Dani Hazell charged up for Northern Superchargers' 2023 The Hundred campaign

“That’s when you know you’re getting close,” beamed Hazell after learning the Northern Superchargers would open their campaign against Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday, August 3.

That game, as with all four Superchargers home fixtures this August, is a Headingley double-header with the men’s team, a unique draw of The Hundred that had to be relaxed last year due to the scheduling clash with the Commonwealth Games.

“Back to full double-headers, it’s going to be a good year,” said Hazell, a World Cup winner with England five and a half years ago.

“Women’s cricket continues to be on an upward spiral. You’ve got The Hundred, the women’s BBL and now on the horizon a women’s IPL. There’s so many comps out there that are pushing everything forward quickly.”

The Hundred has helped accelerate that growth.

More than half a million people attended games in the year’s second format, with the women’s version attracting a record-breaking 271,000 fans.

“The double-headers is how you set the platform,” Hazell told The Yorkshire Post of the growth of the women’s game.

“We’re one team altogether, it’s really exciting that we’re able to step on that stage.

“In terms of fans coming in to watch the women’s game it has held its own. It’s exciting that people who have never watched it before are suddenly coming along.

“It’s an easy format to pick up, and for the players they’ve got to get used to that because they’re not experienced in playing in front of these big crowds.

“As they get used to that more that will only make the game grow quicker.

“Headingley, playing at home, it can be absolutely bouncing at times.”

Hazell enters her third year as Superchargers head coach. They won three games in each of the first two seasons. Competitive, but not enough to qualify for the altter stages of the tournament, something she is accustomed to doing in the day job of coaching the Northern Diamonds in the T20 and 50-over cricket.

“We’ve done okay, we want to be making Eliminators and Finals and that’s something this year that we’re targeting,” said Hazell, who will have more control of her team’s destiny this year with women’s teams now joining the men in drafting their own players.

The draft is on Thursday, May 2, when teams complete their 15-strong rosters. The deadline for naming retained players - the Superchargers’ list is likely to be headed by Huddersfield-born Hollie Armitage who captained the team last year - is Thursday, February 16.

“This year adds a different element to it, we’ve got the draft which is new for coaches and new for players, I think that’s going to add a different spin on things.

“You’ve just got to have your plans in place and just be very clear on the kind of team you want to set up that you feel can win the competition.

“We’re having discussions now about the make-up of the side. Are we going to try and get that person? What’s our next option?

“Over the next month or so we’ll put a blueprint together of what we want to do and how we want to play the game.”

Which, at the end of the day, boils down to scoring more runs and taking more wickets than the other team, a fundamental tenet that was lost on a lot of critics of the format when it initially came in.

“Two years ago it was a competition that nobody had ever played before, so there has been a learning on the job element to it, learning a form of cricket that’s never been played before,” said Hazell.

“With The Hundred all it is just slight tweaks in the rules, five ball overs instead of six.

“Initially I think it was overthought - there was this rule and that rule - but at the end of the day it’s still a game of cricket. It’s just the odd change, and that odd change has added a new element to it.

“When you break it down it’s a simple game which is very close to the format which we all played and we all know.”

Tickets go on sale from March 1-14 in an exclusive window for anyone who previously bought tickets for The Hundred,

Those yet to attend can sign up in advance at thehundred.com for priority ticket access from 5–18 April. Tickets go on general sale on Thursday, April 20.

Tickets have remained in line with 2022 pricing, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 6-15, free for children five and under, and adults starting from £10.

Superchargers fixtures:

Thursday 3 August: Northern Superchargers vs Birmingham Phoenix, Headingley, women 15:00, men 18:30

Sunday 6 August: Southern Brave vs Northern Superchargers, Ageas Bowl, women 11:00, men 14:30

Wednesday 9 August: Trent Rockets vs Northern Superchargers, Trent Bridge, women 11:30, men 15:00

Friday 11 August: Northern Superchargers vs Oval Invincibles, Headingley, women 15:00, men 18:30

Sunday 13 August: Northern Superchargers vs Manchester Originals, Headingley, women 11:00, men 14:30

Friday 18 August: London Spirit vs Northern Superchargers, Lord’s, women 15:00, men 18:30

Sunday 20 August: Manchester Originals vs Northern Superchargers, women 11:00, men 14:30

Tuesday 22 August: Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire, Headingley, women 15:00, men 18:30

Saturday 26 August: The Hundred Eliminator, The Kia Oval, women 14:30, men 18:00

Sunday 27 August: The Hundred Final, Lord’s, women 14:15, men 18:00.