New Zealand Captain Sophie Devine to Skipper Birmingham in The Hundred

New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine will captain Birmingham Phoenix women’s team in the inaugural edition of English cricket’s The Hundred, it was announced Friday.

Devine, one of the outstanding female cricketers of her generation, recently led the White Ferns at the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

“It’s hugely exciting for me to be able to lead Birmingham Phoenix,” said Devine. “Birmingham is a place that’s close to my heart having had a couple of years with Warwickshire.”

“It’s going to be an exciting new challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”

The 30-year-old is currently ranked the number one all-rounder in the ICC T20 International rankings.

Devine was also named player of the tournament in the 2019-20 edition of Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League, a Twenty20 event, after scoring 769 runs and taking 19 wickets for the Adelaide Strikers.

Ben Sawyer, Birmingham Phoenix women’s coach, said: “Sophie was the first international player we selected for Birmingham Phoenix and I’ve always admired the way she goes about her game.”

Meanwhile England all-rounder Nat Sciver will captain a Trent Rockets women’s team featuring her fiancee Katherine Brunt, the England fast bowler.

“It’ll be fun to play alongside Katherine for a few weeks on the field and her international experience will be great for some of the younger players in our team,” said Sciver, who hit three fifties in four innings during England’s run to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.

Several internationals have signed up for The Hundred, with Meg Lanning, the captain of the victorious Australia team at the T20 World Cup, and team-mate Beth Mooney, the player of the tournament, joining Welsh Fire.

The Hundred is a new tournament consisting of eight city-based franchise sides, breaking away from England’s traditional county system.

Teams will bat for 100 balls each, with overs lasting for 10 balls and bowlers either bowling five or 10 balls consecutively.

All eight franchises will feature both men’s and women’s teams, with the two competitions running side by side.

The England and Wales Cricket Board are adamant The Hundred will attract a new audience vital to safeguarding cricket’s long-term future.

But concerns have been voiced about the impact it could have in the existing men’s 18-team county set-up.

This year’s edition of The Hundred will run from July 17 to August 15.