Oval Invincibles: Women's Hundred player retention analysis

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY takes a look at the Invincibles' player recruitment and suggests what more needs to be done before the start of the new season

Who has been retained?

To the surprise of no one, talismanic South African duo Dane van Niekerk and Marizanne Kapp and their international teammate Shabnim Ismail have been retained by the defending champions. 

Last season's leading wicket-taker Tash Farrant, England international Mady Villiers, and teenage sensational Alice Capsey have also held onto their contracts. 

South East Stars trio Danielle Gregory, Grace Gibbs and Emma Jones complete the list.

Who has been released?

Despite winning the inaugural tournament, Oval Invincibles look set to make several changes for their title defence. Perhaps the most notable absentee at this stage is Georgia Adams. The Southern Vipers captain has been one of the stars of the domestic circuit over the past two seasons but only scored 133 runs at a strike rate of 105.55 during The Hundred. 

Wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce has also been put in the shop window alongside Fran Wilson, who recently retired from international cricket and relocated to the south west, allrounder Jo Gardner, and fringe trio Megan Belt, Eve Gray (who missed the competition through injury) and Rhianna Southby.

^{Dane van Niekerk is back with Oval Invincibles in 2022}

Which areas are well covered?

Oval Invincibles have seemingly endless pace and spin bowling options. Their pace attack contains two of last season’s best seamers in Farrant, who took a tournament-leading 18 wickets in 2021, and Kapp, who picked up 11 wickets in five outings and conceded just 0.84 runs per over, as well as fast bowler Ismail.

In the spin department, off-spinner Capsey and leg-spinner van Niekerk lead the way, picking up a combined 18 wickets in 2021. Villiers, another off-spinner, completes the top-six bowling options while seamers Gibbs and Jones and leg-spinner Gregory provide valuable depth. 

And that variety and wealth of options is the beauty of the Invincibles squad. Yes, they can open and close with 10 balls of Kapp or wreak havoc with a three-pronged powerplay pace unit, but they can also open with Capsey, as they did at Headingly last summer, and bamboozle with high quality spin.

Which areas lack cover?

First and foremost, having lost Bryce, Oval Invincibles need a wicketkeeper. 

Their other problem area is batting. Last season they were over-reliant on their bowlers and got by with the bat thanks to performances from van Niekerk (259 runs at a strike rate of 105.71), Kapp (150 at 122.95) and Capsey (150 at 126.05). They’ve now lost Adams and Wilson, who both scored 100-plus runs as well as a batting option in Bryce. 

Two batters (one of whom owns wicketkeeping gloves) to fill the holes in the top five are a must and should be their priority for the remaining spots in the £18,750 and £15,000 salary bands.  

Squad: Alice Capsey, Tash Farrant, Grace Gibbs, Danielle Gregory, Shabnim Ismail, Emma Jones, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, Mady Villiers (9)

Overseas players: 3

Spaces to fill: 7

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