Stokes set to miss Hundred to manage fitness

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England's Test captain Ben Stokes is anticipated to miss this summer's Hundred as he prioritizes his fitness for the Ashes series in Australia later this year.

At 33 years old, Stokes has not been retained by Northern Superchargers with the announcement of new signings and preliminary squad lists for the 2025 tournament.

He sustained a tear in his left hamstring during England's tour of New Zealand last December, having only recently recovered from a similar injury that occurred while playing for the Superchargers in August.

The injury necessitated surgical intervention, leading to an absence of at least three months.

England's upcoming Test match is scheduled against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May; however, Stokes of Durham hopes to be fit in time for the County Championship season commencing in April.

The Hundred will kick off on August 5, just a day after the conclusion of England's five-Test series with India, while the Ashes are set to start in Perth on November 21.

The signings announced on deadline day include Australian batter Steve Smith joining Welsh Fire.

Smith was originally brought on by the Cardiff-based franchise for the first planned year of The Hundred before it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

This marks the first season where teams can directly sign one male and one female player through private negotiations, rather than relying solely on The Hundred draft.

There remain 68 available positions across all teams, which will be filled through the draft on March 12, along with a wildcard draft in May allowing teams to acquire promising players from the domestic circuit.

At Welsh Fire, Smith will be joined by retained player Jonny Bairstow, whereas fellow Australian Marcus Stoinis has been secured by Trent Rockets.

Former captain of the Australia women’s team, Meg Lanning, is set to play for the two-time champions Oval Invincibles, and seam bowler Megan Schutt will represent Birmingham Phoenix.

The Invincibles have also signed Afghanistan’s leg-spinner Rashid Khan, while former New Zealand pacer Trent Boult has joined Phoenix, and South African batters David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen have been acquired by Superchargers and Manchester Originals respectively.

Australia's leg-spinner Alana King and all-rounder Ash Gardner have been retained by Rockets alongside England's Nat Sciver-Brunt, while Fire has kept Tammy Beaumont and West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews.

The Invincibles claimed the men’s Hundred title for the second consecutive year in 2024, while Spirit claimed victory in the women’s competition.

Recently, the England and Wales Cricket Board oversaw the sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises, resulting in a combined valuation exceeding £975 million, yielding approximately £520 million to be distributed across the sport within the country.