Dani Gibson Lands £190,000 Payday as Hundred Auction Boosts Women's Cricket
The inaugural Hundred auction in London has delivered a seismic shift in women's cricket finances, with England all-rounder Dani Gibson securing a monumental £190,000 contract, making her the highest-paid English woman in the tournament. This landmark event, the first player auction in a major UK professional sport, saw unprecedented spending, highlighting a dramatic uplift from previous salary caps that peaked at £65,000 just last summer.
Overseas Stars and Teenage Talent Shine in Bidding Frenzy
While Gibson's deal stands out domestically, two overseas players commanded even higher figures. Australia's Beth Mooney and New Zealand's Sophie Devine each fetched £210,000, with Mooney joining Trent Rockets and Devine heading to Welsh Fire. In a remarkable turn for youth talent, uncapped 18-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman earned a substantial £105,000 deal from Southern Brave, underscoring the auction's focus on emerging prospects.
The auction, held at London's Piccadilly Lights, was fueled by a major cash injection from private investors who purchased stakes in all eight franchises. Sunrisers Leeds, the new owners of the rebranded Headingley franchise, aggressively bid to secure Gibson's services, despite her absence from the England team since October 2024 due to injury. Her contract surpasses those of pre-auction direct signings like England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt and pace bowler Lauren Bell by £50,000, adding pressure as she joins 30 players in a South Africa training camp.
Significant Deals and Unsold Players Mark Historic Event
Beyond the top earners, several other English players netted six-figure sums, reflecting the auction's competitive nature. Linsey Smith secured £100,000 from Birmingham Phoenix, while pace bowler Issy Wong earned £105,000 from Southern Brave, Em Arlott took £110,000 from Welsh Fire, and Paige Scholfield collected £115,000 from Manchester Super Giants. In contrast, rising star Davina Perrin, who made history as the first woman to score a century in the Hundred last year, was a relative bargain at £50,000 for Birmingham Phoenix, being the first player auctioned by Richard Madley.
Not all players found buyers initially, with Lauren Winfield-Hill, who captained Oval Invincibles in 2025, among those unsold in the first round. The women's squads have a total budget of £880,000 to fill their rosters, while the men's sides, with an auction scheduled for Thursday, are allocated £2.05 million. This disparity highlights ongoing financial gaps but also the progress in women's cricket, where salaries have surged from a starting band of £15,000 in 2021.
Corteen-Coleman, who became the Hundred's youngest player at 16 in 2024, is a highly-rated specialist in powerplay overs. Despite facing competition from world number one left-armer Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith for a spot in this summer's T20 World Cup on home soil, her auction success signals bright prospects. The event not only rewards current stars but also invests in future talent, reshaping the economic landscape of women's cricket in the UK and beyond.
