New South Wales made history on Thursday "with the announcement its women cricketers will be the first Australian female domestic sports team guaranteed the minimum wage," according to Peter Lalor of THE AUSTRALIAN. The "groundbreaking deal" had to overcome a number of hurdles, "not the least of which is a Cricket Australia-imposed salary cap on the women’s teams" that made it impossible for the money to be handed out as salary alone. The salary of the lowest-paid female NSW cricketer will "now double" to at least A$35,000 ($26,500) a year. Team sponsor Lendlease is reportedly "tipping in" A$17,000 ($12,900) to each of the contracted players, which brings the lowest-paid woman on contract up to the A$35,000 minimum. Cricket is "leading the way" with top women players now earning in excess of A$100,000 ($76,000) and some earning more than the centrally contracted male Australian players, "thanks to access to a large marketing budget." The next memorandum of understanding, which is being negotiated now, "is expected to include female players for the first time." The women are currently paid under contract by CA (THE AUSTRALIAN, 10/7).
PRESSURE'S ON: In Melbourne, Helmers & Polkinghorne reported Australia Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander admitted cricket is "really putting the pressure on" other women's sports, but she believes every extra dollar will help create a "snowball effect" for everyone. Similarly, Cricket ACT CEO Cameron French said that Cricket NSW's "landmark pay deal for their women cricketers is exciting and he is confident it wasn't a threat to the ACT Meteors." It comes "a month after a new collective bargaining agreement for the inaugural National Netball League" ensured players would earn a minimum salary of A$27,375 ($20,800). Alexander said that the NSW Breakers' pay deal was "huge" for women's sport. She said, "I know cricket are really putting the pressure on, they've got the dollars. What they haven't done is necessarily put the dollars from the men's sport into the women's sport. Once they saw how good the WBBL can be I think that made them sit up and take notice that they'd actually better get serious about this. It creates a snowballing effect because it's not just us [netball], it's women's sport. When you're talking about women's sevens they'll mention us [the Diamonds] as well" (THE AGE, 10/6). In Sydney, James Buckley reported Breakers veteran Alex Blackwell "never had to pay her way," but Australia's most capped player said that it was not until "about six years ago that she started earning a crust from cricket." Blackwell, who started her int'l career alongside twin sister Kate, "admits she never thought women's cricket would become professional during her playing career." She said, "We used to rock up at Cricket NSW at about 5:30, ready for a 6pm training session; the Waugh brothers and the other NSW Blues were leaving at that time having had an amazing training session during the day. They can go home, put some dinner on and have a regular life, whereas we were actually starting our training after a full day at uni or a full day at work" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 10/6).
