After two middling campaigns in the first two years of the Hundred, the Superchargers will be looking to taste the top spots in 2023. Whether that will include talisman Ben Stokes remains to be seen.
They were active in the draft, with players both departing and arriving to give the squad a fresh look.
Northern Superchargers 2022 Hundred performance
After finishing fifth with seven points in 2021, Superchargers went one better with the points tally in 2022 but ended up in sixth. Their net run rate of 0.009 rather summed up their indifferent performances in the two tournaments so far.
There were at least some positives to come from last season's competition, with Adam Lyth the highlight from a batting perspective. The Yorkshire opener scored just 40 runs in five innings in 2021 at little over run-a-ball but smoked 299 in eight innings at a strike rate of 175.9.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe typically gave the Superchargers a strong start, but was unable to gain as much support as would have been expected from Faf du Plessis, who scored 134 in his eight innings.
One man who did provide some significant support to Lyth was Adam Hose, whose seven visits to the crease yielded 182 runs at a strike rate of 159.6. David Wiese also chipped in with 150 in seven innings, striking at a mammoth 182.9.
England internationals Harry Brook and David Willey disappointed with the bat, scoring 85 and 90 respectively in six innings each.
In terms of bowling, no Superchargers player made into double figures when it came to wickets taken. T20 stars Dwayne Bravo and Adil Rashid took eight apiece, with the latter particularly economical.
Embed from Getty ImagesWiese proved his all-round abilities as he took seven, while Willey took six. Wayne Parnell showed his worth with four wickets but he played just twice and will seek to build on that this season.
Changes to the Northern Superchargers squad in the 2023 Hundred draft
Superchargers somewhat surprisingly let Willey go and chose not to go back in for him in the 2023 Hundred draft, with the all-rounder heading to Welsh Fire, but they did bring in another left-arm England international in Reece Topley.
Somerset's prodigiously talented Tom Banton was also snapped up, joining Topley in the second £100k band. while New Zealand's Michael Bracewell was also brought in after his impressive form in the past 12 months.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnfortunately, he was ruled out a few weeks out from the start of the tournament, prompting a chance for Australian Matthew Short, who was one of the stars of the Big Bash League 2022/23 season.
Those three signings will likely slot in nicely into a side that, on paper, looks to have a good balance about it. Bas de Leede, the promising Netherlands all-rounder who currently plays for Durham, looks to be a shrewd pickup.
It looks fairly likely that he could get a chance, especially should Stokes be unavailable after a sapping Ashes series.
Embed from Getty ImagesStokes' likely limited availability would also open the door to the two Hundred 2023 wildcard picks - Stokes' Durham teammate Ollie Robinson and Northamptonshire's Saif Zaib.
How 2023 squad shaping up
Potential starting XI: Tom Banton, Adam Lyth, Matthew Short, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Adam Hose, David Wiese, Wayne Parnell, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley
As mentioned above, it would be impressive if Stokes played any sort of major part for the Superchargers this season. It is greatly disappointing for the Headingley-based side, given he has played just twice in the last two tournaments.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe does likely need a rest, though, and he has shown no real hesitation in pulling out previously. Even Brook may be a candidate for a rest given his role in the Ashes, though that does seem less likely.
The Stokes-sized hole is naturally a big one, with no real genuine replacement for him in the squad. Instead, the likes of de Leede, Robinson and Zaib will have the opportunity to prove their worth. All three are young and performed admirably in the 2023 t20 Blast.
Topley has also had his recent fitness issues and pulled out of the 2023 Indian Premier League in the early stages due to injury. Should he also be unavailable, Matthew Potts would be a good option to slot straight in.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe presence of Parnell also lessens the potential loss of Topley, given he provides a quality left-arm option up top himself. Incidentally, the South African has been selected to lead the Superchargers this season, having done a sterling job as captain for Pretoria Capitals in the inaugural SA20.
With Banton showing that he is back to his best in Somerset's triumphant Blast season, it looks to be a promising opening pair with Lyth. Short may be lacking in experience outside of Australia, but he showed glimpses of his quality in the IPL.
Comments
Post a Comment