Warwickshire and Central Sparks stars Amy Jones and Issy Wong are amongst 18 players to receive an England Women Central Contracts for 2023/24.
All contracts run until 31 October 2024 and provide significant structural improvements to meet player needs. Working closely with the England Women’s Player Partnership and the PCA, remuneration advancements include enhanced family provision entitlement, a bonus structure that rewards success against higher ranked opposition, increases to the value of retainers and the equalisation of match fees with England men.
Wicket-keeper Jones, 30, has to date made 178 appearances for England across all three formats, scoring 3,073 runs with 17 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, the Walmley native has taken 115 catches and 50 stumpings.
Wong, 21, is an explosive right-arm fast bowler, who has 14 wickets to her name across all three formats.
The duo will be hoping to be a part of an England team that returns to Edgbaston on Saturday 11 May to face Pakistan Women. Last year, Edgbaston smashed the record for the highest crowd for a standalone women’s international in the UK, outside of global events, beating the 15,187 at Lord’s last summer for the ODI versus India.
Bowlers Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer and wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath have all been awarded development contracts after breaking into the senior set-up in 2023. These development contracts are awarded to those players the England Women management team feel will play a pivotal role for the team in the future and enable the ECB to support them further over the next 12 months.
England Women centrally contracted list
Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze)
Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers)
Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers)
Alice Capsey (South East Stars)
Kate Cross (Thunder)
Charlie Dean (Southern Vipers)
Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars)
Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder)
Tash Farrant (South East Stars)
Danielle Gibson (Western Storm)
Sarah Glenn (The Blaze)
Amy Jones (Central Sparks)
Freya Kemp (Southern Vipers)
Heather Knight (Western Storm)
Emma Lamb (Thunder)
Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze)
Issy Wong (Central Sparks)
Danni Wyatt (Southern Vipers)
England Women development contract list
Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds)
Lauren Filer (Western Storm)
Mahika Gaur (Thunder)
Director of England Women’s Cricket, Jonathan Finch, said: “The Central Contracts are awarded to the players we feel will play a significant role over the next 12 months and beyond. We are at the start of an unprecedented busy period of international cricket and the group reflects the requirements of the multi-format schedule we face.
“Maia Bouchier and Danielle Gibson have been part of our group over the summer, have performed well and will be important players for England moving forward.
“The introduction of development contracts is a key step for us and allows us to support a wider group of players in their ongoing development and we will work closely with the regions to manage the players’ development and workloads.
“After a record-breaking Ashes summer, we have a really exciting 12 months of cricket ahead and we feel this group of players will form the foundations of our side that will take us through various bilateral series, and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
“Our thanks as ever go to the England Women’s Player Partnership and the PCA who continue to play an important role.”
