History made at The Hundred Auction hosted at Piccadilly Lights, The Venue
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(all images accreditrd to Getty and supplied by ECB)
History was made across two days at The Hundred Auction (12-13 March), with 169 cricketers signing up to eight new teams for a combined £11.9m. The Venue choice meant that this ground-breaking event could be delivered in the heart of London in a versatile space for presenting the auction both to VIP guests and via broadcast to the watching world.
The first ever major sports auction in UK history saw a number of women’s cricketers become some of the highest paid female athletes in the country. The auction prices equate to the appearance fees received by the players for this year’s Hundred, a fast-paced limited overs form of cricket, with each side afacing just 100 balls per match.
England and Somerset all-rounder Dani Gibson was signed by SunRisers Leeds for £190k, England and Warwickshire seamer Issy Wong went to Southern Brave for £130k, and 18-year-old Surrey spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman joined her at Utilita Bowl for £105k.
The main stories of the men’s auction saw Sussex all-rounder James Coles purchased by London Spirit for £390k, Jordan Cox joining Welsh Fire for £300k, Adil Rashid heading to Southern Brave for £250k and Pakistani all-rounder Abrar Ahmed linking up with SunRisers Leeds for £190k.
Other signings across the two days included Sophie Devine and World No.1 batter Beth Mooney joining Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets respectively for £210k, three-time winning men’s captain Sam Billings finding a new home at Trent Rockets (£180k), Tom Curran reuniting with his brother Sam at MI London (£260k), Scott Currie becoming a Birmingham Phoenix player for £210k, and England batter Paige Scholfield joining Manchester Super Giants for £115k.
The two day event saw Davina Perrin (Birmingham Phoenix, £50k) with the honour of becoming the first player to go under the hammer in the women’s auction, while Joe Root (Welsh Fire, £240k) followed suit in the men’s auction.
Dani Gibson said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to be joining SunRisers Leeds. It was pretty nerve-wracking watching the auction, but amazing to end up at Headingley – especially as I’m joining the holders – and I can’t wait for it all to start now.
“It’s really cool to think how much the women’s game has progressed since The Hundred started. The salaries now are in a different world from when it started in 2020, and it’s nice to think young girls may see a career in cricket as a genuinely exciting option for them now – not just something they can do, but something they really want to do.”
The sixth year of The Hundred gets underway on Tuesday 21 July, with MI London hosting SunRisers Leeds. Register your interest for tickets by signing up to the priority window by 23 March and get tickets at early bird prices for the blockbuster summer competition.
The Hundred Auction saw a vast array of media coverage.
Piccadilly Lights, The Venue
The Hundred used Piccadilly Lights, The Venue with its main ground floor and mezzanine the primary focus. The Venue can been used in a domination package that allows 10 minute full screen domination allocations of the famous lights high above it. Further high-tech space exists in the basement below.
The floor where The Hundred Auction took place has a studio space called The Flex adjoining the main hall (The Hero). The Flex is perfect for podcasts, social media or broadcasts.
Here’s a flyby showing the core facilities and spec at Picadilly Lights, The Venue.