Aussie rising star Georgia Voll earns a big payday at Hundred draft while David Warner joins the Lord's-based London Spirit
Warner, Voll snapped up at Hundred draft
David Warner is going back to Lord's as the star signing for the London Spirit team in The Hundred at the age of 38, after being snapped up by the Lord's-based Spirit for GBP120,000 (A$246,000) in Wednesday's draft.
After his retirement from the international arena, the evergreen left-hander's recruitment demonstrated his enduring star power as a host of the big names in the current Australia white-ball team were overlooked.
Australia is expected to be in action in home white-ball internationals against South Africa in August, according to the ICC's Future Tours Program, with a schedule announcement expected in coming weeks.
The likely international commitments meant there were no takers for superstar allrounder Glenn Maxwell, the country's top white-ball spinner Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott nor Nathan Ellis, all of whom were at the recent Champions Trophy and were in the same price bracket as Warner.
Australians drafted to the Hundred 2025
Georgia Voll A$133,000 (Birmingham Phoenix)
David Warner A$246,000, Ashton Turner A$106,000 (both London Spirit)
Jason Behrendorff A$129,000 (Oval Invincibles)
Riley Meredith A$129,000, Chris Green A$129,000 (both Welsh Fire)
Warner's signing was the big news of the draft for August's tournament, even if it was perhaps somewhat of a surprise after no teams showed interest in 2024.
Yet he's clearly considered a valuable asset by Spirit's incoming coach Justin Langer, another former left-hand opener who was close to Warner when in charge of the national team set-up.
Warner will be returning to the dramatic scene of the 2023 Ashes Test match at Lord's when he was involved in the infamous lunchtime bust-up with Marylebone Cricket Club members in the Long Room following the controversy surrounding Alex Carey's stumping of Jonny Bairstow.
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The MCC ended up expelling one member and suspending two others after their altercation with Usman Khawaja and Warner amid unprecedented scenes after the anger sparked over the Carey-Bairstow incident.
The members were all found to have used "abusive, offensive or inappropriate behaviour or language", with one member given a four-and-a-half-year suspension and the other serving 30 months.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy went undrafted while the first player to be snapped up – by Edgbaston-based Birmingham Phoenix – was her 21-year-old compatriot Georgia Voll, who's been brilliant filling in as opener while the national captain has been out injured.
Voll's elevation to the top women's bracket of GBP65,000 (A$134,000) comes after a spectacular spell at the Women's Premier League in India where, after a late call-up by UP Warriorz as an injury replacement, she equalled the highest score in WPL history with 99 not out, hitting back-to-back half-centuries.
The other Aussie men snapped up in the draft were Perth Scorchers' Ashton Turner, who'll team up with Warner at the Spirit, Sydney Thunder allrounder Chris Green and Hobart Hurricanes paceman Riley Meredith, who'll be at the Cardiff-based Welsh Fire, and new Melbourne Renegades signing Jason Behrendorff, the left-arm quick who'll boost Oval Invincibles' title defence.
Other Australian stars who had already been signed up for the competition include Steve Smith at Welsh Fire and Ellyse Perry, who'll be alongside Voll in Birmingham.
Australians in the Hundred 2025
Birmingham Phoenix
Women: Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll
London Spirit
Women: Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne. Men: David Warner, Ashton Turner
Manchester Originals
Women: Beth Mooney.
Northern Superchargers
Women: Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Wareham. Men: Ben Dwarshuis
Oval Invincibles
Women: Meg Lanning, Amanda-Jade Wellington. Men: Jason Behrendorff
Trent Rockets
Women: Ash Gardner, Alana King, Heather Graham. Men: Marcus Stoinis
Welsh Fire
Women: Jess Jonassen. Men: Steve Smith, Chris Green, Riley Meredith