hander knows Stephen Fleming from their time together at Joburg Super Kings, where he impressed as an overseas player back in his birth country: he qualifies for England in 2024.

Tim David and Devon Conway are known quantities, very different in style but equally excellent acquisitions. Conway will fill the void left by Quinton de Kock, while David is back for another spell on the south coast.

Trent Rockets

Players signed in the draft: Tom Kohler-Cadmore (England, £125,000), Sam Hain (England, £40,000), Brad Wheal (Scotland, £40,000)

Tom Kohler-Cadmore's re-signing at top dollar was an open secret, and he is perhaps the nearest uncapped batter to an England white-ball cap.

Sam Hain, who is probably just behind Kohler-Cadmore in that regard and captained England Lions this winter, averages 413 in T20s at Trent Bridge, while Brad Wheal has previously impressed in The Hundred for London Spirit.

Previously very Nottinghamshire-centric, Trent are down to just three Notts players.

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Ben Duckett has got his wish in leaving Welsh Fire (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Welsh Fire

Players signed in the draft: Tom Abell (England, £125,000), David Willey (England, £125,000), Shaheen Shah Afridi (£100,000), Glenn Phillips (New Zealand, £75,000), Haris Rauf (Pakistan, £60,000), Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands, £50,000), Stephen Eskinazi (England, £40,000), Dan Douthwaite (England, £40,000)

The big players in the draft, with eight spots to fill after two dismal years; they went home happy. Tom Abell was always joining and will captain; David Willey was a big winner, while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are box-office Pakistani fast bowlers as Lahore Qalandars come to Cardiff.

Glenn Phillips can do it all, while Roelof van der Merwe was arguably the best player in the SA20 as he continues to perform in his advancing years.

Stephen Eskinazi belatedly gets his Hundred chance after years of Blast consistency and a record-breaking campaign in the Royal London Cup, while Dan Douthwaite's acquisition means there will be a Glamorgan player at Welsh Fire.

Tim David was their first choice, but Southern Brave used their RTM to bring back the big Aussie.

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