Higgins & Payne retained by Welsh Fire
3 February 2021
Ryan Higgins and David Payne are two of five players who have been retained by Welsh Fire ahead of the first season of cricket’s new, action-packed competition The Hundred.
The Gloucestershire duo who were originally selected in The Draft in October 2019 will represent the men’s team based in Sophia Gardens alongside England World Cup winner Liam Plunkett and Afghan legspinner Qais Ahmad who was due to play for The Shire in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
They join England internationals Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton and Ben Duckett in a men’s squad full of pace and power. Welsh Fire now have seven men’s players signed up to play. The team’s remaining seven slots will now be picked at a draft later this month.
South East Stars’ Amy Gordon joins Western Storm’s Sophie Luff, Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Lauren Filer and Natasha Wraith in an exciting Welsh Fire women’s team. Still only 19, all-rounder Gordon has been a regular for Surrey Women and the newly formed South East Stars as part of the new women’s Regional set-up.
Earlier this year, Benny Howell was retained by Birmingham Phoenix as part of the first wave of players to be confirmed for the 2021 edition of the competition.
In total another 56 men and women have today been confirmed as featuring in the action-packed 100-ball competition.
As a Gloucestershire Cricket Member, you can buy up to six tickets for your family and friends at 50% off the early bird price, for all Welsh Fire group stage matches at Sophia Gardens during the exclusive members priority pre-sale window opening 23 February.
Full list of players announced today:
Birmingham Phoenix: Shaheen Afridi, Thea Brookes, Chris Cooke, Gwen Davies, Liam Livingstone, Isabelle Wong, Kane Williamson
London Spirit: Charlie Dean, Mason Crane, Freya Davies, Joe Denly, Hannah Jones, Glenn Maxwell, Sophie Munro, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Mark Wood
Manchester Originals: Georgie Boyce, Natalie Brown, Ellie Threlkeld, Alex Hartley, Emma Lamb, Wayne Madsen, Matt Parkinson,
Northern Superchargers: Aaron Finch, Beth Langston, Chris Lynn, John Simpson, Linsey Smith, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Oval Invincibles: Sam Billings, Sarah Bryce, Alice Capsey, Laurie Evans, Jo Gardner, Will Jacks, Sandeep Lamichhane, Dane Van Niekerk
Southern Brave: Amelia Kerr, Fi Morris Craig Overton, Andre Russell, Marcus Stoinis, Ross Whiteley
Trent Rockets: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Cox, Lewis Gregory, Nancy Harman, Lucy Higham, D'Arcy Short, Luke Wood, Luke Wright
Welsh Fire: Qais Ahmad, Amy Gordon, Ryan Higgins, David Payne, Liam Plunkett
Welsh Fire are one of eight new teams taking part in The Hundred, a new 100-ball competition that is designed to throw open cricket’s doors to everyone. Boasting world class men’s and women’s players, it will take place this summer and feature eight city-based teams from Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton and two in London. It will be screened live by Sky and the BBC.
Visit thehundred.com to find out more about the latest squads and the new 100-ball competition.
