International superstar all-rounders Moeen Ali and Ellyse Perry will take centre stage this summer after being confirmed as Birmingham Phoenix captains for The Hundred.
Ali, born just a few miles away from Edgbaston, will lead his hometown team for a third time, having skippered Birmingham Phoenix in the inaugural final in 2021.
Perry meanwhile will captain for the first time in the tournament, replacing Sophie Devine, who will still play for Birmingham Phoenix. Perry has a wealth of experience, captaining Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash, whilst being a senior figure in the Australia Women’s national team.
Moeen Ali said: “I’m incredibly proud to represent and captain Birmingham Phoenix. Edgbaston is my home ground and the support we’ve received over the first two years has been fantastic. I’m really excited to lead my hometown team once again and all our focus will be on securing the trophy.
Ellyse Perry said: “To be asked to captain Birmingham Phoenix is a special honour, and I’m incredibly grateful to the club for the opportunity to be a part of the leadership of a special team.
“The support we have received, particularly playing in front of our home crowd has been very special and I’m excited for our side to be back at Edgbaston soon. There are a number of experienced heads in our team, both players and staff, many of them far wiser than I am – so it will be great to work together towards what will hopefully be a successful season for the club.”
Elsewhere, Dane van Niekerk and Sam Billings, and Anya Shrubsole and James Vince, will continue their captaincy roles at Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave respectively. London Spirit had already announced England duo Heather Knight and Dan Lawrence as their sides’ captains.
Birmingham Phoenix: Ellyse Perry and Moeen Ali
Manchester Originals: Sophie Ecclestone and Jos Buttler
Oval Invincibles: Dane van Niekerk and Sam Billings
Southern Brave: Anya Shrubsole and James Vince
Welsh Fire: Tammy Beaumont and Tom Abell
For World No.1 spinner Sophie Ecclestone it’s a first captaincy role: “I’m buzzing to be captaining Manchester Originals this year. The Hundred is such a great competition to take part in and I can’t wait to lead the girls out at Emirates Old Trafford. I like what we’ve done in the draft, we’ve got the makings of a world class side, and hopefully our fans will come out in their numbers as ever to cheer us on.”
Tom Abell, who’s moved from Birmingham Phoenix to join Mike Hussey in Cardiff, is also looking forward to the challenge: “I jumped at the opportunity to come and take a leadership role with Mike here at Welsh Fire. I’m really excited by the challenge that lies in front of us and we’re both really keen to bring some success to Welsh Fire. We did some really great work at the draft and it’s going to be really enjoyable to lead this group of players.”
The third year of The Hundred gets underway on Tuesday 1 August with a double-header at Trent Bridge – the first of 34 matchdays that promise high-octane men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment.
More than half a million people attended games during The Hundred’s second year in 2022, including a record-breaking 271,000 watching live women’s fixtures across the competition and more families buying tickets than in 2021.
Tickets are selling fast and are available here. Tickets this year remain great value in line with 2022 pricing, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 6-15, free for children five and under, and adults starting from £12.
Over 14.1 million people tuned in to watch The Hundred action in 2022 and games will again be broadcast live on Sky Sports and BBC broadcast and digital channels throughout the competition.
To stay up to date with the latest news, buy tickets or to sign up for priority access, visit thehundred.com or follow The Hundred, and the eight teams, on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
To view all the players selected to play in The Hundred, please visit this link.
