Tasmania added to 2010-11 WNCL

Cricket Australia (CA) has today announced that Tasmania has been added to the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) for the 2010-11 season.

After their debut in the women’s interstate Twenty20 last season, Cricket Australia accepted a submission by Cricket Tasmania to also include its senior women’s team in the 50-over interstate competition from this season.

Tasmania’s entry into the WNCL, where they will join Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and ACT, raises the number of states playing in CA’s two elite women’s cricket competitions to seven.

“Tasmania’s acceptance into the WNCL is testament to the efforts of Cricket Tasmania to develop women’s cricket in the state,” Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said.

“The team produced some encouraging performances in the interstate Twenty20 competition last year and regular exposure to matches at this level will help drive women’s cricket participation in Tasmania.

“Female cricket participation in Australia has risen dramatically in recent years and today’s announcement, along with the continued success of the Southern Stars, will only inspire more young girls to pick up a bat and ball.”

With the Tasmanian Roar’s inclusion, the 2010-11 WNCL match schedule will now be developed over the coming weeks.

The early rounds of the competition will serve as an important selection trial before the Southern Stars – the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 champions – meet England, winners of the 2009 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and 2009 ICC World Twenty20, at home in early 2011.

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