Hundred Draft 2023 - The picks as they happened

Here's the full breakdown of the two squads, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf's move to Welsh Fire among the most notable picks in the Men's Draft. They are likely to be captained there by Tom Abell, you'd suspect.

Sophia Dunkley's own move to Cardiff was the headline pick in the Women's Draft.

Among the eye-catching omissions, Jake Lintott and Matt Parkinson go unsold, which is fascinating.

Matt Roller, who has been watching with eagle eyes (not in the Action Man sense, of course, he's far too young for those...) and has this pithy summary to whet your appetite for his full digest:

"The men's draft was mostly about Welsh Fire's attempts to lift themselves off the bottom after a disastrous 2022 and they look like a much stronger squad on paper, particularly with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf in the same attack. But Matt Parkinson going undrafted eight months after playing T20 cricket for England suggests the draft system is fundamentally flawed."

Can't say fairer than that. It was chaotic. It was undoubtedly intriguing. But whether any of it makes any sense in the final analysis, well, we'll have to wait until August 1 to find out. For now, I'm off to the pub to find some salty bar-snacks... catch you later!

And that's a wrap!

Finally, a Welshman at Welsh Fire! Last season, there was no Welsh and no Fire, as Nasser Hussain damningly put it. But after an outstanding selection across the men's and women's draft, they've added some home-town grit to the oyster too with the Glamorgan allrounder entering the mix.

Another notable associate signing, with Scotland's seamer also heading to the champions.

Another refugee from Welsh Fire's fire-sale... and he's off to join the champions! England seem not to want his proven abilities with the white ball, but he was in action for Brisbane Heat this winter and is a proper player.

Another retention.

A star of the Pakistan Super League, he bowled at proper and sustained pace throughout, and will enjoy the Oval conditions no doubt.

Reward for one of the outstanding domestic players of recent seasons. His form for Middlesex brooked no equivocation, and as he told Matt Roller this week, he couldn't have done much more, after leading the Blast run-scoring over the past three years, and at a strike-rate of 147 too.

Reward for another star of the Dutch T20 World Cup campaign.

Worcestershire's quick is yomping up the M6 to Manchester. This will be his competition debut.

Another rising star on the English scene. A potential England wicketkeeper-batter across formats? I wouldn't rule it out given his feats this winter, and with age on his side too.

A trans-Bristol-Channel signing for Fire, via Somerset and the Netherlands. A mighty battler in every respect... a feisty spinner, a violent lower-order hitter, and a hero in the field during the recent T20 World Cup ... just ask his former team-mates at South Africa.

A switch up the M3 from Southern Brave.

One of South Africa's linchpins, and a keeping option too.

Rauf, Payne, Ball and Afridi makes for a potent seam attack at Welsh Fire. They've had a good night I reckon.

Beastie's heading to Leeds! Another Kiwi to have impressed in the winter Tests ... took it to Ben Stokes' Bazballers as best he could, and clearly caught the eye in doing so.

Another long-levered Antipodean heads down to the Ageas Bowl. Conway gave it some humpty during the Tests in New Zealand recently.

Another heavy-artillery signing for Fire. We're into the £75k signings now, meaning the likes of Babar Azam, Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard and Muhammad Rizwan have all been overlooked this year.

One of the great young prospects in English white-ball cricket... but he's had a tough couple of seasons, not helped by his flat-lining form at a fizzling Welsh Fire. Maybe the grass will be greener at Headingley.

A serial winner with Perth Scorchers... what's not to like?

Now then... big signing, big story. Matt got the scoop earlier this week, that he was back in business after his suspension for a failed drugs test. That ban prospect hasn't gone away but he's in for now. He was sensational in the Big Bash final for Perth Scorchers last year.

He's not yet appeared in the Hundred due to injury, but he was bowling very briskly for England this winter, in - dare one say it - a very Liam Plunkett-esque role in the middle overs.

Out goes one left-arm England seamer, in comes another. Willey to Topley, it's a good like-for-like option - tall, quick, incisive. Again, injury permitting, he's a gun.

Gosh, that's a marquee signing! Pound for pound, arguably the best white-ball bowler in the world right now, and had he not got injured in the T20 World Cup final, what would have happened there?

Another very handy pick for Fire... a fixture in England's squads (barring the 2019 World Cup of course) but having moved on from Superchargers, he'll add cunning left-arm swing and heavy six-hitting abilities.

"Difficult leaving a side I've played for the last two years, but for me personally, time for a fresh start. Wish them all the best, but three years in a career in a long time. Birmingham is a great ground. Played under Mo in Pakistan, they seem to have a great team and some explosive batters. I'll be the anchor and get them on strike!"

He's staying put, as well he might as an integral part of their winning line-up last year. He's a keeping option too.

Heavy artillery at Lord's, with Australia's powerful allrounder linking up with Dan Lawrence's men ... Zak Crawley and Glenn Maxwell also in Trevor Bayliss's squad

The Right to Match was in play ... just as he hoped it wouldn't be... but in the end he gets his wish and heads to Phoenix, just as Matt Roller predicted.

Another batter for Brave, David and du Plooy guarantee some power in their middle-order

That's a probable captaincy option for Fire... he's got quite the reputation from Somerset, and was very unlucky to miss out on an England debut in Bangladesh this month after an untimely injury.

