The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed the eight First Class Counties who have been successful in their bid to be awarded Tier 1 women’s team status from 2025.
As a further outcome of the Tier 1 invitation to tender process, the ECB has also today announced the selection of two additional First Class Counties to expand Tier 1 from eight to ten teams by 2027, and an intent to grow to 12 teams by the 2029 season.
The eight selected Counties to compete in Tier 1 of the evolved women’s professional domestic structure from 2025 are:
• Bears
• Durham
• Essex
• Hampshire
• Lancashire
• Nottinghamshire
• Somerset
• Surrey
Joining them, by 2027, will be Glamorgan and Yorkshire, who have been named as the first two Tier 1 expansion teams.
To accelerate Glamorgan and Yorkshire’s Tier 1 preparations between 2025 and 2027, and to enhance access for talented female players across the North East and Wales before such a time the clubs join Tier 1, both Counties will receive additional funding from 2025 to run their own “Tier 1 standard” talent pathway.
The ECB has also set the ambition to expand Tier 1 to 12 teams by 2029, given the rapid growth of the women’s game and the level of passion and desire for the growth of women’s professional cricket demonstrated across the FCC network during this tender process. No decision has been made yet as to where these further two teams would be based.
