Who should England pick to rebuild their white-ball sides around? The Hundred has offered some clues.
There’s been plenty of off-field intrigue in the Hundred this season, with teams up for sale and the looming threat of rival competitions around the globe. But it’s been an important tournament from a cricketing perspective too, as England prepare to embark on a proper white-ball rebuild following consecutive sub-par World Cup defences and the departure of head coach Matthew Mott. Australia will tour in September for a pair of T20I and ODI series, encounters which will offer a chance to look at some new players and test some combinations.
As England’s World Cup winning sides fade into the distance, several players have put themselves into contention to form the future in this year’s Hundred. Here’s four who deserve special consideration.
Stats in bold refer to performances in the Hundred 2024
Nathan Sowter - Oval Invincibles
9 matches, 7 wickets at 24.00, ER: 7.14, BBI: 2-12
Among the many players from their great side of the late 2010s that England will at some point need to replace, Adil Rashid will surely be the toughest. Leg-spinners of his quality are rare globally, let alone in England, and pretenders such as Matt Parkinson and Mason Crane have fallen by the wayside, while Rehan Ahmed will need time before he is ready.
Quietly, New South Wales-born Nathan Sowter has become the English domestic game’s most dependable wrist-spinner, and has earned a chance to see if he can cut it at the next level up. The 31-year-old has had to toil in the shires, moving from Middlesex to Durham after coming to terms with what he believed was the end of his professional career. This season, he has been outstanding - the only leggie with a better economy rate is Rashid.
Jordan Cox - Oval Invincibles
7 matches, 214 runs at 42.80, SR: 143.62, HS: 61*
When he sized up his options at the start of the summer, Jordan Cox thought a white-ball call-up was more likely than a Test bow. Now, thanks to injuries to Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes, he’s in line for a Test debut, one that could delay his limited-overs entrance, given the Australia T20Is start one day after the last Sri Lanka Test is scheduled to end.
He deserves to be considered in all forms. He carried the drinks on England’s 2022 tour of Pakistan and before an injury ruled him out of the 2023 Hundred, he was the competition’s leading run-scorer. He has delivered with the bat again this time, leading the charts among uncapped players, and he’s one of the best fielders in the game to boot.
John Turner - Trent Rockets
4 matches, 5 wickets at 11.60, ER: 7.73, BBI: 3-24
John Turner has occupied an odd position in English cricket over the last year or so. Hyped because of his pace, he has regularly been mentioned in dispatches as a player Rob Key and co. are keeping an eye on, but has also only occasionally played actual cricket matches, with Hampshire wary of his rawness. He played just once - in the SA20 - between the middle of August last year and the end of May in this.
His Hundred campaign has showcased both his talent and offered some cause for caution. He began his first game for Trent Rockets with two consecutive beamers, yanked from the attack ignominiously without bowling a legal delivery. Since then, however, he has bowled quickly and with skill. England should at least take a look at him in the squad, and if they don’t pick him to play, he’s at least no stranger to warming the bench.
Jacob Bethell - Birmingham Phoenix
9 matches, 166 runs at 33.20, SR: 132.80, HS: 46*
Barbados-born but now calling Birmingham home, Jacob Bethell has carried his form from the T20 Blast into the Hundred to confirm himself as one of England’s most exciting talents. He struck at 155 for the Bears in the Blast and played a string of key cameos for Phoenix in the Hundred, thriving in the finisher role which England have failed to nail. An unbeaten 46 off 29 against Trent Rockets demonstrated his smarts as well as his strength, Bethell picking his moment before launching the assault which took his side to a match-winning total. He is also an excellent fielder, and can chip in with some off-spin as well.
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