Countries England Format Twenty20 Number of teams 6 | Administrator ECB First tournament 2016 | |
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Tournament format Round-robin and knockout stage | ||
The Women's Cricket Super League (WCSL), known as the Kia Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a women's cricket competition in England that began with its inaugural season in 2016. It launched with six teams playing in a Twenty20 format only, with the intention of adding a fifty over competition from 2017 onwards. The Southern Vipers were the first champions of the WCSL.
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History
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced their plans for the Women's Cricket Super League in June 2015, stating they would invest £3 million over four years. The competition would launch with six teams playing in a Twenty20 format, with the intention being to add a fifty over competition in 2017. The ECB received 28 applications to host teams in the first stage of bidding, with the process subsequently moving to an interview stage. The six successful bids were announced in January 2016. The ECB hope that the WCSL will develop as a semi-professional competition, with the intention of bridging the gap between the amateur Women's County Championship and international cricket, for which England players are centrally contracted as professionals.
Teams
The ECB announced the six hosts for the WCSL in January 2016, with hosting rights awarded for the first four years of the competition, 2016 to 2019 inclusive. The hosts and partners include seven First-class counties, five minor counties and three universities. Team names, along with the fixtures and venues for the 2016 season, were announced in February 2016. The allocation of England players to the teams was announced in April 2016, with overseas player allocations being announced later that month.
Format
Matches are played in a Twenty20 format. The six teams initially play each other once each in a round robin league, from which the top three finishers qualify for the finals day at a neutral venue. The second and third placed teams then meet in the semi-final for the right to face the first placed team in the final. The 2016 finals day was staged at the County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford.
Media coverage
The 2016 tournament was not broadcast on television but seven group matches and the finals day were broadcast live on BBC radio's Test Match Special.
Sponsorship
The ECB announced a two-year title sponsorship agreement for the WCSL with Kia Motors in March 2016, as a result of which the competition is known as the Kia Super League.