England Women’s match fees equalised with England Men’s
The decision follows record-breaking crowds at the Women’s Ashes series in June and July, where the total attendance was 110,000 and all three one-day internationals were sold out.
The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has increased match fees for the women’s team to bring them in line with the men’s team, the governing body said on Wednesday. The increase takes effect immediately, starting with the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka starting on Thursday.
The decision follows record-breaking crowds at the Women’s Ashes series in June and July, where the total attendance was 110,000 and all three one-day internationals were sold out.
A major step forward for the Women’s game ⚖️— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 30, 2023
“It’s really important that we continue to drive the women’s game forward and it’s fantastic to see equal match fees for England Women and England Men. The direction of travel for the women’s game has always been the most important thing, creating a sustainable product that people want to watch and play, and I’m sure this will make cricket an increasingly attractive sport to girls and young women as we continue to grow the game,” England women’s captain Heather Knight said
“I would also like to thank the PCA and England Women’s Player Partnership for their support in representing the players and the growth of the professional game,” she added.
The change was recommended in a report released by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket last month, which said the women’s match fees were 25% of the men’s for white-ball matches and 15% for test matches.
“This summer’s thrilling Metro Bank Women’s Ashes series demonstrated how women’s cricket is continuing to grow at pace in this country, with record attendances and TV viewing. Growing the women’s and girls’ game is a key priority for us, and in recent years we have considerably increased investment both in building a domestic women’s structure to produce the players of the future, and in increasing player rewards,” ECB chief executive Richard Gould said.
“In the years ahead, we will continue to invest ahead of revenues. We are currently considering all the recommendations made by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, but equalising match fees is one immediate step we are pleased to make now. We all want cricket to be the team sport of choice for female athletes, and with the investments we are making – and increasingly lucrative opportunities around the world – we are seeing cricketers become some of the highest earning female athletes in UK team sports. However, we know there is still much further to go as we ultimately strive for equality across the game.
“As we continue to grow women’s cricket, we will continue to focus on making considered investments that stretch far-and-wide across the women’s cricket structures, delivering a thriving, profitable and future-proofed game,” he added.
