The Hundred 2025 news: Matt Henry rejoins Welsh Fire

Matt Henry will return to Welsh Fire for a third season after signing as a replacement for the injured Chris Woakes.

Woakes, who was due to join the Fire on a £200,000 deal, has been ruled out after damaging his shoulder during England's fifth Test against India at The Oval, and Henry will link up from August 13 after New Zealand's tour to Zimbabwe.

Henry played two games for the Fire in 2023 and six more last year, and was recently in action for Somerset, taking 16 wickets in 10 T20 Blast appearances.

He will be the fourth men's overseas player in the Fire squad - along with Steven Smith, Chris Green and Riley Meredith - with only three permitted to play in a single XI.

Ben Stokes opted to skip the Hundred this year and would not have been fit to play in any case, after tearing a shoulder muscle in the fourth Test in Manchester. But he will be around the Northern Superchargers camp throughout as he starts his rehab, supporting head coach Andrew Flintoff through their campaign.

Brydon Carse has pulled out of the Hundred to manage his workload after bowling 155 overs in England's Test series against India. Carse had a contract worth £78,500 with Northern Superchargers but has been pulled out by England's medical staff.

“At the end of a long series against India and following consultation with the medical staff, I am sadly not able to play for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred this year," Carse said. "I look forward to watching on from the sidelines and to representing the team again in the future.”

Carse will be replaced at the Superchargers by Lancashire fast bowler Mitchell Stanley, who took a single wicket in three T20 Blast appearances this season but has impressed Andrew Flintoff in the England Lions set-up.

Ellyse Perry says Birmingham Phoenix will be approaching the new women's Hundred season with "very much a clean slate" as they look to make significant improvement on last year's seventh-place finish and reach the knockouts for the first time since the competition began in 2021.

Perry is back for a third campaign in Phoenix orange, and second as captain, but there have been extensive changes throughout the set-up at Edgbaston, with a new head coach - Ali Maiden replacing Ben Sawyer - and significant turnover among the playing group.

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