The Hundred: Phoebe Graham previews finals weekend with new champion guaranteed and big players retiring

Phoebe Graham looks ahead to finals weekend in The Hundred with a new women's champion guaranteed and Anya Shrubsole, Alex Hartley and Claire Nicholas eyeing spectacular send-offs…

We had an upset in the women's tournament. For the first time, double reigning champions Oval Invincibles will not be part of Hundred finals weekend.

However, Southern Brave will be there for the third time in a row, so are they ready to win it this year? And who will they play?

• The Hundred - final standings from the 2023 competition
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• Stream The Hundred with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months

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We welcome Welsh Fire and Northern Superchargers to the knockout phase. These two teams have been phenomenal throughout the group stages and will go head to head on Saturday in the eliminator at The Kia Oval.

There's one thing for sure: we will have a new champion. Not only that, we will also bow down to some of the greats that have played the game. One last dance for Brave captain Anya Shrubsole and Welsh Fire's Alex Hartley and Claire Nicholas.

Shrubsole has been integral to the growth of the women's game in its entirety. Her match-winning six-wicket haul in the 2017 World Cup final in front of a full house at Lord's took the game to the next level.

It provided the ammunition to professionalise the women's game domestically, to invest further into women's cricket. Now young girls can follow their dream to be professional cricketers.

'Bouchier striking the ball as well as anyone'

Anya's knowledge and captaincy led the Brave to seven wins in the group stage and her players have fired on all cylinders. Brave have three of the top five leading run scorers in Maia Bouchier (264 runs), Smriti Mandhana (234) and Danni Wyatt (236).

Their top order has been destructive in the powerplay, all playing simple, classy, low-risk shots, but Bouchier has impressed me the most.

Her talent has been spoken about for many years but her consistency in performances at the moment and the way she is striking the ball is as good as anyone. She is knocking the door down as an England T20 opener in the Sri Lanka series later this month.

Brave have been economical with the ball. They have clear plans and roles and most impressive is their death bowling. When teams have strong platforms against them, Anya and Lauren Bell have an art to close down the end phase of the game and absorb all the pressure.

They are the ultimate death-bowling unit and if they continue to hold that control in the final, it could be this phase of the game that wins them the match.

Will it be third time lucky for the Brave and will Anya captain the team to victory, giving her the Stuart Broad-style ending that everyone is searching for?

'Hartley epitome of what cricket should be about'

Then we have the legend Hartley. Always playing the game with a smile on her face, Alex is the epitome of what cricket is about.

She is a wonderful character on and off the pitch and has enjoyed a 17-year career at Lancashire, dominating women's cricket from 14 years of age. She also contributed to the 2017 Women's World Cup win and should be proud of everything she has achieved on and off the pitch. She has been part of the turnaround journey of Welsh Fire.

From finishing bottom and winning one game in a demoralising 2022 season by all accounts, to leading the table at one stage this season. Fire's new signings have given them the power, speed and agility to post five scores in excess of 130.

They have everything you need in women's cricket to dominate. Shabnim Ismail has speed and control with the new ball, taking 11 wickets including a hat-trick. Tammy Beaumont has loved her time so much as captain that she has gone on to score 253 runs, including the first hundred by a woman in the competition.

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Laura Harris has shown glimmers of how destructive she can be and I think we will see her come into her own on the big stage. A special mention to Nicholas, who will be taking to the stage for the final time, too. I hope Fire go for their spinning combination of Hartley and Nicholas to give them the send-off they deserve.

'Cross has supercharged the Superchargers'

Finally, the Superchargers. How can you talk about them without mentioning Phoebe Litchfield?! Her talent is astonishing.

After a lean Ashes series, she scored a maiden century for Australia against Ireland and some would say her form peaked just in time for The Hundred. Coming in as a replacement for Alyssa Healy, she is the leading run-scorer with 266 runs.

The draft also meant Superchargers took Kate Cross from across the Pennines and she is really coming into her own across all phases of the game.

Powerplay wickets, wickets at the death through yorkers and also scoring the winning runs, her contributions have been critical. She has supercharged the Superchargers.

Captain Hollie Armitage has been vital in the middle phase of the game and I'm most excited about watching my mate Bess Heath do her thing with the bat and play her natural hard-hitting powerful game.

It is going to be a great show, that's for sure. All teams are in terrific form, have clear roles and know how to win games of cricket. We will see two fabulous games and I can't wait to see it all unfold.

Finally, a big shout out to the Manchester Originals men, who I hope go all the way and become champions for the first time. Lift the trophy, Manny lads!

Watch The Hundred live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months.