Lewis Gregory to lead Trent Rockets in The Hundred

Gregory made his England debut on the tour of New Zealand this winter before going on to lead England Lions in four matches on their unbeaten tour of Australia.

The 27-year-old has also led Somerset in the Vitality Blast in for the last two seasons and has earned a reputation as a big-hitting finisher, which his T20 strike rate of 146 attests to.

Gregory will lead more big-hitters in the shape of Alex Hales, D’Arcy Short and Dawid Malan as the Rockets strive for success, with number one draft pick Rashid Khan the ace in the pack for the Trent Bridge side.

Gregory said: “I can’t wait to lead this team out. We’ve got so many iconic local players that the support from the crowd should be incredible.

“There’s great balance in our squad, with batsmen who can hit the ball out the ground, seamers who can knock over stumps and spinners who can tie opposition up in knots.

“With coach Stephen Fleming at the helm and the firepower in the dressing room, I think we’ve got a great chance of challenging for the title.”

Former Notts star Fleming said: “Lewis has all the attributes required to skipper our side, and I’m confident he’ll get the best out of our talented squad.

“He has a good temperament on the field and works well with players to achieve results. He’s also one of the best white-ball all-rounders in the country, who will add a huge amount to the team.”

Trent Rockets start their campaign in The Hundred on Sunday, July 19 against Birmingham Phoenix at Trent Bridge, while the women’s side begin against Welsh Fire on Saturday, July 25.

The women will be captained by Nat Sciver, who helped England reach the semi-finals of the T20 Woirld Cup this winter.

A hard-hitting batter and an inventive medium-pace bowler, Sciver scored more than 200 runs at the tournament, with three half-centuries in four innings. She gained captaincy experience when leading Surrey Stars in the Kia League and lifting the trophy in 2018.