The Hundred, the groundbreaking cricket tournament, has seen a remarkable 364% growth in its overall budget pot since 2021. This financial expansion has paved the way for significant salary increases for women's domestic players, with the minimum salary now standing at £28,000, equal to their male counterparts. Despite these advancements, concerns over the widening gender pay gap persist.
The average salary for female players has experienced a substantial rise from £8,000 in 2021 to £29,100 in the current competition. This is accompanied by an increase in the lowest salary band for women, which surged by 278% to £10,000 from £3,600 four years ago. In 2023 alone, the women's salary pot expanded by £800,000, reflecting the tournament's commitment to improving female cricketers' remuneration.
The Hundred has witnessed a significant rise in the domestic remuneration pot from £720,000 in 2021 to £4 million. This increase aligns with the growing number of professional women players, which soared by 538% since 2020, from 24 to 153 athletes. The new tiered domestic setup merges eight professional women's teams with the men's counties, promoting a unified approach to cricket in England and Wales.
The sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) underscored the tournament's financial success. These sales resulted in a collective value of over £975 million and brought in approximately £520 million to be distributed across the game domestically. Despite these financial strides, the gap between top men's and women's players' pay widened from £75,000 to £135,000 for 2025.
"Considering the tournament is marketed equally amongst the men's and women's squads with the two teams, one club mantra, which is to be applauded, it is more than disappointing to see the gender pay gap increase." – Donna Fraser, PCA director of people, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Top-level male players will see a 60% pay increase to £200,000, whereas leading women's stars will receive a 30% rise to £65,000 as part of an overall 25% increase across all salary bands. This disparity has sparked debate about gender equity within the cricketing community.
"Gender equity in cricket can only be achieved when all professional players have equal opportunity to build viable careers and be the best cricketer they can be." – Donna Fraser, PCA director of people, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Nat Sciver-Brunt, vice-captain of the England team, acknowledged the improvements made in contractual and commercial conditions for England players. However, she emphasized the need for continuous efforts to address remaining inequalities.
"Every year there has been significant improvements to the contractual and commercial conditions of England players," – Nat Sciver-Brunt, vice-captain.
"The bar is constantly being raised and player views are being listened to and prioritised." – Nat Sciver-Brunt, vice-captain.
An ECB spokesperson indicated that recent increases in men's salaries were weighted towards top performers to remain competitive globally.
"In the men's game, the latest increase was weighted towards the top end in order to be competitive in the global market." – An ECB spokesperson.
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