Rosa Simkin (@rosatalksball) – 25/02/25
Amid ongoing headlines about The Hundred’s ownership sales, teams have begun shaping their squads for the 2025 season, locking in key retentions and direct signings ahead of the 2025 Draft on the 12th of March as another action-packed summer of cricket approaches.
Seventy-five players have been confirmed across the eight squads, with a strong overseas cohort of direct signings—including stars like Meg Lanning and Megan Schutt—joining a list of international and domestic retentions. This list features England superstars Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amy Jones and Sophie Ecclestone, alongside international firepower such as Deepti Sharma, Amelia Kerr and Ellyse Perry. It is the first time teams have been able to sign one women’s player directly, rather than having to sign players through The Hundred Draft.
England captain Heather Knight is absent from the list of retentions after she captained London Spirit to the title last year.
The next stage of squad formulation will occur during The Hundred Draft on 12th of March, followed by the Vitality Wildcard Draft in May which allows team’s to add two final players in the lowest salary band based on domestic form.
2024 marked a significant year for the women’s competition as the tournament passed the one million landmark for fans attending women’s games as records were broken for women’s attendances at seven of the eight stadia. 2025 will be significant in other ways, as the tournament runs alongside the brand new women’s County structure.
Key Players:
Meg Lanning: The former Australian skipper has moved to the other side of London, joining Oval Invincibles as a direct signing. The 32-year-old opening batter marked her first season in the competition with a title-winning London Spirit side, scoring 170 runs across 10 innings. Her standout performance came against Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston, where her 53 off 41 balls helped guide her team to a match-winning total of 147.
Nat Sciver-Brunt: If I asked you to think about a women’s cricketer, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s name is likely to come to mind. England’s star all-rounder has been retained by the Trent Rockets, marking her fifth season with the Trent Bridge-based side. 2024 was her best season yet with the bat, as she scored 303 runs across eight innings, taking her total Hundred run tally to 967, a sum she’ll be hoping to build on in 2025.
Tilly Corteen-Coleman: The 17-year-old spinner made headlines last year as she became the youngest player to take the field during the tournament, after being selected by Brave Head Coach Charlotte Edwards during the 2024 Draft, before she made her professional debut. After being given the opportunity with ball she was a stand-out during a difficult tournament for the reigning champions, taking six wickets including the former Australian captain Meg Lanning who she caught off her own bowling. She has been retained by the Southern Brave for the 2025 edition.
Key Omissions:
Heather Knight: The current England captain has not been named among London Spirit’s retentions after leading them to their first title last season. The 34-year-old was instrumental in the Lord’s-based side’s campaign, scoring 271 runs across 10 innings, with her highest score of 65* coming in the tournament’s opening game. As questions arise about her future with England following a brutal Ashes defeat at the hands of Australia, doubts will now also be raised about her future in the game.
Paige Scholfield: The 29-year-old all-rounder was a key figure with the bat during Oval Invincibles’ 2024 campaign, scoring 190 runs, but has not been listed among their retentions for 2025. Her performance in the tournament’s opening game made headlines as she scored 71 off just 40 balls, helping guide her side to victory against Birmingham Phoenix. She was part of the England squad during the Ireland series in September, making her debut in both the ODI and T20I formats. These performances earned her a spot in England’s squad for the T20 leg of their tour to South Africa in November, but she was ruled out due to an ankle injury.
Sophie Devine: The Kiwi all-rounder has been ever-present for the Edgbaston-based side, Birmingham Phoenix, since her first tournament in 2022, but she has not been named among their overseas retentions. The 35-year-old is currently on an indefinite break from all forms of the game for wellbeing reasons, ruling her out of the WPL in India as well as New Zealand’s upcoming series— which could explain her omission from the squad. We are yet to find out who has put themselves forward for the 2025 draft.
The Squads In Full:
Overseas Players Indicated by Italics.
Birmingham Phoenix Women: Ellyse Perry (£65,000), Amy Jones (£50,000), Emily Arlott (£36,000), Megan Schutt (£36,000), Hannah Baker (£20,000), Charis Pavely (£20,000), Sterre Kalis (£16,000), Ailsa Lister (£10,000).
