WNCL gains prize money; tournament split into three rounds

The Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) will be split into three rounds next summer, and for the first time prize money of $258,000 will be up for grabs in the one-day tournament.

Cricket Australia has announced the WNCL schedule for 2017-18, with one round in October (prior to the Women's Ashes), a second round in November (ahead of the WBBL), and the last round and final to be played in February.

New South Wales will be aiming to defend their title after last year's triumph, which was their 18th title. From 2005-06 onwards, New South Wales won 10 consecutive titles before South Australia broke the dominance in 2015-16.

"This will be the 22nd season of the Women's National Cricket League, and the tournament has a strong history of producing world-class talent as well as attracting high-profile international players," Pat Howard, CA's executive general manager - team performance, said. "It continues to provide a platform for Australia's finest young cricketers to further develop their skills and strive for national selection.

"We know we have a strong structure to our domestic competitions which identifies and elevates players who are performing, so that we can continue to strive for success on the international stage and ensure our players are provided with the very best opportunities to perform to their ability here at home and away.

"Cricket has led the way in showing that women too can make a living from the game, with the proposed remuneration providing the country's best domestic players the opportunity to earn a full-time wage for the first time."