England Women's cricket team handed bumper pay rises after World Cup triumph

England women's cricketers have been handed significant pay rises after they won the World Cup on home soil last year.

The new deals were activated on February 1 and run until the end of 2019, with 40 per cent added to the overall payment pot and 10 top players receiving increases of more than 50 per cent. At the head coach Mark Robinson’s discretion, some players are on one-year contracts and others are on two-year deals.

For the first time, England women will also receive bonuses for winning series and Clare Connor, the director of cricket, has pledged to double their 2017 salaries by the next World Cup in 2021. Australia currently lead the pay race, with top players earning about £170,000 per year.

“Any increase to a player’s salary is judged on performance and potential,” said Connor. “At the moment it’s not about equal pay [for women], but we should be bold and demonstrate a commitment to closing that gap with a bit of urgency.”

England have added left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone to their list of contracted players.