The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has received 28 expressions of interest in hosting a team in its inaugural Women’s Cricket Super League.
The six-team competition will launch next year in the Twenty20 format before expanding to include both 20 and 50-over competitions in 2017.
England and Wales’ 18 first-class counties all submitted bids either on their own or in collaboration with other local partners, while bids from other organisations included “partnership working between cricket bodies, educational institutions and local authorities,” according to an ECB statement.
ECB director of England women’s cricket Clare Connor (pictured) said: “The level of interest shown in becoming a Women’s Cricket Super League team host through the initial expression of interest process has been remarkable and reflects a strong, national appetite for a new and dynamic competition.
“Despite levels of participation in sport and exercise being a concern across the UK, participation in women’s and girls’ cricket has seen pleasing growth in recent years. We are really excited about the innovative opportunity that the Women’s Cricket Super League gives us to reach new participants and attract new fans to the game, and we are determined to make the most of this opportunity.
“We now look forward to exploring each different approach, finding out who the six eventual hosts will be, and then working with them to create the high performance environments which are best placed to secure England’s success on the international stage for years to come.”
Assessments of responses and interviews of prospective hosts will take place in October and November, with the ECB aiming to announce the six team bases for the Women’s Cricket Super League in December this year.
