Women on the front foot

WOMEN’S cricket will be thrust into the national spotlight this summer following the launch of the WBBL Twenty20 competition in Sydney yesterday.

With the hugely successful men’s Big Bash firmly entrenched, the women are now set to join their male counterparts on centre stage in a seven-week window during December and January.

Eight franchises — aligned with the existing men’s teams — will contest 59 matches in 51 days, featuring the best players from around the country and the world.

The new format replaces the WNCL T20 competition, starting on December 5 and culminating with the final on January 24.

In a huge boost for women’s cricket, eight WBBL matches, including the final, will also be televised on Network Ten’s ONE channel.

Each team unveiled their first “marquee” signing yesterday, with Australian and Victorian bowler Julie Hunter the inaugural Hobart Hurricane. National captain Meg Lanning has joined the Melbourne Stars, star all-rounder Ellyse Perry will play with the Sydney Sixers and exciting seamer Holly Ferling will be at the Brisbane Heat.

The Hurricanes will play games at Blundstone Arena, Aurora Stadium and Kings- ton’s Twin Ovals — which will also host a contest between the Sydney Thunder and Heat on January 2.

Hobart’s televised match will be on New Year’s Day afternoon against the Thunder in a curtain raiser to the BBL fixture in the evening.

“Our goal is to see cricket become the sport of choice for women and girls across the nation, whether as participants or fans, and the WBBL will play a really important part in helping us realise that vision,” Cricket Australia executive general manager of operations Mike McKenna said.

“Australia has had a professional women’s competition in the Women’s National Cricket League for 19 years and the new competition.”

Each franchise will be able to sign up to five international players, with stars from England, New Zealand and the West Indies expected to be revealed in the coming months.

In addition to Australian cricket’s multi-million dollar commitment to the new league, CA and the State and Territory Associations recently announced a $600,000 investment in wages for female domestic cricketers that will see the best state players more than double their payments to $17,000. The $600,000 investment takes the total Women’s Payment Fund to $2.26 million, up 36 per cent on 2014.

All WNCL (50 over competition) contracted players now receive a $7,000 retainer, with all those signed to play in the WBBL receiving additional retainers of between $3,000 and $10,000.