Kent trio earn two-year England contracts

Kent's Tammy Beaumont, Tash Farrant and Laura Marsh have been awarded new two-year England women’s central contracts.

Alongside an increase in the value of the contracts, which will come into effect from February 1, 2017, the next wave of England women’s contracts will also, for the first time, include the introduction of two-year contracts, plus a new level of rookie contract.

ECB’s Director of England Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor said:“The awarding of two-year contracts represents another significant step forward in the professionalisation of the women’s game in this country.

“The global women’s game is evolving rapidly, and in order to ensure that professional cricket continues to be an attractive career option for talented female athletes, it’s important that we continue to properly invest in our players.

“The ECB is fully committed to the goal of supporting the England women’s team to become the world’s number one team. The pay increase and introduction of two-year contracts will give our players greater financial security and ensure they can be fully focused on the challenges that lie ahead: the ICC Women’s World Cup on home soil next summer, the Women’s Ashes in Australia and the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in 2018”.

Following an impressive introduction to international cricket in 2017, which saw her return a record 13 wickets in the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies in October, Middlesex left-arm spinner, Alex Hartley, is one of two players to be awarded their first ECB contract. She is joined by Beth Langston (Yorkshire) who made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo last month, and who is the first recipient of a new level of rookie contract.

Three players have not had their central contracts renewed: former captain Charlotte Edwards and middle-order batsman Lydia Greenway, after they announced their retirement from international cricket earlier this year, and left-arm spinner, Rebecca Grundy.

England Women’s Head Coach, Mark Robinson, added:“The women’s game is growing at a real pace, but still doesn’t have the financial security that the men’s county game offers a player from the England men’s team in the event that they lose their ECB central contract.

"We have a big couple of years coming up with two global events and a Women’s Ashes series in Australia, and it’s important that the players can look forward with some degree of certainty to focus on performing in those competitions.

“That said, we do still have space and freedom to grow – we have to be able to reward players at the right time – so we will continue to assess the central contracts list on an annual basis.

"The new level of “rookie” contract also gives us greater flexibility in this respect, allowing us to financially support players who sit just above the England Women’s Senior Academy squad, but who have not quite hit the level required to win a full central contract."