Oval Invincibles are champions of the men’s Hundred for 2023 – here’s Wisden’s Team of the Tournament.
Oval Invincibles were far and away the best side in the group stages, with six wins, a solitary loss and a tie – the best anyone else could manage was four wins and three losses. However, it seemed as if that dominance would count for little when Manchester Originals, fresh off a record chase in the Eliminator, reduced them to 34-5 in 36 balls.
Enter Tom Curran, who resurrected Oval Invincibles along with late fill-in James Neesham. Manchester Originals then had their own slide and fightback, but couldn’t quite match the London side.
Here is Wisden’s 2023 men’s Hundred Team of the Tournament.
Wisden’s 2023 men’s Hundred Team of the Tournament – the selections
Jos Buttler – Manchester Originals
391 runs at 43.44, SR: 145.35, HS: 82, 3 50s
Jos Buttler was the leading run-scorer in the competition by more than 150 runs, emphasising the daylight between him and the rest of the pack. England’s white-ball captain couldn’t quite lead Manchester Originals to the title, but he was in scintillating form the previous day to seal the competition’s biggest ever chase in the eliminator.
Phil Salt – Manchester Originals
232 runs at 23.20, SR: 194.95, HS: 86, 1 50
It takes a special cricketer to make Jos Buttler look like the sensible member of an opening partnership, but Phil Salt’s consistent, electric starts did exactly that.
Heinrich Klaasen – Oval Invincibles
189 runs at 31.50, SR: 178.30, HS: 60, 1 50
Heinrich Klaasen was the rocket fuel in the Oval Invincibles batting order, and is carving out a reputation as one of the best T20 batters in the world. Each of his three scores above 20 came at a strike rate above 200.
Harry Brook – Northern Superchargers
238 runs at 43.60, SR: 196.69, HS: 105*, 1 100, 1 50
Harry Brook insisted he didn’t have a point to prove after being left out of England’s 2023 World Cup squad, but he made a splash anyway with perhaps the best innings in the Hundred’s short history. His 42-ball 105* was Northern Superchargers’ only score above 15 against Welsh Fire.
Tom Curran – Oval Invincibles
175 runs at 175, SR: 176.76, HS: 67*, 1 50; 9 wickets at 16.44, ER: 8.88, BBI: 3-43
Are we entering the era of Tom Curran, the batting all-rounder? His stats with the ball are handy, but his numbers with the bat are absurd, with Curran only dismissed once all competition. An 18-ball 38* sealed a tie from nowhere against Welsh Fire, but also saw him injure his shoulder diving for the match-tying run. He was just as lethal upon his return, his campaign culminating in a 34-ball 67* that rescued Oval Invincibles from 34-5 in the final, and caught the eye of Ben Stokes.
Jamie Overton – Manchester Originals
202 runs at 40.40, SR: 181.98, HS: 83*, 1 50; 3 wickets at 38.00, ER: 8.04, BBI: 2-21
The Hundred’s official MVP, Jamie Overton had a mighty campaign. A 30-ball 83* against Northern Superchargers was one of the knocks of the competition, and he briefly threatened a heist in the final.
Chris Jordan – Southern Brave
107 runs at 53.50, SR: 201.88, HS: 70*; 9 wickets at 14.33, ER: 8.50, BBI: 3-18
Chris Jordan was a consistent threat for Southern Brave with the ball, but it’s an extraordinary innings with the bat that nudges him into this XI. From eight off 14, he hit 62 off his last 20 against Welsh Fire in a game Southern Brave would win by two runs. Given Brave would edge out Fire on net run rate to secure a spot in the Eliminator, it was a vital knock.
Rehan Ahmed – Southern Brave
9 wickets at 19.33, ER: 6.96, BBI: 3-22
The only spinner outside of this XI to take more wickets than Rehan Ahmed was Nathan Sowter, but while Sowter went at more than nine an over, Rehan was the only bowler to bowl more than 20 sets and go at fewer than seven runs per six balls.
Adil Rashid – Northern Superchargers
11 wickets at 17.36, ER: 7.53, BBI: 4-18
Northern Superchargers finished bottom of the table, but Adil Rashid was exceptional as ever. A game against Manchester Originals summed up both of their campaigns. Rashid claimed 4-18 in 20 balls, with his victims including Jos Buttler and Phil Salt. But Originals still put up 164-6 and won by 81 runs.
Dan Worrall – London Spirit
9 wickets at 16.33, ER: 7.35, BBI: 3-24
Dan Worrall was the most economical seamer in the competition, with a cut-off of 100 balls, and his incision with the new ball underlined a difficult tournament for opening batters. London Spirit regularly used him to bowl 15 of the first 20 balls. Adam Milne and Gus Atkinson can both consider themselves unlucky, the latter pencilled into the XI until an expensive showing in the final.
Tymal Mills – Southern Brave
16 wickets at 13.06, ER: 7.83, BBI: 4-13
The leading wicket-taker in the competition by three scalps, and with a miserly economy rate to boot, given his role.
Wisden’s 2023 men’s Hundred Team of the Tournament – the line-up
1. Jos Buttler
2. Phil Salt
3. Heinrich Klaasen
4. Harry Brook
5. Tom Curran
6. Jamie Overton
7. Chris Jordan
8. Rehan Ahmed
9. Adil Rashid
10. Dan Worrall
11. Tymal Mills
