Changes to Australian Women’s T20 Competition Amidst Victoria and NSW Pressure

Under pressure from Victoria and New South Wales over the proposed structure, the new women’s domestic T20 league in Australia will now be tied to the eight WBBL clubs, alongside an ACT side, instead of state sides.

The tournament was originally going to be state-based, but Victoria and New South Wales, who both provide two teams in the WBBL, were unhappy with that model and worried some of their fringe players might potentially miss out on playing opportunities. The tournament was meant to make up for the reduced WBBL, which has been trimmed to a 40-game regular season.

As per the agreement reached by the states and California, eight teams will compete in the WNCL one-day event under their respective WBBL banners, in addition to a team from ACT. Each team will play four games in the competition, which will take place prior to the WBBL season. The top four teams advance to the semi-finals.

Due to the tournament’s scheduling, which coincides with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, Australia’s players will not be participating, which inevitably frees up spaces in teams while foreign stars are unlikely to play a major role.

The fact that ACT has several players under contract with WBBL teams, notably key hitter Katie Mack of the Adelaide Strikers, may present a challenge.

Also Read: Australia Creates New Women’s T20 Tournament; Empowering Women’s Cricket For A Bright Future

There was a strong push to ensure that there was not an overall reduction in matches for state cricketers as the WBBL was trimmed to match the BBL in an attempt to manage the increasing workloads of the game’s leading players, ensure overseas names still want to join, encourage growth in crowds, and cut out non-primetime matches.

At the announcement of CA’s Women’s and Girls Action Plan last month, the women’s domestic program was restructured; but, since then, the positions of Victoria and New South Wales have necessitated revisions to the original plans.

“Cricket NSW has always been committed to the success of the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder and the tournament announced today will help both of our clubs in their quest for WBBL success and to produce players for Australia,” Lee Germon, chief executive of New South Wales, said.

“That enhanced player pathway is in the best interests of Australian Cricket and provides further opportunity for the continued success of our national women’s teams.”

The inability to validate the competition’s framework caused state contracts, which were expected to be finalized by the end of April, to be placed on hold.

The average domestic player salary for females in the T20 competition will rise to AU$163,322 in 2024–25, while the WBBL salary cap remains unchanged, resulting in no decrease in player compensation.