Following an extensive consultation, the ECB Board has agreed an updated policy position in relation to transgender participation in women’s professional cricket.
In reaching its conclusions, the ECB has considered the interaction between fairness, safety and inclusion, all of which are considered important.
The consultation process was extended last year following the decision of the In
Minimum starting salaries will be equalised across men’s and women’s professional domestic cricket from 2025.
The move will apply both at ‘Rookie’ level, which is being introduced into the women’s game for the first time and which will typically be a player’s first professional contract, and at ‘Senior Pro’ level for players who have established themselves in first teams.
It has also bee
The ECB is delighted to announce the appointment of Chris Guest as England Women U19 Performance Lead.
Guest arrives from The Blaze where he spent three years as head coach of Loughborough Lightning and then The Blaze following the region’s move to Nottinghamshire in 2022, leading the latter to Charlotte Edwards Cup success this summer.
Alongside his regional commitments, he led the England
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have confirmed the formation of Tier 2 and Tier 3 in the revamped women’s domestic cricket structure, to be launched in full in 2025.
Derbyshire, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Middlesex, Sussex, Worcestershire and Yorkshire will make up Tier 2 in the 2025 season.
The ten Counties will play 50-over and 20-over
The Vitality Wildcard Draft took place today with 32 players being drafted into The Hundred off the back of their stand-out form in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Vitality Blast.
It leaves all eight teams in The Hundred, across both the women’s and men’s competitions, with full squads with just under 50 days to go until the first game gets underway at The Kia Oval.
England Men’s Test
The ECB Board today confirmed that Yorkshire will become a women’s Tier 1 Club for the 2026 season, subject to meeting a series of conditions.
Yorkshire had been announced as a Tier 1 expansion Club in April of this year, to join by 2027. The decision to confirm 2026 as the preferred season in which Yorkshire will participate in Tier 1 has been taken to provide greater certainty about the i
CENTRAL SPARKS
Previewed by Brian Halford - ECB Reporters Network
Captain: Eve Jones
Head Coach: Lloyd Tennant
2023 finish: Seventh
2023 highest run-scorer: Erin Burns (185)
2023 highest wicket-taker: Erin Burns & Bethan Ellis (9)
The big questions: How will Sparks fare without Erin Burns, their top scorer and joint leading wicket-taker last year? Will Burns’ fellow Austra
Melissa Story and Katya Witney have won the two individual honours at the 2023 ECB Domestic Cricket Journalism Awards, which were presented in partnership with the Cricket Writers’ Club at The Kia Oval today.
Story won the coveted Christopher Martin-Jenkins Broadcaster of the Year with a CWC judging panel labelling the BBC Test Match Special commentator as a “terrific young broadcaster with
The England Women IT20 and ODI squads for the forthcoming tour to New Zealand have been named.
Heather Knight’s side will play five IT20s and three ODIs across March and April.
Hollie Armitage and Linsey Smith are named in the IT20 squad for the opening three matches.
Northern Diamonds captain Armitage, who represented England Women A in the tour of India in November and has recently been
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is today announcing the next stage in the evolution of women’s cricket with the creation of a three-tiered domestic competition structure and a shift in the ownership model underpinning the women’s professional game.
In addition, the ECB has also confirmed that it will invest a further £4m-£5m per year into the women’s professional game from 2025-20
England Women A have named their squad to take on India A in their forthcoming IT20 series.
Off-spinner Charlie Dean will captain the 13-player group who will travel to India on Sunday.
After a fortnight-long training camp in Oman, the squad will fine-tune their preparations in Mumbai ahead of three IT20 fixtures taking place on Wednesday 29 November, Friday 1 December and Sunday 3 December
Five domestic trophies are set to be decided in September while the Vitality Blast will be staged almost entirely on Thursday nights, Friday nights and at weekends following the release of the 2024 domestic schedule.
The ECB has confirmed the men’s county and women’s regional domestic fixtures for next summer, which also includes 22 men’s and women’s T20 double headers, while the Charlotte
England Women have named the two player squads for next month’s IT20 series and four-day Test match away to India.
Sophie Ecclestone is included in both squads after having shoulder surgery in September. She will continue her rehab and return to cricket leading up to the series in India.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper batter Bess Heath is selected in both groups after making her senior debut in En
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that Rob Andrew has been appointed as Managing Director, Professional Game. He will join the ECB from Sussex CCC, where he has been Chief Executive since 2017.
Formerly an international rugby union player for England Men, he was also Director of Rugby at Newcastle Falcons and Director of Professional Rugby at the Rugby Football Union
Sophie Ecclestone sustained a dislocated right shoulder in the warm-up ahead of Manchester Originals’ match against Southern Brave on Wednesday.
After scans and further assessment, the ECB can confirm she will be unavailable for the Women’s Big Bash League.
ENDS
All timings are BST and approximate. Please be in place a minimum of 30 mins before the advertised time. All timings are subject to change.
Please contact Emily Liles (Emily.liles@ecb.co.uk) to confirm your attendance at any of the below and to also request one-to-one interview opportunities.
Time
Activity
Location
Tuesday 29 August
10am-
Metro Bank to become Official Title Partner for One Day Cricket
Following the recent announcement that Metro Bank will become the first ever Champion of Women’s and Girls’ Cricket, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announces that Metro Bank will also become Official Title Partner for One Day Cricket.
This opportunity will see the Bank become title partner of the Metro B
England Women have named their We Got Game ODI Ashes squad for their forthcoming series against Australia.
Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Filer return after impressive performances in last month’s Test match at Trent Bridge.
Heather Knight's group take on Australia at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (Wednesday July 12) before matches at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton (Sunday July 16) and The Count
All timings are BST and approximate. Please be in place a minimum of 30 mins before the advertised time. All timings are subject to change.
Please contact Emily Liles (Emily.liles@ecb.co.uk) to confirm your attendance at any of the below and to also request one-to-one interview opportunities.
Time
Activity
Location
Monday 10 July
9.30am
England Women have named their Vitality IT20 Women’s Ashes squad for their forthcoming fixtures against Australia.
Western Storm all-rounder Danielle Gibson receives her first full IT20 call-up after travelling to the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as a travelling reserve in February and being named in England’s Ashes Test squad earlier this month.
Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Freya Davies