It has been confirmed that Lord’s will host a number of extra matches in 2021, following the ECB announcement that The Hundred Women’s competition will be played across the same eight venues that are due to host the Men’s competition.

This will mean that London Spirit Women’s team, who in 2020 were originally scheduled to play their fixtures away from Lord’s before the competition was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, can now look forward to four home group fixtures at the Home of Cricket.

The decision has been taken due to the operational implications of Covid-19, with double-headers and increased alignment with the Men’s teams providing the Women’s competition with increased visibility and exposure, including more comprehensive broadcast coverage.

Prior to the pandemic, the plan had been for The Hundred Women’s competition to use 20 venues across England and Wales but the move to eight venues for 2021 recognises the need to adapt for the first year of the competition.

The model is due to be reviewed after 2021, with competition organisers keen to learn and ensure maximum growth for the wider women’s game.

Both London Spirit Men’s and Women’s teams will be led by England World Cup winning captains, with Eoin Morgan and Heather Knight skippering their respective teams.

Other initial squad announcements include Zak Crawley, Dan Lawrence, Naomi Dattani and Deandra Dottin who will all be wearing London Spirit colours for the inaugural competition.