England men’s and women’s World Cup-winning players, including Joe Root, Heather Knight, Ben Stokes, Nat Sciver and Jofra Archer, have officially been selected for the eight new teams in The Hundred.

The eight teams in the women’s competition have picked their first players, each announcing two of the centrally contracted England Women players in the early stage of the player selection process. 

England captain Heather Knight will skipper London Spirit. Anya Shrubsole – Knight’s vice-captain for England – will join up with Danni Wyatt at Southern Brave. Nat Sciver will join Trent Rockets, alongside Katherine Brunt, and Manchester Originals welcome Sophie Ecclestone, the ICC’s Emerging Player of the Year for 2018.

“I’m excited to be representing London Spirit in the first season of The Hundred. Hopefully, I’ll be able to use my experience as England captain to help the side be successful. I think 2020 is shaping up to be a really exciting year for the development of women’s cricket, and The Hundred will be central to us getting more people-watching, playing and following the game,” said England Women’s Captain Heather Knight.

Also revealed were the identities and kits for the eight teams, which are sponsored by a different KP Snacks brand, in their role as Official Team Partner.

Sanjay Patel, managing director of The Hundred, said: “We are thrilled to share the first players who will be starring in the men and women’s competitions for The Hundred next summer. Our ambition is to inspire the next generation to pick up a bat and ball, and we hope that a fire will be ignited in young people as they see their sporting heroes play in The Hundred.”

The final stage of The Hundred Draft is set to provide a historic first for British sport when it is staged on Sunday, October 20. It will be broadcast live on Sky One and Sky Sports, with extensive coverage across the BBC.

The five-week competition will be played at the height of summer, starting July 2020, featuring eight new city-based teams from Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton and two in London (Lord’s and the Oval).

Look out for the exclusive content on GiveMeSport from the launch day.