The Hundred: Top wicket-takers in the 2022 edition
The Hundred 2022 edition ended with Trent Rockets lifting the trophy by defeating Manchester Originals in the men’s final on Saturday (September 3). Bowlers dominated the last fixture with 17 wickets in two innings as Trent Rockets chased the 121-run target with two wickets and two balls remaining at Lord’s.
Key English pacers Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Chris Woakes missed the entire tournament with injuries and red-ball skipper Ben Stokes decided to skip the season to focus on Test cricket with the other red-ball specialists James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Jack Leach. With key national bowlers missing the tournament, domestic players stepped up to impress with some brilliant spells throughout the season.
Here are the top three wicket-getters at The Hundred Men 2022:
- Jordan Thompson (14 Wickets, London Spirit)
The 25-year-old right-arm pacer enjoyed a defining season at the Hundred for London Spirit who lost the Eliminator clash against the Originals. He took the highest 14 wickets in nine matches at an average of 18.07 and an economy rate of 9.14.
Thompson started this season by taking two big wickets of Will Jacks and Sam Curran in their opening clash against the Invincibles. He bowled his best spell of this season in the next match against the Originals by grabbing four wickets while conceding only 21 runs in 20 balls. He was consistent throughout the season and failed to take wickets on only two occasions, including an Eliminator clash.
- Tom Helm (14 Wickets, Birmingham Phoenix)
Birmingham Phoenix finished the season in the fourth position despite winning five out of eight group stage matches. They were tipped to reach the finals with star English players making the squad this season. Tom Helm made the biggest contribution for the Pheonix and finished the season as the leading wicket-taker for them.
Helm, 28, took 14 wickets in just eight matches at an average of 14.07 and an economy rate of 8.32 in this edition. He started this season with two wickets while conceding only 12 runs in 11 balls against the Rockets. He managed to take wickets in seven out of eight matches, including his best spell of four for 17 against London Spirit in the last match.
- Paul Walter (14 Wickets, Manchester Originals)
The 28-year-old all-rounder has been a regular performer for Essex in the domestic circuit but never made a big impact with a ball. He finished the season with joint-highest 14 wickets but topped the chart due to a better average and economy rate than Tom Helm and Jordan Thompson.
Walter took 14 wickets in nine Hundred innings at an average of 11.42 and an impressive economy rate of 7.11 and also contributed with a bat by scoring crucial 82 runs. He didn’t get a chance to bowl in the opening clash against the Superchargers, where he scored 23 runs off just 10 balls. But he grabbed two wickets in the next match against London Spirit and bowled his best spell of the season against Southern Brave by taking three wickets for 20 runs in 15 balls.
