Unlike their female counterparts, Australia’s cricket men weren’t in demand at the auction for The Hundred — but some of their top internationals will still be headlining English cricket’s marquee white-ball tournament.

On a big-spending day when a still little-known uncapped English prospect James Coles caused gasps by being sold for easily the biggest price — a whopping Stg 390,000 ($A733,000) — the Australian ‘lots’ at the auction generated little interest.

Australian internationals Jason Behrendorff, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis had all gone unsold until Matt Short did get bought late in the day by the Mike Hussey-coached Welsh Fire for Stg 75,000 ($A141,000).

It was very different to Wednesday’s women’s auction for The Hundred, with seven Aussie players snapped up.

But the hard work had clearly already been done by the franchises with five leading Australian internationals, headed by T20 skipper Mitch Marsh, already pre-signed in the weeks leading up to the inaugural men’s auction.

The biggest money-spinning deal involving an Australian is Hurricanes’ power-hitting Tim David, already pre-signed by Trent Rockets for Stg 350,000 ($A658,000).

That’s Stg 140,000 ($A263,000) more than the Nottingham-based franchise paid to secure the services of Beth Mooney, the joint-most expensive buy in the women’s event.

Marsh, signed for Stg 200,000 ($A376,000) will be playing at Sunrisers Leeds, who bought mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for Stg 190,000 ($A357,000), making him the first player from Pakistan to be signed by one of the Indian-owned teams in the tournament and scotching fears that their players might be snubbed.

With plenty of big names picking up a handsome pay-day, including Joe Root who’s going to Welsh Fire for Stg 240,000 ($A451,000), easily the most eye-watering amount was paid by London Spirit for Coles, a 21-year-old spinning allrounder tipped to make his England debut this year.

The Sussex prospect earned just Stg 31,000 in The Hundred last year - and he’ll now earn more than 12 times as much after shining in South Africa’s domestic T20 event with Sunrisers Eastern Cape.

Coles will be the fourth-best paid player, behind the pre-signed England trio, Harry Brook for Stg 465,000 ($A874,000) by Sunrisers Leeds, Phil Salt for Stg 450,000 ($A846,000) at Welsh Fire, and Jofra Archer for Stg 400,000 ($A752,000) at Southern Brave.

The biggest overseas signing in the auction was South Africa skipper Aiden Markram, who’s earned a Stg 200,000 ($A376,000) deal at Manchester Super Giants.

AUSTRALIANS IN THE MEN’S HUNDRED

Mitchell Owen - Birmingham Phoenix, Stg 130,000 ($A244,000)

Adam Zampa - London Spirit, Stg 190,000 ($A357,000)

Tim David - Trent Rockets, Stg 350,000 ($A658,000)

Marcus Stoinis - Southern Brave, Stg 150,000 ($A282,000)

Mitch Marsh - Sunrisers Leeds, Stg 200,000 ($A376,000)

Matt Short - Welsh Fire, Stg 75,000 ($A140,978)