The Hundred: Jos Buttler, Sophie Ecclestone & Andre Russell among ones to watch in 2022

England internationals Jos Buttler and Danni Wyatt are appointment viewing when batting in The Hundred

The Hundred returns for its second season on Wednesday and will feature a host of England and international stars.

They have used their 'match impact model' to evaluate the impact each player has had in every match they have played in the last eight years. The numbers are weighted so more recent performances and in higher-quality leagues count for more.

We've picked out the top three batters and bowlers in the men's and women's competition to highlight in more detail, but there are also players from every team for you to keep an eye on.

• The Hundred 2022: Finalised squads in full

Three men's batters to watch...

Jos Buttler (Manchester Originals)

Jos Buttler recently became England's white-ball captain after the retirement of World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan

T20 games: 321 Runs: 8,313 Average: 33.65 Strike-rate: 144.90 Centuries: Six

Jos Buttler is one of the most destructive batters in world cricket.

He is one of only three England players - alongside Heather Knight and Dawid Malan - to have scored a century in Tests, one-day and Twenty20 internationals.

The 31-year-old has had a really impressive 12 months, top-scoring for England in the T20 World Cup with 269 runs before smashing an unbelievable four centuries in this year's Indian Premier League.

He only played in two games for the Originals last year but should feature a lot more this season now he is not part of England's Test team and his runs - and leadership in the field - should help Manchester improve on their sixth-place finish last season.

Andre Russell (Manchester Originals)

T20 games: 412 Runs: 6,909 Average: 26.57 Strike-rate: 169.50 Wickets: 371 Average: 25.41 Economy: 8.50

Not many people in the tournament will be able to keep up with Buttler but Andre Russell is perhaps one.

The West Indies all-rounder loves smacking sixes from ball one - he has hit two 14-ball fifties in his career - and is capable of getting up to 90mph with the ball as well, so he should feature heavily at the end of both innings.

The 34-year-old does struggle to stay fit though, so any injuries would hamper the Originals.

Tim David (Southern Brave)

Tim David scored 405 runs, at a strike-rate of 174.56, in his recent spell with Lancashire

T20 games: 114 Runs: 2,556 Average: 33.19 Strike-rate: 164.79

Tim David is a Singaporean-Australian batter, who stands 6ft 5in and strikes fear into opposition bowlers.

He made two appearances for Southern Brave last year, including 15 off six balls in the final, where he also demonstrated his ability in the field to brilliantly run out Birmingham Phoenix's Liam Livingstone. His off-spin can be handy too.

The 26-year-old has been playing in the T20 Blast for Lancashire in the last couple of months so he should be acclimated to English conditions and ready to go from ball one.

Other men's batters to watch: Glenn Maxwell (London Spirit), Rilee Rossouw (Oval Invincibles), Alex Hales (Trent Rockets), Kieron Pollard (London Spirit), Colin Munro (Trent Rockets), Marcus Stoinis (Southern Brave), Liam Livingstone (Birmingham Phoenix), Harry Brook (Northern Superchargers), Quinton de Kock (Southern Brave), David Miller (Welsh Fire), Will Jacks (Oval Invincibles), Moeen Ali (Birmingham Phoenix), Jason Roy (Oval Invincibles), Finn Allen (Southen Brave), Laurie Evans (Manchester Originals), Faf du Plessis (Northern Superchargers) and Joe Clarke (Welsh Fire).

Three women's batters to watch...

Deandra Dottin (Manchester Originals)

Hundred games: Eight Runs: 146 Average: 20.86 Strike-rate: 117.74 Wickets: Three Economy: 6.88

Whether it is with bat, ball or in the field, Deandra Dottin finds a way to influence a game.

The star all-rounder, who has just retired from West Indies duty, can be explosive at the top of the innings with the bat and then her changes of pace and yorkers mean she is a wicket-taking option throughout the innings, but particularly at the end, with the ball.

Expect her to pull off a catch of the tournament contender at some stage too.

The 31-year-old is another who has been playing domestic cricket in England in recent weeks so should hit the ground running.

Danni Wyatt (Southern Brave)

Hundred games: Nine Runs: 208 Average: 26 Strike-rate: 129.19

England opener Danni Wyatt's explosive batting means she can win games in the early exchanges.

She is particularly strong over the off side and expect her to move around in her crease to allow her to hit over the top with effortless ease.

The 31-year-old is also brilliant in the field so don't be surprised if you see her pull off a sublime catch.

Amy Jones (Birmingham Phoenix)

A fine batter and keeper, Birmingham Phoenix captain Amy Jones will be looking to lead her side to this year's final

Hundred games: Nine Runs: 176 Average: 25.14 Strike-rate: 155.75

England wicketkeeper Amy Jones was a solid figure for Birmingham Phoenix last year and they will be hoping for more of the same this year from their captain.

She was consistent with the bat, either finishing innings off for her side or seeing them over the line, while her leadership in the field saw them reach the eliminator despite a poor start.

She's widely-regarded as the best keeper in the women's game too so expect to see some excellent glovework.

