'Exceeded expectations by a fair stretch' - Sophie Devine reflects on record-breaking Hundred auction
Devine, along with Australia’s Beth Mooney fetched the highest bid of GBP 210,000. The Kiwi will join the Welsh Fire, where she will reunite with head coach Michael Klinger.
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New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine was taken back at the record-breaking The Hundred Women’s auction in London on Wednesday, March 11. It was for the first time in the tournament’s history that a player auction took place to decide the squads ahead of a new era for the tournament.
Devine, along with Australia’s Beth Mooney fetched the highest bid of GBP 210,000. The Kiwi will join the Welsh Fire, where she will reunite with head coach Michael Klinger. The pair previously worked together during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the Gujarat Giants.
"Look, it certainly exceeded expectations by a fair stretch. The really cool thing for me is just to see where the women's game's gone - from back when I first started and you got paid 30 bucks for a weekend to some of the money that was getting thrown around. So, look, I'm certainly really privileged and grateful for the opportunity and to be snapped up,” Devine was quoted as saying on ESPNcricinfo.
"But more importantly, to see where the women's game's got to... it's hard to believe that it's got to this point and it's only going to continue to get better. So, yeah, really grateful and humbled. I'm sure I've already had about five or six people come up to me saying it's my shout for the rest of my life. So, yeah, I think it's all good. But for me, it's a really proud moment for the women's game,” she added.
Devine has previously played in The Hundred for four seasons. Three of those campaigns were with the Birmingham Phoenix. The 36-year-old, however, represented the Southern Brave last time around where she scored 165 runs and took 13 wickets. The side, however, finished runners-up in the tournament, losing to the Northern Superchargers in the final.
Devine will join some extremely talented players at Welsh Fire ahead of The Hundred 2026. These include the likes of Freya Kemp, Em Arlott, Sarah Bryce and Georgia Wareham to name a few.
Top 10 most expensive picks at The Hundred Women's auction:
| Player | Team | Price |
| Sophie Devine | Welsh Fire | £210,000 |
| Beth Mooney | Trent Rockets |
£210,000 |
| Dani Gibson | Sunrisers Leeds |
£190,000 |
| Nadine de Klerk | London Spirit |
£170,000 |
| Issy Wong | Southern Brave |
£130,000 |
| Paige Scholfield | Manchester Super Giants |
£115,000 |
| Jess Jonassen | Sunrisers Leeds |
£110,000 |
| Em Arlott | Welsh Fire |
£110,000 |
| Tilly Corteen-Coleman | Southern Brave | £105,000 |
| Linsey Smith | Birmingham Phoenix |
£100,000 |
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