Who will Win The Hundred 2022

The slogan of The Hundred is ‘Every Ball Counts' and it has returned for a second season of glamour, glitz, noise and colour throughout August in the UK. The game is played at a million miles per hour - Blink and you'll miss it! For the players, if you're out of form, the competition will quickly pass you by and another star will be born in your place. So, in line with this entertaining format, let's take a whistle stop tour of all the teams and answer the million dollar question - Who Will Win The 2022 Men's Hundred?

Birmingham Phoenix:

Last year's losing finalists contain gun-batter Liam Livingstone who took the Player of the Tournament Award after scoring 348 runs. They certainly have the depth in their squad to go one step further in this year's competition.

Form Player: All-rounder Moeen Ali was one of England's few positives across the white ball internationals earlier this summer. He struck England's quickest half-century (16 balls) in Bristol and took a wicket in each of the IT20s against South Africa.

Overseas Player to Watch: It has been quite a year for Australian keeper-batter Matthew Wade. He took the Player of The Match Award in the T20 World Cup semi-final after hitting 41 not out from 17 balls en route to Australia winning the tournament. Since then, he's added an IPL title to his honours list with Gujarat Titans.

Coach: Daniel Vettori took on the interim role last year and has the permanent gig for the Phoenix in 2022 after Andrew McDonald took the Australia Head Coach job. The former New Zealand spinner and captain has plenty of experience in coaching short-format cricket having previously coached in the BBL, IPL, CPL and T20 Blast.

London Spirit:

It was a season to forget for the Lord's based side in 2021. They recorded only one victory and finished bottom of the pile. However, it's a new campaign in 2022 and you can't rule out a team with Kieron Pollard and Glenn Maxwell in a white ball tournament!

Form Player: Scotland's Brad Wheal comes into The Hundred after playing a key role in Hampshire Hawks' T20 Blast success in June and July. The 25 year old took 22 wickets at an average of 17.22 as his side went all the way to lift the trophy.

Overseas Player to Watch: You don't get the nickname ‘The Big Show' if you're not a special talent! Glenn Maxwell had his best BBL season earlier in the year and is the type of character who will relish the razzmatazz of this tournament.

Coach Pedigree: The late Shane Warne coached the team last season and he will be missed by all in the 2022 competition. Trevor Bayliss has taken the job for this year and has good memories of Spirit's home ground Lord's, where he saw his England ODI side lift the 2019 World Cup.

Manchester Originals:

In spite of possessing one of England's greatest ever white ball batters in Jos Buttler, the Originals are yet to master this format of the game. Plenty of their players have international experience and the Originals will expect to finish above last year's sixth spot.

Form Player: Jos Buttler was simply outstanding for Rajasthan Royals in the 2022 IPL. He hit four centuries and finished with 247 more runs than his nearest challenger for the Orange Cap. Captaining England has not brought the best out of him in recent months but this fast-paced tournament will suit the keeper-batter.

Overseas Player to Watch: If you've not witnessed 21 year old Tristan Stubbs in action yet, then you are missing out. The South African smashed 72 runs from only 28 balls against England in late July and he looks set to dominate white ball cricket for years to come.

Coach Pedigree: Australian Simon Katich has developed an excellent reputation as a T20 coach. He has been on the coaching staff of three IPL sides and he took Trinbago Knight Riders to the CPL title in 2017 and 2018.

Northern Superchargers:

After recording three wins and four defeats in the 2021 Men's Hundred, the Superchargers know that they need a few tweaks to their approach if they are to get in the top three this year. The withdrawal of England Test captain, Ben Stokes, would hamper any side in this competition.

Form Player: Former England Test opener Adam Lyth scored five half-centuries in the 2022 T20 Blast on his way to registering 525 runs in the tournament. Only Rilee Rossouw scored runs at a faster strike-rate in the competition.

Overseas Player to Watch: It was April 2004 when the international cricket world first got a glimpse of Dwayne Bravo and it's fair to say that he's been lighting up the game ever since. A real character on and off the pitch - he released his own single ‘Champion' during the 2016 T20 World Cup - he is still one of the best short format bowlers and is the all-time leading wicket taker in the IPL.

Coach Pedigree: Australian Darren Lehman vacated the position earlier this year and has been replaced by former England wicket-keeper James Foster. The Englishman has been busy over the last three years, coaching in the T20 Blast, the IPL, BPL and PSL.

Oval Invincibles:

The South London based franchise were able to put together a team with plenty of Surrey County cricketers which gave the Invincibles perhaps the most club-like feel of all the teams in 2021. They just missed out on the knockout stage last year and will challenge again this year.

