Image Credit- Kent
In a secession from
the present South East Stars regional side, Kent will compete for one of eight
professional women’s teams in England’s premier domestic tournament starting in
2025. Northamptonshire has also submitted an application for a team.
In light of a redesign of the women’s domestic competition, which consists of
the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup,
Surrey, which, along with Kent, supplies the bulk of players at Stars, has
already declared their intention “to take full ownership” of South
East Stars.
In a departure from the present system, which has been in place since 2020, the
ECB requested the 18 first-class counties and the MCC to submit a tender for
one of eight women’s professional Tier 1 clubs last month.
The eight teams will
participate in the top division of an enhanced three-tier women’s domestic
structure beginning with the 2025 season. The ECB is attempting to address an
identity issue that has affected some of the regional teams while increasing
marketing of the domestic women’s game by aligning teams more closely with
current counties and their men’s teams.
Kent stated on Friday that it would send the ECB its Tier 1 proposal this month
and hoped to learn the result later in the year.
Megan Belt, Kent
Women’s Captain, said “the opportunity to be a professional cricketer in
Kent would be a completely different prospect to how my personal journey has
been so far”.
“Being able to train and practice as much as a men’s county side, using
the facilities they use and having access to the same level of support staff,
would be an absolute game changer for us,” she said. “I’m hoping that
our bid is successful, and that Kent Women can once again compete against the
best domestic sides in the country for silverware.”
Northamptonshire,
who will compete as the Northamptonshire Steelbacks Women and have the same
branding and identity as the club’s professional men’s sides, revealed on
Friday that they have filed a bid to be selected as one of the eight Tier 1
teams.
Northamptonshire chief executive Ray Payne said: “The number of women and
girls involved in the game within our county is growing at a rapid rate, the
number of players at all levels in Northamptonshire grew by 160% last year
alone. Being able to deliver a clear pathway for a young girl in
Northamptonshire to progress from soft ball cricket to a full-time professional
contract, playing at Wantage Road, is a special thing and we are investing
hugely to make that a reality.”