By Mary Neale-Smith

The next stage in the evolution of women’s cricket in England and Wales has been outlined in an invitation to tender titled ‘Evolving Together’ shared with 18 first-class counties (FCC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) earlier this month. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced plans for a three-tiered domestic structure and a transformation in the ownership model that underscores the women’s game as the counties will bid to become one of the eight new ‘Tier 1’ clubs. 

This planned overhaul of the women’s game follows the long-awaited report published by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) last June. The 317-page report, titled ‘Holding Up A Mirror To Cricket’, showed that systematic discrimination on the grounds of race, class and gender has plagued the game.

The commission, established in March 2021 in response to the murder of George Floyd in police custody in the USA and the Black Lives Matter movement which sparked numerous claims of institutional racism within English cricket, described how the women’s game remains ‘the poor relation of its male counterpart in English and Welsh cricket.’ 

The ICEC recommended achieving equal pay and prize money for women’s domestic players by 2029 and called for equality in working conditions and representation in governance to ensure fair decision-making. Additionally, the commission advocated for increased investment in women’s cricket infrastructure.

In the foreword of the invitation to tender which seeks to address the ICEC recommendations, Beth Barrett-Wild, Director of Women’s Professional Game at the ECB, made an interesting observation about how ‘transform’ has become a buzzword in women’s cricket. Barrett-Wild further elaborates that the phrase is ‘not without substance,’ highlighting the evident pace and nature of change witnessed over the last five years. Yet, it does make you wonder about the effectiveness of past transformations if another overhaul is deemed necessary this year.

The proposed restructure aims to be effective through changing the ownership model and governance of the women’s game, to drive accountability and elevate the status of women’s cricket in England and Wales.

The 18 first class counties and MCC will have to bid to become a Tier 1 club. Following the application process for Tier 1, it’s expected that the counties which were unsuccessful, or perhaps did not submit a bid, will be invited to determine the structure of Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams as a part of the expanded three-tier women’s pyramid.

The eight successful women’s Tier 1 clubs will receive a minimum investment of £1.3m annually from the ECB. To secure one of the eight places, the county’s submission will be evaluated by a panel judging the bids against a set of eleven evaluation criteria. These criteria are aligned with the objectives of the overhaul. However, while further details on the evaluation criteria and their weightings have been shared with the counties, for reasons unknown, the ECB has not made them public.

In addition, the counties will be required to showcase their overarching vision for the women’s game as the panel will evaluate the depth of feeling and ambition of the applicants to become a Tier 1 club. The ECB will also be looking to understand the projected levels of investment that the counties are looking to make if successful and applicants will be asked to outline their budget plans.

The new structure will look to support the development and retention of more talented female players through more layers of competition, greater access to training and playing opportunities, as well as widening the geographical spread of the women’s teams. In addition, Tier 1, 2 and 3 teams will be designated a catchment area and will collaborate to coordinate and deliver a talent pathway comprising an academy, an emerging player program and a county age group (CAG) program.

In terms of the impact on England’s aspiration for international competitiveness in the women’s game, the evolution of the playing depth of the women’s domestic game is a step in the right direction. A year-round high-performance environment and structure for players, coaches, and support staff should raise the standard of domestic cricket, channelling more quality and higher numbers of players into the national teams.

But where does The Hundred fit into this picture? The invitation to tender only briefly acknowledges the competition, hailed by Richard Gould, Chief Executive, for generating unparalleled visibility. For county teams hosting a Hundred team, what extra advantages come with Tier 1 club status? Conversely, for counties less tied to The Hundred, being part of the top level of domestic cricket could be much more advantageous.

Whilst promising that the ECB is willing to invest significantly into the women’s game and promoting ownership and accountability (and share of revenue) is more likely to drive growth and professionalism, first-class counties are ultimately businesses and many have struggled financially. The ECB believes they are offering the chance for counties ‘to access rights and own an asset in the fastest growing market and audience growth space for cricket: the women’s game’, but counties must weigh this against their financial constraints before making a decision to apply.

Whether the ‘Evolving Together’ initiative is the final transformation we will see in women’s cricket is undecided. Only time will tell if these changes in the ownership, governance, and investment in the women’s game will truly reshape the landscape of women’s cricket.