ACT Meteors players are set for an almost $7000 raise next season after more games were added.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The WNCL has come a long way since its 1996 start, and on Thursday it went another step further.
Players will compete in a full home-and-away competition next season, going from eight to 12 fixtures, resulting in a nearly $7000 increase to their match payments.
ACT Meteors coach Jono Dean said he could not be more excited for the news.
"It's another four games for the girls to play and do what they love doing, which I know is something that they have wanted to do for a long time," he said.
"Six games was good, eight games was great, but 12 games is just, it's super exciting."
Details of the Australian Cricketers' Association and Cricket Australia's 12-month memorandum of understanding revealed the change on Thursday.
The longer format for 2022-23 adds to the competition in more ways than one.
MORE IN CANBERRA SPORT:
It allows WNCL teams a chance to make mistakes and bounce back, and gives the competition - and its players - more exposure.
The eight-game format rarely allowed any lapse in performance.
"Everyone's gonna make mistakes, they're gonna have their dips, and it kind of gives us a bit of a chance to bounce back if we find some tough times," Dean said.
"In order to get better at the game, you gotta play the game.
"So the more times we can play high-level cricket against quality opposition, and test ourselves, the better we'll get."
The change is a step in the right direction for equality but the Meteors' coach knew it still had a way to go with one area in particular.
"I genuinely believe there's still plenty of work to do," he said.
"The big difference between men's and women's at the moment is that we don't play the long format of the game, which I'd love to see.
"So there's a pathway for female cricketers, and there's an opportunity to make a pretty decent living now, but it's still got some some work to do."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
