Smriti Mandhana and Marizanne Kapp headline Women's Hundred retentions

Every team except Welsh Fire retained the maximum four players meaning 33 slots are unfilled ahead of the inaugural Women’s Hundred draft. England internationals Kate Cross and Sophia Dunkley are set to be among the players up for grabs

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Overseas stars Smriti Mandhana and Marizanne Kapp have been retained by their respective franchises ahead of the 2023 edition of The Hundred.

As reported by The Cricketer, Mandhana will spend a third year with Southern Brave while Kapp will continue with Oval Invincibles.

Australian duo Ellyse Perry (Birmingham Phoenix) and Alyssa Healy (Northern Superchargers) have also had their contracts renewed but, as expected, a number of Australia internationals, including Ashleigh Gardner and Meg Lanning, are absent from the retained list.

The eight women's sides could each retain four players from their 2022 squads with every side except Welsh Fire opting to keep their maximum allowance.

A total of 33 contracts will, therefore, be available at the inaugural Women's Hundred draft on March 23, with England internationals Kate Cross (formerly Manchester Originals), Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt (both Southern Brave) set to be among the players up for grabs.

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Kate Cross and Sophia Dunkley are up for grabs after not being retained by their respective franchises [Gareth Copley/Alex Davidson/Getty Images]

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Alice Capsey, Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver are among the retained players [Alex Davidson/Stu Forster/Matthew Lewis/Getty Images]

Teams will have a total of eight players at the end of the draft and will then select seven on the open market. Their 15-strong squads can include three overseas players and three centrally contracted England players.

Nine overseas players are on the retained player list with Alana King (Trent Rockets), Deandra Dottin (Manchester Originals), and Amelia Kerr (London Spirit) all staying put.

Welsh Fire, who retained West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and Australia international Annabel Sutherland alongside Tammy Beaumont, are the only franchise to retain two overseas players. Therefore, they only have one overseas slot remaining but do head into the draft, at which they have first pick after finishing bottom of the table last season, with two spots available in the maximum price band (£31,250).

Northern Superchargers and Southern Brave can also be expected to overhaul their squads in March, with four vacancies in the top three price bands (from a possible six players).

The Superchargers have retained Linsey Smith, Hollie Armitage and Bess Heath while Southern Brave have opted to keep young England trio Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier and Freya Kemp.

Elsewhere, London Spirit have retained England captain Heather Knight, allrounder Charlie Dean and Dani Gibson while Lancashire trio Sophie Ecclestone, Emma Lamb and Ellie Threlkeld will remain with Manchester Originals.

Amy Jones will once again be joined by pace duo Issy Wong and Emily Arlott at Birmingham Phoenix, Nat and Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Bryony Smith will don Trent Rockets yellow for another season, and defending champions Oval Invincibles have retained Lauren Winfield-Hill, Tash Farrant and star allrounder Alice Capsey.


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