Hampshire chosen for women’s pro revamp
Hampshire are among eight counties chosen to take part in the England and Wales Cricket Board’s new ‘Tier 1’ revamp of the women’s professional game.
Durham, Essex, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire have also been picked as hosts, with the ECB abolishing the existing regional structure in favour of alignment with the first-class counties.
It is a further setback for Yorkshire after several turbulent years on and off the field, but mitigated by a promise to bring them into an expanded competition in the third season (2027).
Glamorgan have been given the same assurances and both will receive additional funding to help build their pathway.
But there will be no ‘Tier 1’ cricket at Lord’s in the foreseeable future, with MCC declining to put itself forward and Middlesex among those overlooked. Sussex have also been left on the outside looking in, despite a long and strong commitment to the women’s game.
They will be hoping to be included as the elite level continues to grow, with the
ECB outlining plans to further expand to 12 teams by 2029.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said: “More 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’s professional team to follow nearby.”
The ECB has put £5million per year of new funding into the women’s domestic set-up, rising to £8million when Yorkshire and Glamorgan come aboard.
There will be no promotion or relegation between 2025 and 2028, allowing the new threetier system to bed in.