Sports
Australian cricket set to break $100k minimum wage barrier for female players
Cricket is poised to become the first sport in Australia to break the six-figure wage mark for the vast majority of its domestic female athletes, with players on state and WBBL contracts to earn an average of AU$151,000 from next season.
Cricket Australia and the players’ union are closing in on finalising the sport’s new pay deal, with a Memorandum of Understanding likely to be announced as soon as early this week.Final details are still being sorted, through a negotiation that has been largely amicable and headed by Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley and union counterpart Todd Greenberg.
Sources from both sides have confirmed talks have been far removed from the dramas of the pay war of 2017, which resulted in an abandoned tour and threats of strikes.The big winners of the deal will be domestic female cricketers. AAP has been told that the lowest-paid players with state and Women’s Big Bash League contracts will earn AU$83,000, with state squad sizes to increase from 14 to 16 across each of the seven WNCL sides.
Players will also continue earn match fees for WNCL matches beyond their salary, meaning a significant portion of those on a minimum salary will earn more than AU$100,000 in 2023-24.
Ultimately, the deal will take the average salary to AU$123,000 and AU$151,000 after match fees.In comparison, players with a minimum WNCL and WBBL contract last year who received full match payments were paid AU$70,000.
The deal will rocket cricket well above other women’s sports, with its nearest competitor being Super Netball where the minimum salary is AU$43,000 with no additional match payments.The AFLW minimum wage sits at close to AU$40,000, while NRLW is AU$30,000 and A-League women’s is AU$25,000.
It’s also believed that contract values will significantly increase in the WBBL for overseas and Australia’s centrally contracted stars in a bid to keep the league competitive with England’s Hundred and other franchise tournaments.
Organisers are hopeful the pay rise will be able to continue to attract the best overseas talent to Australia, for a tournament that was once unrivalled as the stand out in global women’s cricket.
The deal will also mean Australia’s centrally contracted players have the potential to earn close to AU$1 million a season, when factoring in national deals and big-money offers from the WPL.
(cricinfo)
Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute from a rebound yielded by backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory.
Merino was the late hero for the second straight match for Spain, who advanced to face tournament favourite France in the semifinals on Tuesday in Dallas.
Merino came on in the 86th minute and scored from his second touch of the match, charging into the box and pouncing after Lammens spilled a Pau Cubarsi shot from outside the area.
The Arsenal forward also scored as a substitute early in injury time to secure Spain’s 1-0 victory over Portugal in the last-16.
Lammens, the Manchester United keeper, was forced into the match in the 71st minute after longtime Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois left with an apparent thigh injury.
Belgium desperately pressed for an equaliser in the final minutes, but Aymeric Laporte volleyed their best chance out of the box.
Fabian Ruiz scored the opening goal in the 30th minute for Spain after Courtois had parried a shot from Dani Olmo from Pedro Porro’s cut-back from the right of the area, but Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere scored the first goal allowed by Spain in the entire World Cup in the 41st minute.
His header from Timothy Castagne’s cross from the right ended a record streak of 649 minutes without conceding at the World Cup.
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place today (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
Text and Pic by SK Samaranayake
The annual rugby encounter between Dharmaraja College and Kingswood College, played for the William Weerasinghe Memorial Trophy, is set to take place tomorrow (July 11, 2026), at 4:00 PM at the Bogambara Stadium, Kandy.
The official unveiling of the trophy took place this week at the Dharmaraja College premises with the participation of the Principals of the two schools, teachers-in-charge of sports, coaches, the Rugby teams, and several distinguished guests, including Dharmaraja College Old Boys’ Association President Mahesh Wijetunga, Kingswood College Old Boys’ Association President Muditha Abeykoon,
by S K SAMARANAYAKE
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