Other women's batters to watch: Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave), Tahlia McGrath (Southern Brave), Sophie Devine (Birmingham Phoenix), Heather Knight (London Spirit), Nat Sciver (Trent Rockets), Mignon du Preez (Trent Rockets), Danielle Gibson (London Spirit), Alyssa Healy (Northern Superchargers), Laura Wolvaardt (Northern Superchargers), Lizelle Lee (Manchester Originals), Emma Lamb (Manchester Originals), Maia Bouchier (Southern Brave), Sophia Dunkley (Southern Brave), Marie Kelly (Trent Rockets), Alice Capsey (Oval Invincibles), Meg Lanning (Trent Rockets) and Lauren Winfield-Hill (Oval Invincibles).

Three men's bowlers to watch...

Rashid Khan (Trent Rockets)

Rashid Khan got to 100 international T20 wickets in his 53rd match - the next quickest is 76

Hundred games: Nine Wickets: 12 Strike-rate: 14.17 Economy: 6.79

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan was unsurprisingly, considering the reputation he has earned around the world in franchise leagues, the number-one pick when the original draft happened back in 2019.

He delivered for Trent Rockets, taking 12 wickets in the tournament, despite political unrest in his homeland at the time.

The 23-year-old won't be around for the whole competition this year because of international commitments, but he should influence games with the ball when he is and can also offer valuable quick runs down the order.

Sunil Narine (Oval Invincibles)

Hundred games: Eight Wickets: Seven Strike-rate: 18.57 Economy: 6.08 Runs: 62 Strike-rate: 131.91

Spinner Sunil Narine has not represented West Indies since 2019, despite becoming a highly-valuable player in T20 franchise and domestic leagues around the world.

He often hides the ball behind his leg during his run-up, making it extremely difficult for the batter to pick what type of delivery is coming.

The 34-year-old was often used up the order with the bat last year too in an attempt to score quick runs and Oval Invincibles could use the same tactic again this season.

Imran Tahir (Birmingham Phoenix)

Hundred games: Nine Wickets: 10 Strike-rate: 17.4 Economy: 8.44

At 43, South Africa spinner Imran Tahir will be the oldest player in this year's competition.

He's not lost any of his ability though and will be a constant danger for Birmingham Phoenix throughout the tournament, but particularly towards the end when the used pitches do produce more turn.

Keep an eye out for his trademark celebration - he loves to wheel off and run round the outfield.

Other men's bowlers to watch: Wanindu Hasaranga (Manchester Originals), Wahab Riaz (Northern Superchargers), Tymal Mills (Southern Brave), Chris Jordan (Southern Brave), Kane Richardson (Birmingham Phoenix), Naseem Shah (Welsh Fire), Adil Rashid (Northern Superchargers), David Willey (Northern Superchargers), Noor Ahmad (Welsh Fire), Dwayne Bravo (Northern Superchargers), Richard Gleeson (Manchester Originals), Adam Milne (Birmingham Phoenix), Sam Curran (Oval Invincibles), Sean Abbott (Manchester Originals), Mohammad Hasnain (Oval Invincibles), Samit Patel (Trent Rockets) and Liam Dawson (London Spirit).

Three women's bowlers to watch...

Sophie Ecclestone (Manchester Originals)

Sophie Ecclestone shone once again in England's recent T20 series win over South Africa

Hundred games: Seven Wickets: Five Strike-rate: 28 Economy: 6.04

The inaugural season didn't go the way that Sophie Ecclestone would have anticipated but a lot of teams were wary of her and played her with extreme caution.

The England spinner is the number-one ranked bowler in both T20 and one-day internationals and it is hard to see her not improving on last year's statistics.

The 23-year-old was struggling with a shoulder injury then, but has been rotated and used a bit more sparingly by England so far this summer and that should work in Manchester and Ecclestone's favour.

Alana King (Trent Rockets)

T20 internationals: Eight Wickets: 13 Strike-rate: 11.1 Economy: 4.88

Despite being 26, Australia leg-spinner Alana King is a new name to most.

She burst onto the scene over the winter when she made her international debut in all three formats in the space of two weeks against England in the Ashes.

King impressed in that series, regularly picking up key wickets, before taking 12 wickets in Australia's World Cup-winning campaign to fully cement herself in the double world champions' side and earn this opportunity.

Megan Schutt (London Spirit)

T20 internationals: 81 Wickets: 102 Strike-rate: 15.6 Economy: 6.03

Australia quick Megan Schutt is one of only seven women to have taken 100 wickets in T20 internationals.

That stat in itself tells you about her pedigree as one of the best bowlers in the world.

Her inswingers and subtle variations allow her to target the stumps, meaning she is a threat at the start and end of the innings, making her a big signing for London Spirit.

Other women's bowlers to watch: Marizanne Kapp (Oval Invincibles), Amanda-Jade Wellington (Southern Brave), Shabnim Ismail (Oval Invincibles), Katherine Brunt (Trent Rockets), Heather Graham (Northern Superchargers), Deepti Sharma (Birmingham Phoenix), Freya Davies (London Spirit), Charlie Dean (London Spirit), Anya Shrubsole (Southern Brave), Sarah Glenn (Southern Brave), Jess Kerr (London Spirit), Lauren Bell (Southern Brave), Kate Cross (Manchester Originals), Hayley Matthews (Welsh Fire), Sophie Molineux (Birmingham Phoenix) and Annabel Sutherland (Welsh Fire).