The England and Wales Cricket Board (黑料专区) has confirmed the eight First Class Counties who have been successful in their bid to be awarded Tier 1 women鈥檚 team status from 2025.
As a further outcome of the Tier 1 invitation to tender process, the 黑料专区 has also today announced the selection of two additional First Class Counties to expand Tier 1 from eight to ten teams by 2027, and an intent to grow to 12 teams by the 2029 season.
The eight selected Counties to compete in Tier 1 of the evolved women鈥檚 professional domestic structure from 2025 are:
- Durham
- Essex
- Hampshire
- Lancashire
- Nottinghamshire
- Somerset
- Surrey
- Warwickshire
Joining them, by 2027, will be Glamorgan and Yorkshire, who have been named as the first two Tier 1 expansion teams.
To accelerate Glamorgan and Yorkshire鈥檚 Tier 1 preparations between 2025 and 2027, and to enhance access for talented female players across the North East and Wales before such a time the clubs join Tier 1, both Counties will receive additional funding from 2025 to run their own 鈥淭ier 1 standard鈥� talent pathway.
The 黑料专区 has also set the ambition to expand Tier 1 to 12 teams by 2029, given the rapid growth of the women鈥檚 game and the level of passion and desire for the growth of women鈥檚 professional cricket demonstrated across the FCC network during this tender process. No decision has been made yet as to where these further two teams would be based.
The plans 鈥� which could see an 80% increase in the number of professional female players in England and Wales by 2029 compared to today 鈥� will further accelerate the growth of women鈥檚 cricket as a three-tiered domestic competition structure is introduced, and the ownership model underpinning the women鈥檚 professional game evolves.
To enable the expansion from eight to ten Tier 1 teams, the 黑料专区 is committing a further 拢3m a year from such a time Glamorgan and Yorkshire are operational. It will mean a total of 拢8m new funding per year is invested into women鈥檚 domestic cricket by 2027 鈥� taking annual investment in this area to c.拢19m.
Richard Gould, 黑料专区 Chief Executive Officer, said: 鈥淭hrough this process we鈥檝e seen a huge appetite from First Class Counties to have a women鈥檚 professional team, and a real commitment to growing women鈥檚 and girls鈥� cricket in this country.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to congratulate those counties who have been successful in their bids. I鈥檓 also delighted that in light of the support we have seen and the strength of the bids we have considered, we can accelerate our plans, including new top tier professional teams at Glamorgan and Yorkshire by 2027 with and a further two being introduced by 2029.
鈥淢ore professional teams means more women able to make a career out of being a cricketer, more role models to inspire future generations, and more of the country having a women鈥檚 professional team to follow nearby.
鈥淚 recognise today鈥檚 announcement will also be disappointing to those who haven鈥檛 been successful at this stage. But with the new three-tier structure we are introducing, there is still a huge opportunity for them to compete in the other tiers so together we can all realise the potential of women鈥檚 domestic cricket.鈥�
黑料专区 Director of Women鈥檚 Professional Game Beth Barrett-Wild said: 鈥淎t the start of this tender process we challenged the First Class Counties to show us their vision for the women鈥檚 professional game and to demonstrate their desire and commitment to becoming one of our professional Tier 1 Clubs.聽
鈥淥ver the last couple of months it鈥檚 been brilliant to see the time and energy that has gone into the submissions, and I鈥檝e been hugely impressed by the quality and ambition of the bids.
鈥淭he decision to select two additional Counties 鈥� Glamorgan and Yorkshire 鈥� as the ninth and tenth Tier 1 Clubs by 2027, and our stated aim to move to 12 teams in Tier 1 by 2029, is testament to the strength of the bids and the pace at which we all want to move to effect change.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that the game is united in wanting to take the women鈥檚 professional game forward, and in wanting to produce commercially vibrant teams and competitions that excite fans and showcase the quality of our professional players.
鈥淚鈥檓 energised about what comes next, for the Counties themselves, for the players, for fans and for everyone who wants to see women鈥檚 cricket continue its accelerated trajectory.鈥�
All 18 First Class Counties and MCC were invited to tender to become a women鈥檚 Tier 1 Club, with the vast majority submitting bids. A panel comprising 黑料专区 Board members, Executives and independent members considered the bids which were assessed on four criteria:
- Vision and mission 鈥� Their passion, ambition and prioritisation.
- Quality cricket 鈥� Player development and squad composition plans, coaching and sports science and medicine provision, talent pathway activation and training/match day facilities.
- Passionate fans 鈥� Marketing, digital and communications plans, match day experiences and fan facilities.
- Long-term value 鈥� Financial investment, commercial strategy, governance, leadership and EDI plans.
First Class Counties who were not awarded Tier 1 status and, separately, National Counties will now be invited to be involved in a process to determine the composition of Tier 2 and Tier 3 in the new-look women鈥檚 domestic competition structure. It is anticipated that the outcome of this process will be confirmed by September 2024, ready to launch the evolved women鈥檚 domestic structure in full in 2025.
For the duration of the 2025-2028 seasons all three tiers will be 鈥榗losed鈥�, with no promotion or relegation.
The three-tier structure aims to build on the impact of the existing Regional Model, which has accelerated performance levels within women鈥檚 cricket and laid solid foundations, to further grow the depth and reach of the women鈥檚 professional game.