Australia's elite female cricketers have been given a significant pay rise, with the game's best now eyeing off six-figure salaries.
The Southern Stars' top-ranked players will now earn $65,000 as an annual base contract, while minimum retainers have doubled from $19,000 to $40,000.
And when factoring in domestic contracts, tour fees and match payments, the highest-ranked females such as captain Meg Lanning and allrounder Ellyse Perry stand to earn more than $100,000 from Cricket Australia (CA) each year, before individual sponsorship endorsements are added.
It comes off the back of the team reaching their fourth successive World T20 final in India this month, which they eventually lost to the West Indies after winning the previous three.
They are also the No.1 ranked team in the world, after winning the women's Ashes last year and claiming the 50-over World Cup in 2013.
The $4.23 million package follows an interim agreement between the Australian Cricketers' Association and CA ahead of next year's memorandum of understanding which will cover both males and females.
It also gives the Southern Stars improvements in travel and accommodation, an updated pregnancy policy and a reduction in training hours for domestic teams to allow for more work and study.
"We have worked constructively with the Australian Cricketers Association to reach this point and will continue to do so in our ongoing efforts to improve wages and workplace conditions for all elite female cricketers," CA chief executive James Sutherland said.
"Of the more than 1.2 million people of all ages currently playing cricket in Australia almost a quarter of them are women and girls.
"We are determined to make cricket the sport of choice for women in Australia."
Domestic female players will also see a slice of the additional $1.87 million on offer.
The minimum retainer for the WBBL has increased from $3000 to $7000, while the lowest-paid WNCL (50-over state tournament) has also been lifted by $4000 to $11,000.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old left-arm pace bowler Lauren Cheatle is the only addition to the list of CA female contracted players, while Jess Cameron, Delissa Kimmince and Julie Hunter have all dropped off.
CA contracted players: Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell,Nicole Bolton, Lauren Cheatle, Sarah Coyte, Rene Farrell, Holly Ferling, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani.
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