Form Player: After scoring five half-centuries with a top score of 76 in this year's T20 Blast, Will Jacks comes into this tournament at the top of his game. The 23 year old has played in the BBL, PSL, BPL and the Abu Dhabi T10 over recent seasons.

Overseas Player to Watch: Rilee Rossouw smashed 42 sixes for Somerset in the 2022 T20 Blast and posted seven half-centuries along the way. His recent form has seen him return to South African colours after a six year absence.

Coach Pedigree: Tom Moody has been coaching for almost 20 years and has clocked up many titles and successes along the way. He has been used on a consultancy basis at times as well as in the head coach role in all of the big franchise tournaments.

Southern Brave:

The 2021 Champions lost their first two games of the campaign but then never tasted defeat again. Captain, James Vince, was a standout performer in the competition with plenty of other players chipping in with both bat and ball.

Form Player: The skipper continues to be overlooked by England across all formats but very rarely fails at domestic level. He hit two centuries and finished as the leading run scorer as he led Hampshire Hawks to the 2022 T20 Blast title.

Overseas Player to Watch: There is only one Singaporean cricketer in the Men's Hundred, but Tim David is well worth seeing play. Raised in Australia, and expected to be selected by them in the near-future, David scored over 400 runs at a strike-rate of 174.56 for Lancashire Lightning in this season's T20 Blast. He is a finisher and has IPL, CPL, BBL and PSL experience.

Coach Pedigree: Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene is thought of as one of the best in the business when it comes to coaching white ball teams. He took Mumbai Indians to the IPL title in 2017, 2019 and 2020 and will be looking to add back to back Men's Hundred titles to his CV in 2022.

Trent Rockets:

The Rockets finished third in the group stage in 2021 but were blown away by seven wickets in the eliminator by eventual winners Southern Brave. They have plenty of experience in their side, with 11 of their players over the age of 30, and they will be hoping that the acquired knowledge of short format cricket will serve them well.

Form Player: Tabraiz Shamsi is due to be a replacement player for the Rockets to cover the absence of Rashid Khan during the Ireland v Afghanistan series. However, Shamsi may well get an extended run in the side as he has taken 18 wickets from eight games since arriving in England in early July.

Overseas Player to Watch: Although he was part of a very disappointing Worcestershire Rapids team in the 2022 T20 Blast, Colin Munro brings more experience than most to the Rockets. The 35 year old is a powerful top order batter and has made big scores in all the major franchise leagues bar the IPL.

Coach Pedigree: Looking to make the short step from the Eliminator to the Final this year, Andy Flower is back to coach the side for the second successive season. He is a meticulous leader with an eye for detail who demands exceedingly high standards. The 54 year old is well known in England after taking the Test side to the top of the world rankings in 2011.

Welsh Fire:

With the women's team finishing bottom of the table, Welsh Fire Men's side came only one place higher in the first year of the tournament. They suffered a huge blow on the day before the 2022 competition with the news that star in-form batter and captain, Jonny Bairstow, would miss the entirety of the campaign to rest ahead of a busy few months.

Form Player: Jonny Bairstow would certainly have ticked this box after his exploits in an England shirt in 2022. Instead, Welsh Fire will look to left-handed batter Ben Duckett who has been putting strong numbers on the board over the last couple of years, made his BBL debut during the winter and is thought to be close to an international recall.

Overseas Player to Watch: Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa starred with the ball as his country took the 2021 T20 World Cup. After a dry and hot summer in the UK, expect the surfaces in the competition to provide plenty of assistance to the 30 year old.

Coach Pedigree: The former South African opener coached Gujarat Titans to the 2022 IPL title in their maiden tournament and has a CV full of red and white ball glory. If he can lead Welsh Fire to the knockout stages then that would probably be his greatest achievement to date.

So there you have it, from the best of Birmingham to the stars of the south and the big names of the north, this tournament has all the ingredients. We have been unable to take our eyes off the action in the opening week of the tournament and expect the entertainment to keep on coming. There are plenty of teams capable of going all the way but we fancy Southern Brave to be crowned as Champions at Lord's in early September.

The Hundred 2022 Winner Prediction

There are plenty of teams capable of going all the way to the final of the 2022 Men's Hundred but we fancy Southern Brave to be crowned as Champions at Lord's in early September. Not only do they have the powerful and consistent James Vince at the top of the order, but they also have a talented, experienced and well-balanced bowling attack.