Counties Rescued After ECB U-Turn

Raf Nicholson reports on a change of heart by the authorities following protests over a proposed reduction in the number of teams.

In yet another twist in the ongoing saga of what exactly the women’s domestic structure will look like next season, the ECB have done an about-turn and agreed that counties outside of the top eight will still be permitted to run senior women’s county sides.

Previously it had been suggested that many counties’ women’s sides would effectively be abolished, with the ECB concentrating all their resources on the new eight semi-professional regional hubs (likely to be based in the same locations as the Hundred), which will provide the focus of 50-over cricket for women come 2020.

This had met with criticism across the board, both from existing county players who would have been forced into playing club cricket, and from county executives. Surrey CCC chief executive Richard Gould stated in a BBC interview that the county would continue to run a women’s county side, no matter what.

In response, the ECB have admitted in consultation meetings with the counties that there is nothing they can do to stop counties below the top-tier continuing to play county cricket.