Southern Brave have today confirmed the men’s and women’s stars they have re-signed to return to The Ageas Bowl this summer for the third year of The Hundred.

Fans on the south coast will see 10 of their men’s players from 2022 back at The Ageas Bowl with captain James Vince joined by England all-rounder Chris Jordan and England Men’s youngest ever Test player, 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed.

Jofra Archer will also be in green this summer as he continues his return from the injury which ruled him out of The Hundred last season.

Southern Brave’s women’s team will be looking to go one step further than last year after they finished the competition as runners-up. They’ll be boosted by the presence of Indian superstar Smriti Mandhana, who has been retained alongside England trio Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier and Freya Kemp.

Rashid Khan, Jos Buttler, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Ellyse Perry and Glenn Maxwell are among the list of players who have been retained by other teams in The Hundred.

Across both competitions, 114 players have been retained in total, meaning 134 spots remain to be filled at The Hundred Draft powered by Sage, and across the open market process in the women’s competition.

Teams in the men’s competition are able to retain 10 players, and women's teams can retain four of their players. Six men’s sides have retained all 10, while Welsh Fire – under the new leadership of Australian great Mike Hussey – will have eight places to fill at The Draft, at which they’ll have the first pick.

Daily Echo: The full Southern Brave retained list.The full Southern Brave retained list. (Image: Southern Brave)

The women’s competition will be hosting a draft for the first time, with Tammy Beaumont’s Welsh Fire the first side to pick with the likes of Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt and Kate Cross, as well as a host of international players, up for grabs. The final list for The Hundred Draft powered by Sage is due to be confirmed on February 28.

The Hundred will kick off its third year at Trent Bridge on Tuesday 1 August with a Trent Rockets v Southern Brave double-header the first of 68 games that promise high-octane men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment. 

More than half a million people attended games during The Hundred’s second year in 2022, including a record-breaking 271,000 watching live women’s fixtures across the competition and more families buying tickets than in 2021.

There will be an initial, exclusive window to purchase tickets from 15-28 March for anyone who has previously bought tickets for The Hundred. Those yet to attend can sign up in advance at thehundred.com for priority ticket access from 5–18 April. Tickets will then go on general sale on Thursday 20 April. Tickets this year remain great value in line with 2022 pricing, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 6-15, free for children five and under, and adults starting from £10.

“It’s brilliant to be back with the Brave this year," ICC Men’s T20 World Cup winner Chris Jordan said. 

"I love playing in front of the fans on the south coast and we can’t wait for the competition to start.  We’ll be looking to go as far as we can and having retained this group I think we’re in a good place to compete.”

England Women all-rounder Freya Kemp added: “The Hundred is like no other competition I've been a part of, so I’m really honoured to be retained by Southern Brave. It’s always great to be play under Charlotte Edwards, I learn a lot from her and my teammates so I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

A full exclusive interview with Southern Brave vice-captain Chris Jordan can be read on the Daily Echo Sports page on Friday as well as in print Friday's edition of the print newspaper.