SOMERSET women’s cricket team has been awarded first-class status after a competitive application process.

Eight women’s teams were specially selected by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in a bid to accelerate their professional growth.

The unified Tier 1 will allow women’s teams to compete nationally from 2025, a big stride from the current regional system.

It will expand to include 10 teams by 2027, and 12 by 2029.

All 18 clubs with first-class men’s teams were invited to submit a proposal for their women’s team to be given the status.

Unsuccessful applicants, and those from National Counties (men’s teams without first-class status), will be entered into the new Tier 2 and Tier 3.

There will be no promotion or relegation until 2028, giving the new league structure time to embed itself.

Somerset will be the south west’s top flight representative, joining Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottingham, Surrey and Warwickshire.

According to the ECB, the new structure and funding model could see an 80% increase in the number of professional female players in England.

Somerset CCC chief executive, Gordon Hollins, said: “I am extremely proud of all the staff at Somerset CCC, past and present, who have done so much to promote and develop women’s cricket over several years.

“The growth of the women’s game is an integral pillar within our club’s strategic plan, as Somerset seeks to inspire the south west through cricket.

“Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Devon, Cornwall, and Wiltshire, all have a critical role to play going forward, as we embark on a journey which ensures the south west is a region that leads the way in the growth of women’s cricket.

“We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with them going forward.”

ECB director of women’s professional game, Beth Barrett-Wild, said: “At the start of this tender process we challenged the first-class counties to show us their vision for the women’s professional game and to demonstrate their desire and commitment to becoming one of our professional Tier 1 clubs.

“Over the last couple of months it’s been brilliant to see the time and energy that has gone into the submissions, and I’ve been hugely impressed by the quality and ambition of the bids.”

Richard Gould, ECB chief executive officer, added: “Through this process we’ve seen a huge appetite from first class counties to have a women’s professional team, and a real commitment to growing women’s and girls’ cricket in this country.

“More professional teams means more women able to make a career out of being a cricketer, more role models to inspire future generations, and more of the country having a women’s professional team to follow nearby.”