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England Women\u2019s players are to receive the same match fees as the men\u2019s team after a thrilling Ashes summer boosted their profile.<\/p>\n
The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced payments to Heather Knight\u2019s side are being brought into line with those made to Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and their team-mates in the wake of record crowds and increased viewing figures.<\/p>\n
The increase will take effect immediately, starting with this week\u2019s Vitality IT20 series against Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n
ECB chief executive officer Richard Gould said: \u201cThis summer\u2019s thrilling Metro Bank Women\u2019s Ashes series demonstrated how women\u2019s cricket is continuing to grow at pace in this country, with record attendances and TV viewing.<\/p>\n
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\u201cGrowing the women\u2019s and girls\u2019 game is a key priority for us and in recent years we have considerably increased investment both in building a domestic women\u2019s structure to produce the players of the future and in increasing player rewards.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 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.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure this will make cricket an increasingly-attractive sport to girls and young women as we continue to grow the game<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all want cricket to be the team sport of choice for female athletes and \u2013 with the investments we are making and increasingly-lucrative opportunities around the world \u2013 we are seeing cricketers become some of the highest earning female athletes in UK team sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, we know there is still much further to go as we ultimately strive for equality across the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we continue to grow women\u2019s cricket, we will continue to focus on making considered investments that stretch far-and-wide across the women\u2019s cricket structures, delivering a thriving, profitable and future-proofed game.\u201d<\/p>\n
A total of 110,00 people watched the drawn summer series, which saw Australia retain the Ashes in front of crowds of 19,527 at Edgbaston, 20,328 at the Kia Oval and 21,610 at Lord\u2019s which set successive new records for a home England Women bilateral fixture, while 23,207 tickets were sold for the five days of the Trent Bridge Test.<\/p>\n
Broadcast viewing figures of 5.3 million, in addition to 47 million video views, were double those in 2019.<\/p>\n
England skipper Knight said: \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we continue to drive the women\u2019s game forward and it\u2019s fantastic to see equal match fees for England Women and England Men.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe direction of travel for the women\u2019s game has always been the most important thing, creating a sustainable product that people want to watch and play and I\u2019m sure this will make cricket an increasingly-attractive sport to girls and young women as we continue to grow the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would also like to thank the PCA and England Women\u2019s Player Partnership for their support in representing the players and the growth of the professional game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The ECB currently funds 80 professional women\u2019s domestic cricketers in addition to its 18 England Women\u2019s centrally-contracted players.<\/p>\n
Last year, the governing body announced a \u00a33.5milion increase in funding for the women\u2019s regional game to run until the end of 2024, while the salary pot per team was raised to \u00a3250,000, meaning the average salary for a women\u2019s regional cricketer will be \u00a325,000.<\/p>\n