ECB Ups Funding So England Will Have First Full-Time Women's Cricket Team

England will have its first full-time professional women's cricket team "following major investment by the game's governing body," according to the BBC. The England and Wales Cricket Board announced "significant" pay hikes for top players. England captain Charlotte Edwards said on Twitter, "Thanks everyone for all your support. Today is a day I never thought I'd see in my time as a player!" ECB Chair Giles Clarke said the team's success is "a real bright spot" and said he hoped they would "become some of the best-paid sportswomen" in the country. Clarke: "These pay rises are significant and, as a result, we are proudly creating the first group of full-time women's professional cricketers." The pay hikes and investment in the women's game "will be funded by revenues" from ICC events held in England. The ECB will also pay bonuses to players involved in the recent Ashes victory (BBC, 2/13).