The fifth edition of The Hundred begins this week. This will be the final competition for several of the franchises to carry their original names after stakes of each team were sold earlier in the year.
It’s also set to be the most star-studded tournament yet, with players from all over the world competing.
Bet on The Hundred at William Hill
The cricket betting markets tab the Oval Invincibles as favourites in the men’s competition with the Surrey-associated franchise gunning for a three-peat.
Welsh Fire and Oval Invincibles top the betting in the women’s side of the competition, while Beth Mooney and Sophie Ecclestone are the favourites for top batter and top bowler, respectively.
Jofra Archer and Rashid Khan are tied for the shortest top bowler odds. Jos Buttler of the Manchester Originals has the shortest odds to top the run-scoring charts.
Here are some of the best bets across the men’s and women’s tournaments:
Men’s: Manchester Originals To Win Outright at 11/2
After back-to-back runners-up finishes, the Originals placed seventh in 2024. It was a mightily disappointing campaign for the Old Trafford-based franchise, but they are poised to be a serious contender in 2025.
Jos Buttler and Phil Salt are joined by an army of elite short-format players in Heinrich Klaasen, Rachin Ravindra, Noor Ahmad, and Tom Hartley. The wildcard picks of James Anderson and Marchant de Lange form a ferocious pace-bowling attack with Josh Tongue, Sonny Baker, and George Carton.
Lewis Gregory is an experienced campaigner. Ben McKinney brings serious upside with the bat. The Originals have the most well-rounded roster and look great value at this price.
Women’s: Northern Superchargers To Win Outright at 7/1
Runners-up in 2023, the Northern Superchargers have a trio of Australian stars in Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield, and Georgia Wareham. Kate Cross is an expert with the new ball, and Linsey Smith controls the run rate and picks up wickets in the middle overs with her spin.
Skipper Hollie Armitage has been in great form with the bat, while Bess Heath is a breakout candidate this summer.
After narrowly missing out on the playoffs 12 months ago, this Superchargers team has all the components to go all the way.
Men’s: Rehan Ahmed To Be Top Run Scorer at 50/1
Rehan Ahmed is the form man in English cricket ahead of The Hundred. With centuries in his last two first-class matches and 300 runs in nine T20 Blast matches, Ahmed has proven he’s a legitimate all-format all-rounder.
Pitches are flat at Trent Bridge. It’s the best ground to bat on in white-ball cricket. Ahmed should have a significant role with the bat given his recent form, and he could earn a promotion up the order in some matches if Joe Root is rested after an arduous Test series.
Women’s: Laura Wolvaardt To Be Top Run Scorer at 10/1
One of the top run scorers in the competition’s history, Laura Wolvaardt averages 39.47 in The Hundred.
Heather Knight was the only batter with more runs at a higher average in 2024. Signed by the Brave, Wolvdaart is part of a formidable batting lineup with Maia Bouchier and Dani Wyatt-Hodge at the top of the order – there are going to be some big scores posted on the south coast.
Men’s: Noor Ahmad To Be Top Bowler at 14/1
It’s no secret that English cricketers struggle to play left-arm wrist spin. Noor Ahmad has already tormented IPL batters and has a phenomenal T20 record outside of short stints in the BBL and PSL.
The 20-year-old took a five-wicket haul in his last match. Opponents are likely to be under scoreboard pressure with how stacked the Originals’ batting lineup is, so they will be forced to take risks against Ahmad.
Women’s: Sarah Glenn To Be Top Bowler at 16/1
The top three wicket takers in 2024 were spinners. It’s no surprise Ecclestone is the betting favourite in this market given her phenomenal track record in white-ball cricket, but it’s worth looking further afield for betting value.
Sarah Glenn has a 19.14 bowling average in The Hundred. Linsey Smith was the only bowler to take more wickets in 2024, and Glenn has three three-wicket hauls in her last six matches across all competitions.
With Charlie Dean and Grace Harris joining Glenn in the spin-bowling ranks, the London Spirit could look to produce some turning pitches. The variation of Glenn’s leggies could prove pivotal.
Men’s Hundred Winners
- 2024 – Oval Invincibles
- 2023 – Oval Invincibles
- 2022 – Trent Rockets
- 2021 – Southern Brave
Women’s Hundred Winners
- 2024 – London Spirit
- 2023 – Southern Brave
- 2022 – Oval Invincibles
- 2021 – Oval Invincibles
All-Time Top Run Scorers
Men
- James Vince – 980
- Phil Salt – 935
- Ben Duckett – 891
- Dawid Malan – 808
- Will Jacks – 790
Women
- Nat Sciver-Brunt – 967
- Dani Wyatt-Hodge – 907
- Sophia Dunkley – 849
- Laura Wolvaardt – 829
- Tammy Beaumont – 829
All-Time Top Wicket Takers
Men
- Tymal Mills – 43
- Adil Rashid – 38
- Chris Jordan – 36
- Adam Milne – 34
- Sam Curran – 33
Women
- Amanda-Jade Wellington – 45
- Lauren Bell – 41
- Marizanne Kapp – 37
- Kate Cross – 35
- Linsey Smith – 35
*Odds accurate at the time of writing – prices subject to change*
