Ten players from Durham have been selected in The Hundred draft for the 2026 season.
Following the earlier retentions and direct signings window, which saw Brydon Carse join Sunrisers Leeds and Lauren Filer move to Birmingham Phoenix, another group of Durham representatives will feature in the upcoming edition of the English franchise competition.
Six members of the Durham Women squad were among those sold at the auction. Captain Hollie Armitage secured a £45k deal with MI London, while all-rounder Mady Villiers was also picked up for £45k by Manchester Supergiants. Spin-bowling duo Katie Levick and Bess Heath each earned £32.5k contracts with Trent Rockets. Phoebe Turner will represent London Spirit after being signed for £20k, and Grace Thompson also received a £20k deal to play for Welsh Fire in Cardiff.
Among the men’s selections, Nathan Sowter will return to MI London after agreeing to a £130k contract, where he will be joined by Callum Parkinson, who signed for £31k. Matthew Potts is set to link up with Brydon Carse at Sunrisers Leeds following a £75k move, while Ben McKinney will represent Southern Brave after securing a £45k deal.
Across two days of The Hundred auction, a total of 169 players were signed by eight teams for a combined £11.9m. The event marked the first major sports auction held in the UK and also saw several women’s cricketers become among the highest-paid female athletes in the country.
England and Somerset all-rounder Dani Gibson was signed by SunRisers Leeds for £190k. England and Warwickshire seamer Issy Wong joined Southern Brave for £130k, while 18-year-old Surrey spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman also moved to Southern Brave at Utilita Bowl for £105k.
Key developments from the men’s auction included Sussex all-rounder James Coles securing a £390k contract with London Spirit, Jordan Cox joining Welsh Fire for £300k, Adil Rashid signing with Southern Brave for £250k, and Pakistani all-rounder Abrar Ahmed linking up with SunRisers Leeds for £190k.
Other deals completed during the auction saw Sophie Devine sign for Welsh Fire and World No.1 batter Beth Mooney join Trent Rockets, both on £210k contracts. Three-time winning men’s captain Sam Billings moved to Trent Rockets for £180k, Tom Curran reunited with his brother Sam at MI London in a £260k deal, Scott Currie joined Birmingham Phoenix for £210k, and England batter Paige Scholfield signed with Manchester Super Giants for £115k.
The women’s auction began with Davina Perrin, who became the first player to go under the hammer before signing for Birmingham Phoenix for £50k. In the men’s auction, Joe Root followed as the first player sold, securing a £240k deal with Welsh Fire.
Dani Gibson expressed her excitement after securing her move, saying: “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.”
James Coles also shared his thoughts on his new deal, stating: “I can’t wait to be joining London Spirit. Lord’s is obviously one of the most special places to play cricket in the world so it will be nice to call it home, and it will be great to link up with Andy Flower and the rest of the team.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing in The Hundred. It’s a world class competition and the quality of players on show in the auction demonstrates that.”
