WELCOME TO THE SECOND AUSTRALIAN CRICKET PRESS FOR PROGRESS REPORT.

First released in 2018, this annual monitor reflects our commitment to be openly accountable for the ongoing progress towards our aspiration of being Australia’s Leading Sport For Women And Girls.

In the past 12 months, important gains continue to be made: most notably, the sustained growth of girls participation and all-girls teams, the ongoing transition to a standalone rebel Women’s Big Bash League, and improved gender diversity within the governance of Australian Cricket.

These achievements are joined by the inspiring ICC World T20 victory by the world champion Australian Women’s Cricket Team.

Key to our commitment to accountability and transparency though, is not shying away from our challenges: overcoming the perception that cricket is still ‘not for girls’, continuing to draw women’s elite sport into the public’s consciousness, and embedding the prioritisation of workforce diversity across the country.

Ultimately, success will be achieved when cricket is viewed as a genuinely gender equal sport, aligned with this year’s theme for International Women’s Day: Balance for Better, which highlights that each and every one of us has a role to play in creating a gender-balanced world.

International Women’s Day 2019 also marks the one year countdown to the women’s final of the ICC T20 World Cup here in Australia, at the MCG. All Australians have the opportunity to create history, as we look to break the world record for the highest ever attendance at a standalone women’s sporting event.

We know the role we have to play. What role will you play?

Kevin Roberts James Allsopp Lee Germon CEO, CEO, Cricket Australian CEO, Cricket Capital Territory New South Wales

Joel Morrison Max Walters Keith Bradshaw CEO, Northern CEO, Queensland Cricket CEO, South Australian Territory Cricket Cricket Association

Nick Cummins Andrew Ingleton Christina Matthews CEO, CEO, CEO, Western Australian Cricket Association

Nick Hockley CEO, ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Local Organising Committee TO BE THE LEADING SPORT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS That is our aspiration, set out in the Australian Cricket Strategy (2017 – 2022) Achieve gender equity across Australian Cricket, while developing and accelerating opportunities for women in our game.

Deepen cricket’s fan base by entertaining women and girls through LEADERSHIP international cricket and the Big Bash.

Sustainably grow women’s and girls’ WOMEN AND GROW PARTICIPATION participation, and make sure cricket clubs GIRLS AS FANS SUSTAINABLY are welcoming and enjoyable places to be.

Grow the WBBL and women’s international cricket, while remaining number one in all formats.

GROW WOMEN’S ELITE TALENT Offer a viable professional career for ELITE CRICKET PATHWAY female talented athletes, supported by an expansive and structured pathway. GROW PARTICIPATION LEADERSHIP SUSTAINABLY

The Leadership pillar captures Australia (+28% to 50%), and has laid stronger foundations, Cricket is working towards a future of a new entry level program, women’s elite cricket, to move two focuses: promoting the Total Employees, thanks to the particularly around recruitment as a gender equal sport, where it’s Woolworths Cricket Blast, designed cricket higher in the consideration prioritisation of our Leading Sport rapid growth of the ICC T20 World practices. Encouraging applications just as likely for a girl to pick up a in part to increase the appeal to set for both girls and parents alike. For Women And Girls aspiration, Cup Local Organising Committee. from female candidates remains cricket bat as it is for a boy. Whilst young girls. Reality is, many Australians still do and the gender diversity of the Disappointingly, a slight decline a key challenge. Cricket needs to significant inroads have been made not automatically consider cricket Significant investment continues Australian Cricket workforce. was observed in Other Management improve its reputation amongst in recent years to create more to be a sport for girls. towards growing all-girls – a key measure of emerging female candidates; effective opportunities to play, particularly There is strong awareness of our competitions and teams via the KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: leaders, and a factor to be recruitment practices only help for teenage girls, this continues to commitment to improve gender Growing Cricket for Girls Fund, carefully monitored. if talented women are interested be an ongoing journey. • Growing enrolments in diversity across all levels of the with the ongoing support of the in considering sport – and Woolworths Cricket Blast Australian Cricket workforce. Commitment to a targeted program In the current year, total female Commonwealth Bank. Over 100 particularly cricket – as an The most significant gains over of activity to drive further progress participation is on track to grow by junior cricket associations now • Recruiting players, clubs attractive career path. the past 12 months occurred at a is less consistent. Embedding a around 40k, with 56% of total new have all-girls competitions. and associations to all-girls governance level (+6%); only one systematic action plan, alongside KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: participants forecast to be women competitions, and With the focus in recent years Board with a single female director a commitment to change, remains and girls. The introduction of the next on ensuring teams exist for girls • Growing organised remains (2018: 4). a priority. national workforce diversity 2018/19 is also a year of to join, the pressing opportunity school-based cricket. Slight gains were also observed The Australian Workforce Gender strategy from FY20. consolidating growth from recent is to capitalise on the increasing across Executive Management, Action Plan created by the national years, including the introduction recognition and celebration of driven by improvements at Cricket People and Culture leaders in 2017 NEW GIRLS TEAMS FEMALE FEMALE CONTRIBUTION REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN (CUMULATIVE GROWTH) PARTICIPATION TO TOTAL GROWTH EXECUTIVE OTHER TOTAL DIRECTORS MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES 2017 / 2018 619 54% 2017 / 2018 464K 20% 31% 31% 32% 2018 / 20191 1,045 56% 2018 / 2019 504K 26% 34% 29% 34%

