Beginning with the next season, eight first-class counties will host Tier 1 teams in the women’s domestic pyramid, increasing to nine in 2026 and ten in 2027.
The starting pay for a “rookie,” or a person’s first professional contract, in certain counties is £20,000. At the’senior pro’ level, that really increases to £28,000 when a player has made a specific amount of first-team appearances.
The present regional format will be replaced with a three-tiered county structure as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) aim to boost annual funding for women’s domestic cricket to £19 million by 2027.
Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey, and Warwickshire are the counties that make up Tier 1. Glamorgan will join in 2027, followed by Yorkshire in 2026.
Starting with the upcoming season, those counties will play with the men in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup.
In total, at least 15 contracted players must be present in the Tier 1 counties. Starting in 2025, those counties will have to contribute a minimum of £500,000 toward player salary costs, with a maximum investment of £800,000.
