Yorkshire Women will join the tier one revamp of the women’s professional game one year earlier than planned.
Yorkshire were told they would have to wait until 2027 to join an expanded women’s league.
But the England and Wales Cricket Board said, subject to meeting a series of conditions, the county will now gain tier one status in 2026 to help provide greater certainty over the timeline for the existing squad as they enter contract negotiations for next summer from June 1.
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The ECB have announced a new structure for women’s domestic cricket that will run from 2025. Under the new ‘three-tier model’, there will be no promotion or relegation and Heather Knight feels it shows progression in the women’s game
Tier one will launch next year with eight clubs, with Yorkshire joining 12 months later and Glamorgan the following year. Between 2025 and 2028 all three tiers will be ‘closed’, with no promotion or relegation.
As a result Yorkshire’s funding for 2026 will increase to £1.5million per year and their introduction to tier one is contingent on adhering to various conditions, concentrating on governance, strategy and finance.
“Yorkshire’s desire to be part of tier one as soon as possible is clear and we believe it’s the best decision for them, the women’s game, and most importantly for the players as they enter a phase of contract negotiation, to provide as much certainty as we can about the introduction timeline for both Yorkshire and Glamorgan,” said ECB director of women’s professional game Beth Barrett-Wild.
