Postponing The Hundred crushing blow to women’s game, says Katie Levick

Critics of The Hundred have been quick to identify the delay to its launch this summer as a silver lining amid the prevailing pandemic, with surveys having typically shown that 90 per cent of existing cricket supporters are against the concept.

But Levick, the 28-year-old leg-spinner who was part of the Northern Superchargers franchise based at Emerald Headingley, believes that any tendency towards triumphalism at The Hundred’s postponement ignores the fact it helps women players to pay the bills.

“Probably 99 per cent of the opposition has been against the men’s part of the game and how that is going forward, and not really taking into account what it means for the women’s side of it,” she told The Yorkshire Post.

“But The Hundred is the only opportunity for us to get paid outside of international cricket in England, and it’s a great opportunity to highlight women’s sport and encourage more girls to take up the game.

“Luckily, I have a full-time job, and I’ve been able to work my full-time job alongside cricket.

“But there’s other players who are not so lucky.”

Levick, who works at Pro Coach Yorkshire opposite Headingley Cricket Ground, spoke out on social media after The Hundred was put back until 2021.

Angered by the virtual cheers that inevitably resounded, she took to Twitter to highlight the women’s side of the argument which, even for the staunchest opponent of the 100-ball concept, provides food for thought.

“For those celebrating the cancellation of The Hundred this year, you’re essentially celebrating unemployment,” she wrote.

“It may not be the ‘traditional’ game you claim to love, but it’s the one that was employing so many women that don’t have the opportunity for professionalism otherwise.

“It’s not 100k for four weeks’ work for us; it’s money to keep a roof over our head, food in our fridge and the dream alive a little longer.

“It was the opportunity to have women’s sport showcased alongside the men, to give little girls something to watch and aspire to.

“But, by all means, please do celebrate because we don’t wear whites or bowl six-ball overs with a red ball, like any of those choices are down to us.

“Be kind, we’re supposed to be a cricket family after all.”

Levick’s remarks sparked plenty of debate, both for and against, and she joked that after five quiet weeks of lockdown, her phone had never been so busy.

But she is urging traditionalists to think of the wider picture, with The Hundred – which replaced the Kia Super League – the only source of income for many female players.

“I read just nothing but negativity on social media with regards to it all, and I just think we need to take a step back and assess,” she added.

“The Hundred was the only option we (women) had to play.

“None of these choices were ours; we got given the format and have to get on with it.

“There’s also a lot of girls in the team who are in education, or just finished education, not quite sure what career to go into yet, and they’ve sort of put off making those decisions to enable them to play in The Hundred, because there’s not many full-time jobs that allow you to play cricket for six weeks in the summer.

“So they maybe work part-time stuff instead while banking on the money from The Hundred in the summer.”

Although wages from the competition were nothing to write home about (the average female salary was £8,000 compared to £82,000 for the men), The Hundred at least offered equal prize money of £600,000 in total for both men and women.

Levick is phlegmatic about the wage disparity – she is happy, first and foremost, that women’s cricket is gaining increasing traction having made enormous strides even during her own career.

“We’re not stupid enough to expect them (the wages) to be the same,” she said.

“It’s just about it progressing and gradually getting things better and better.

“From where it (women’s cricket) was when I first started playing county cricket, we’d never have guessed where it would be now.

“It’s getting better and going in the right direction, and the fact that we’re getting paid is more than the generation before us did.”

Now Levick hopes she will be one of the fortunate ones who gets to play in next year’s tournament.

The ECB has confirmed that the format will remain the same, with eight separate men’s and women’s franchises.

“I hope to get a gig again next year, but I’m not stupid – I know I’m coming towards the end of my career and rapidly approaching 30, unfortunately,” she added.

“Luckily, as I say, I do have a full-time job, and it’s such a bizarre time that no-one could ever see happening.

“Obviously, there’s a lot worse things happening at the moment than the cricket side of things.”

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