Ellyse Perry hopes WBBL leads to pro era

Ellyse Perry hopes the success of the women's Big Bash League (WBBL) helps fast track a fully-professional era of women's cricket.

Ellyse Perry describes it as a watershed season for women's cricket in Australia but the superstar hopes there is plenty more growth to come.

The inaugural women's Big Bash League (WBBL) is ongoing but already it has been a resounding success.

Network Ten has shifted games to its primary channel, while a record crowd of 12,901 attended Saturday's WBBL Melbourne derby.

Perry, one of Australia's most high-profile athletes, is among those hoping the WBBL helps fast track a fully-professional era of women's cricket.

"As elite players in the game you want to be as professional as possible and have every opportunity to continue to develop," Perry said.

"That's certainly where the women's game is heading.

"In a lot of aspects it's already there. There's a number of players that are essentially full-time players now."

Cricket Australia (CA) and the players' union will soon start working on a memorandum of understanding.

SCG Trust chairman Tony Shepherd praised CA for growing the women's game.

"Their rise may indeed be the greatest legacy of Cricket Australia's current administration," Shepherd said in a function on Sunday.

CA announced a pay rise for female players last May.

Top domestic players currently earn $17,000 a season, while those contracted by CA can earn retainers of $50,000 plus tour payments.

James Sutherland knows those numbers need to improve.

"I don't think we've got anywhere near far enough down the track," CA boss Sutherland said.

"Our ambition is for there to be a much greater number of fully professional female cricketers.

"We're very focused on that."

Female participation has been rising steadily in recent years and CA is fully aware that the bigger the WBBL gets, the more it will fuel that growth.

"It's about telling the world that cricket is a game for girls," Sutherland said.

"We need to back that up as well by saying not only is this a sport for girls but it's a career for girls as well."

Perry, an integral part of Australia's Ashes success in 2015 and the Sydney Sixers' first signing, noted "anything is possible" when it came to the WBBL.

"There's scope to continue to grow it," the 25-year-old said.

"Obviously continue to attract a lot of fantastic international players, which we've been able to do this season, and really make it the premier competition in the world for women.

"It's been a watershed summer for women's cricket ... it's been absolutely incredible."


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