Brave say Hands Off... Welsh will go again! And yes, it's another Right to Match in action ...

Here we go, those sneaky Welshmen are playing the system once more... and it's Tim David!

Did you make any sense of that? Fear not, the boy Roller will be working his magic in due course to analyse everything that's just hurtled by.

So... over to the men. Thirty picks incoming this time. Here's how the grid currently stands.

Right, let's rattle the last of these off, as it's all happening fast and furiously.

Laura Harris and Alex Hartley - Welsh Fire
Sophie Luff - London Spirit
Katie George - Manchester Originals
Katie Levick - Birmingham Phoenix
Mady Villiers and Paige Scholfield - Oval Invincibles
Kirstie Gordon and Grace Potts - Trent Rockets

You have to say... Welsh Fire look like they are getting something right this year. England's rising star seamer is a very handy addition to their burgeoning squad, after moving on from London Spirit.

A solid re-signing, lets no-one down at the top of the order.

That's a big, big signing. The inspiration behind Oval Invincibles' win in the first season, and clearly a player with a huge point to prove after her ignominious retirement from international cricket...

Another Aussie in the mix. A regular with Sydney Sixers, but the 25-year-old hasn't yet broken into the Aussie squad.

Another injection of serious power from Rockets ... Lee, Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt is quite the line-up. A keeping option too from the South African.

Scotland comes to Auld Trafford. Likes to give the spinners a biff.

A bright young prospect heading to Lord's. A brisk fast bowler, who comes in after ADR stays up in Leeds.

Another fine allrounder to add to Welsh's rebooted squad. Phoenix had the Right to Match, but chose not to play it.

A strong seam-bowling allrounder to add to Spirit's mix. Nope, scratch that... Superchargers have played their Right To Match... as well they might!

Wyatt and South Africa's Tryon at the Ageas Bowl's big acreage. If anyone's going to clear those boundaries, those two will.

"Delighted to be back at Southern Brave, Ageas Bowl is the best place to play. Been good to watch the draft so far. We need another bowler, another allrounder is always handy. We've got Chloe and Anya back which is great news. Pakistan (for PSL exhibition) was fantastic, so friendly and hospital."

Another Australian allrounder enters the fray. She's linking up with Alyssa Healy to give Superchargers some serious heft.

Can't say fairer than that. Another Australian legspinner in the mix... always guaranteed to enhance the line-up. She's had quite the time of it recently too, following her WPL pick-up

That's a monster get for Manchester. A gun for Australia's globe-crushing uber-winners, with a hefty 173 T20 wickets to her name.

Back with the old gang at Southampton, booming World-Cup-winning inswingers are still in vogue!

Intriguing selection, Lord's isn't renowned for spinning, and they've got Charlie Dean and Amelia Kerr already. But stock up on the world's best spinners, and there are fewer for everyone else! Very capitalist approach...

She snuck through during the Right to Match dramas... tidy signing, a powerful Aussie, and a debut appearance in The Hundred

Is this the beginnings of a competitive line-up in Cardiff this year? Shabnim has proper wheels, and will provide a genuine cutting edge to their attack.

She's in Goa... "very excited," she says. "Such a great time at Phoenix last year, and my great mate loves the Hollies Stand so look forward to getting back there. What's happened in the last 12-18 months, I wasn't expecting it in my career, but proud to be a part of it."

A Roses switcheroo takes place in the opening round, with Kate Cross heading over to Leeds from Manchester. Intriguing. No use of the Right to Match from Originals.

That's a massive pick-up. She's been formidable in the WPL. And a Mumbai-shaped reunion with Nat Sciver-Brunt at Nottingham in prospect. Exciting times...

No Right to Match this time... The South Africa opener Laura Wolvaardt was a Northern Supercharger last year, so a switch over the Pennines in prospect.

Three first picks for Fire... and they get Dunkley at the third time of asking. Result!

As well you might expect, Charlotte Edwards says over my dead body... and keeps her bosher at the top of the order.

Gosh, this is a tactical masterstroke from Welsh Fire... undoubtedly the high point of their Hundred existence after two dismal seasons. They are forcing their rivals to make big decisions, and will bag a monster first pick one way or another...

Dunkley or Wyatt... Wyatt or Dunkley? Tick follows tock follows tick follows tock ...

Sophie Devine was the player in dispute... and Phoenix have decided to keep her after the 2022 season. Tactics in play already! Welsh wizardry...

What drama... Welsh Fire's first pick has gone to a Right To Match ... who could it be? Dunkley or Wyatt potentially? With Matthews at the top of the order already, expect fireworks...

Right, we are ready for the off. The first draft in UK women's sport history is about to get underway. A total of 34 players will be picked up in the course of the next hour, to bulk out the tournament's initial eight-player squads, which will then be filled out with seven more open-market picks.

So, the squads have already retained their players from 2022, to a maximum of four. Welsh Fire, who finished bottom last time out, have the first pick, and will be seeking six names, after Annabel Sutherland's late withdrawal. They only have one player left over from last season, Hayley Matthews, with Tammy Beaumont joining as captain from London Spirit.

There's a Right To Match option too, with the likes of Danni Wyatt (formerly of Southern Brave) among the players who could enter into something of a tussle.

Dawid Malan has a few ideas...