England's Dani Gibson became the highest-paid English woman in cricket after securing a £190,000 contract at The Hundred's inaugural auction. The 25-year-old all-rounder, currently with England's training camp in South Africa, fetched £50,000 more than captain Nat Sciver-Brunt despite not playing for her country since October 2024 due to injury. The tournament's new ownership structure has dramatically increased spending power.

Two overseas players broke the £200,000 barrier, with Australia's Beth Mooney joining Trent Rockets for £210,000 and New Zealand's Sophie Devine heading to Welsh Fire for the same fee. Rising English talent also benefited significantly - 18-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman, who became The Hundred's youngest player at 16 in 2024, earned £105,000 from Southern Brave. Lauren Bell and Davina Perrin also secured substantial deals, while captain Lauren Winfield-Hill went unsold in the first round.

The women's teams have £880,000 budgets to build their squads, a massive increase from the previous £65,000 cap. The men's auction follows on Thursday with £2.05m budgets per team. This financial transformation represents a watershed moment for women's cricket in the UK, with private investment driving unprecedented opportunities for both established internationals and emerging talents.