London Spirit Women: Grace Harris (£65,000), Danielle Gibson (£50,000), Sarah Glenn (£50,000), Charlie Dean (£36,000), Deepti Sharma (£36,000), Georgia Redmayne (£20,000), Eva Gray (£20,000), Cordelia Griffith (£16,000), Tara Norris (£12,500), Sophie Munro (£12,500).
Manchester Originals Women: Amelia Kerr (£65,000), Sophie Ecclestone (£65,000), Beth Mooney (£50,000), Lauren Filer (£36,000), Mahika Gaur (£20,000), Evelyn Jones (£20,000), Kathryn Bryce (£16,000), Fi Morris (£16,000), Danielle Gregory (£12,500).
Northern Superchargers Women: Phoebe Litchfield (£65,000), Annabel Sutherland (£65,000), Georgia Wareham (£50,000), Kate Cross (£50,000), Bess Heath (£36,000), Linsey Smith (£36,000), Hollie Armitage (£20,000), Alice Davidson-Richards (£20,000), Grace Ballinger (£16,000), Davina Perrin (£12,500).
Oval Invincibles Women: Marizanne Kapp (£65,000), Alice Capsey (£50,000), Lauren Winfield-Hill (£50,000), Amanda-Jade Wellington (£36,000), Meg Lanning (£36,000), Tash Farrant (£20,000), Ryana Macdonald-Gay (£20,000), Sophia Smale (£16,000), Jo Gardner (£12,500), Rachel Slater (£10,000).
Southern Brave Women: Laura Wolvaardt (£65,000), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (£65,000), Maia Bouchier (£50,000), Lauren Bell (£50,000), Freya Kemp (£36,000), Georgia Adams (£20,000), Tilly Corteen-Coleman (£12,500), Rhianna Southby (£12,500).
Trent Rockets Women: Ash Gardner (£65,000), Nat Sciver-Brunt (£65,000), Alana King (£50,000), Heather Graham (£50,000), Bryony Smith (£36,000), Grace Scrivens (£20,000), Kirstie Gordon (£20,000), Alexa Stonehouse (£16,000), Nat Wraith (£12,500), Cassidy McCarthy (£10,000).
Welsh Fire Women: Hayley Matthews (£65,000), Tammy Beaumont (£50,000), Jess Jonassen (£50,000), Shabnim Ismail (£36,000), Sarah Bryce (£36,000), Georgia Elwiss (£20,000), Freya Davies (£20,000), Georgia Davis (£16,000), Emily Windsor (£12,500), Beth Langston (£10,000).
2024 Squads’ Comparison:
Birmingham Phoenix:
IN – Megan Schutt (o)
OUT – Sophie Devine (o), Richa Ghosh (o), Katie Levick, Issy Wong, Seren Smale, Chloe Brewer, Fran Wilson, Lissy Macleod, Suzie Bates (o) & Emma Jones.
London Spirit:
IN – Grace Harris (o)
OUT – Meg Lanning (o), Heather Knight, Hannah Jones, Niamh Holland, Abbey Freeborn, Ellie Anderson & Erin Burns (o).
Manchester Originals:
IN – Amelia Kerr (o)
OUT – Kim Garth (o), Emma Lamb, Phoebe Graham, Ellie Threlkeld, Liberty Heap, Alice Monaghan & Bethan Ellis.
Northern Superchargers:
IN – N/A
OUT – Marie Kelly, Lucy Higham, Ella Claridge, Jodi Grewcock & Sophia Turner.
Oval Invincibles:
IN – Meg Lanning (o)
OUT – Chamari Athapaththu (o), Mady Villiers, Paige Scholfield, Lizzie Scott, Georgie Boyce, Amara Carr, Laura Harris (o) & Megan Schutt (o)
Southern Brave:
IN – Laura Wolvaardt (o)
OUT – Smriti Mandhana (o), Chloe Tryon (o), Naomi Dattani, Lauren Cheatle (o), Kalea Moore, Mary Taylor, Sophie Luff, Katie Jones & Charli Knott (o).
Trent Rockets:
IN – N/A
OUT – Katie George, Grace Potts, Josie Groves, Kira Chathli & Aylish Cranstone.
Welsh Fire:
IN – N/A
OUT – Sophia Dunkley, Phoebe Franklin, Ella McCaughan, Alex Griffiths & Kate Coppack.
