Yorkshire CCC hits out at ECB after “upsetting” women’s cricket snub

Control of the Diamonds will pass from Headingley to Chester-le-Street from next year as part of a radical overhaul of the women’s game, which is moving away from the previous regional model to a fully professional system.

Counties not awarded “tier one” status will now be invited to take part in a process to determine the composition of an underlying “tier two” and “tier three”, with a final decision expected in September.

Yorkshire and Glamorgan will join an expanded “tier one” from 2027, with plans to increase to 12 “tier one” teams in 2029.

In a statement, the Yorkshire CCC board said: “Yorkshire County Cricket Club are surprised and disappointed not to be awarded one of the initial Tier 1 women’s teams as part of the first allocations from the ECB.

"The news is especially frustrating and upsetting for the players and staff at the Northern Diamonds. They have been trying to deal with it whilst preparing for their first game of the season in two days. Our focus is on supporting them through this difficult period and gaining as much clarity on what the future looks like.

"Yorkshire has the largest active playing base of women and girls in the country, has produced many players that have gone on to represent England in the women’s game, winning the County Championship 16 times and Headingley has been successfully hosting the Northern Diamonds since 2020, so naturally the news has been tough to take.

"Yorkshire has a rich ethnicity mix and as part of our ongoing work to be the most welcoming and inclusive cricket club in the country, we use women’s and girl’s cricket as the cornerstone to creating real, tangible value in those communities that need it the most.

"We believe we hit all of the criteria set out as part of the tender, so we will be taking time to investigate and understand the detail behind the decision, assessing the best next steps for the club and most importantly ensuring we support the players and staff that are impacted."

In addition to Durham, the counties successful in the “tier one” tender process were Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire.