Gloucestershire County Cricket Club misses out on top side in women's restructure
The England and Wales Cricket board has announced a restructure of the women's domestic game, from 2025
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club says its delighted that the South West is getting a top tier women's side but adds Bristol is key to making the sport as inclusive as possible, as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announces a restructure of the women's game from 2025.
Currently the pinnacle of the professional women's game across England and Wales features two competitions.
In the first, eight regional teams compete against each other in 50 and 20 over games including Western Storm, based at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in Bristol. The Storm represent the entire South West and Wales including Gloucestershire, Somerset, Glamorgan, Devon and Cornwall.
Additionally women also play in The Hundred, a new format of cricket only played in England and Wales, where teams based in major cities play against each other in a 100 ball format. Currently there is no South West based team in the competition, but Welsh Fire are involved, who play at Sofia Gardens in Cardiff.
From 2025 the regional system will cease to exist and be replaced by a three tier county system hoping to create more women's sides, with eight teams in the top tier.
The existing county sides were offered the chance to bid for a top tier team, with the ECB announcing Somerset will host one, but Gloucestershire will not.
The eight county's to host a top side from next year are as follows:
- Durham
- Essex
- Hampshire
- Lancashire
- Nottinghamshire
- Somerset
- Surrey
- Warwickshire
Additionally the ECB says Tier One will be expanded with a further two teams by 2027 and by a further two by 2029, with Glamorgan and Yorkshire already named as the two counties who will join first.
As part of that both counties will receive additional ECB funding to help their development.
"The plans – which could see an 80% increase in the number of professional female players in England and Wales by 2029 compared to today – will further accelerate the growth of women’s cricket as a three-tiered domestic competition structure is introduced, and the ownership model underpinning the women’s professional game evolve," a statement from the ECB reads.
Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “Through this process we’ve seen a huge appetite from First Class Counties to have a women’s professional team, and a real commitment to growing women’s and girls’ cricket in this country.
“I’d like to congratulate those counties who have been successful in their bids. I’m also delighted that in light of the support we have seen and the strength of the bids we have considered, we can accelerate our plans, including new top tier professional teams at Glamorgan and Yorkshire by 2027 with and a further two being introduced by 2029.
“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."
Mr Gould said he recognises the announcement will be "disappointing" for clubs such as Gloucestershire which have not gained a Tier One side, but that there is "huge opportunity" for them to compete in the lower tiers.
In a statement of their own a spokesperson for Gloucestershire CCC said the club is "delighted" to see the wider region secure a top side.
"We see Gloucestershire and Bristol as key to the delivery of all forms of cricket in particular with respects to the ECB’s stated ambition to make the game of cricket the most inclusive sport in the country," the statement reads.
"Everyone at Gloucestershire is excited about what we can offer the game both now and in the future, and we look forward to working with the ECB to ensure Bristol hosts the very highest level of cricket in the years to come."
This news comes with Gloucestershire known to be struggling financially.
Last December it was revealed the club is considering selling its historic ground on Nevil Road in Bristol and moving to a new site in South Gloucestershire, telling Greatest Hits Radio the idea has been considered for years.
The club said at the time that to ensure the "competitiveness" and "long-term sustainability" of the club, it must consider relocating.