Dani Gibson Secures £190,000 Payday in Historic Hundred Auction
England all-rounder Dani Gibson has become the highest-paid English woman in cricket after landing a lucrative £190,000 deal at the inaugural Hundred player auction. The landmark event, held at London's Piccadilly Lights, saw Sunrisers Leeds secure Gibson's services with a substantial bid, highlighting a dramatic shift in the financial landscape of women's professional sport.
Record Spending Signals New Era for Women's Cricket
The auction represents a seismic change for the women's game in the United Kingdom. Under the previous system, the top salary band started at just £15,000 in 2021 and remained capped at £65,000 as recently as last summer. This new spending spree follows a major cash injection into the tournament, with all eight franchises selling stakes to private investors.
Gibson's contract surpasses those of England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and pace bowler Lauren Bell, who had already agreed pre-auction 'direct signings' worth £140,000 each. Remarkably, Gibson achieved this despite not having played for her country since October 2024 due to injury problems.
Overseas Stars and Young Talent Also Cash In
Only two overseas players attracted higher bids than Gibson. Australia's Beth Mooney reeled in £210,000 from Trent Rockets, while New Zealand's Sophie Devine fetched the same amount from Welsh Fire.
The auction also proved lucrative for emerging talent. Eighteen-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman, who became the Hundred's youngest player when she debuted at 16 in 2024, secured a bumper £105,000 deal from her previous franchise, Southern Brave.
Corteen-Coleman is a highly-rated prospect specialising in powerplay overs, though she faces stiff competition for a spot in England's T20 World Cup squad this summer, behind world number one left-armer Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith.
Other Notable Deals and Auction Dynamics
Smith herself was another big winner, taking home £100,000 from Birmingham Phoenix. Southern Brave invested £105,000 in pace bowler Issy Wong, while rising star Davina Perrin – who became the first woman to hit a century in the Hundred last year – was a relative bargain at £50,000 for Birmingham Phoenix.
Not all players found buyers in the first round, with experienced campaigner Lauren Winfield-Hill, who captained Oval Invincibles in 2025, among those initially unsold.
Financial Framework and Future Implications
Women's squads have a total of £880,000 available to fill their rosters, a significant sum that underscores the growing commercial appeal of the women's game. In comparison, men's sides are allowed a budget of £2.05 million, with their auction scheduled for Thursday.
Gibson, one of 30 players currently at an England training camp in South Africa, now carries the heftiest price tag among her national teammates, despite her relatively junior status in the set-up. This auction not only rewards individual talent but signals a transformative moment for women's cricket, where financial recognition is finally beginning to match the sport's rising profile and competitive intensity.