At least TARGET TARGET 4,000 At least 2022 across strategy period 45% Minimum 40% representation of men and women across across strategy period 2022 (2017 – 2022) every level of the Australian Cricket workforce 660K

1. Forecasts based on year-to-date actuals plus projections as at 31 January 2019 ELITE TALENT GROW WOMEN’S PATHWAY ELITE CRICKET

Australian Cricket is focused on to advance as the momentum • The first overseas tour by an Capturing the continued challenges outdated perceptions, momentum in the women’s offering talented athletes a viable for women in sport in Australia Australia Under 19 team in 15 opportunity to build the fan base and was complemented by sporting landscape. Continuing professional career, supported extends towards the new decade. years, with yearly international of the women’s elite game and cricket’s partners, particularly to cut through the wider public’s by an expansive and structured tours planned, and the importance of an exciting and the Commonwealth Bank and consciousness, in a world with In this respect, progress for the pathway. It is this elite talent visible pathway to inspire the #20NotOut. increasing competition for people’s Elite Talent Pathway pillar is not • New teams added to an pathway that bridges playing next generation of cricketers, this attention, remains challenging, as judged on the same measures expanded Under 18 national Overall WBBL trends were positive, cricket at a community level, priority balances progress off do new commercial conversations compared year-on-year, but an championship, supporting talent as the league transitions to a and playing in the WBBL and the field with ensuring continued – elements that are key to ongoing expansion and continuous development in the Northern standalone season in 2019/20. for Australia. success on it. sustainable growth. improvement, against both our Territory, regional Victoria and While total attendance decreased As part of becoming the Leading own high standards and those leading Under-15 athletes. November’s successful ICC T20 off the back of fewer double- KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: Sport For Women And Girls, set by our domestic and Australian Cricket also continues World Cup campaign in the West headers, standalone matches • WBBL’s shift to its own window cricket is focused on continually international peers. to lobby for the introduction Indies was undoubtedly the year’s increased 38%. Similarly, while in the sporting landscape in strengthening the state and highlight. The Australian Women’s average ratings declined 5% THROUGH THAT LENS, KEY ADDITIONS of an ICC Under 19 World Cup, October 2019, and national programs in place to and is a supporter of cricket’s Team also regained and held the (compared to a wider FTA market IN THE PAST YEAR INCLUDE: • The build-up to next year’s develop the stars of tomorrow. push for inclusion in the 2022 world #1 ranking throughout decline of 11%), ratings across • The introduction of a Female the year. fixtures on ‘main channels’ ICC T20 World Cup in Australia Our target is to offer more playing Commonwealth Games. National Performance Squad, increased 20%. and the world record crowd opportunities for female talented At home, the first dedicated • A four-year arrangement with being targeted for the final on athletes than in any other sport national campaign for the women’s However, progress is still hard the BCCI to play an ‘A’ series, International Women’s Day – a benchmark that continues game was launched. #WatchMe fought, even with the ongoing in 2020.

WBBL WBBL AVERAGE WORLD ATTENDANCE VIEWERSHIP RANKING MORE PLAYING 2017 / 2018 PAY EQUITY HIGHEST PAID OPPORTUNITIES model implemented national women’s team 2017 / 2018 than domestic and and parity in domestic (average $180k) international peers prize money 152K 224K # 2

+ NEW TEAMS 2018 / 2019 FEMALE and more National Performance matches added to

Squad introduced REINTRODUCTION national underage 2018 / 2019 of U19 international tours championships 136K 212K

TARGET 2022 More playing opportunities than in any other sport TARGET 2022 #2 is the leading women’s sports league in the world is the largest women’s in all formats sports event ever held in Australia WOMEN AND GIRLS AS FANS

Just as opportunities to play Men’s international crowds saw observed in the women’s formats, cricket are a fundamental part of a slight drop in female attendees suggesting a growing connection being the Leading Sport For Women following the previous Ashes with mainstream audiences. For And Girls, so are opportunities for summer, with the limited overs example, the women’s T20Is shifted women and girls to enjoy cricket as matches versus India particularly from the most male-skewed fans of the game. male-skewed. A highlight was the viewership in 2017/18, to the most ODI series against South Africa in gender balanced of any format. Leading the way is the KFC Big Bash Perth, Adelaide and Hobart, which League, which continues to set the In what has been a challenging reached the ACS target of 40%. standard for gender equal crowds, year, cricket maintained the fourth with women and girls representing Gender diversity in viewership highest number of passionate more than 45% of attendees for remained steady, albeit with wider fans amongst women and girls. the fourth consecutive summer. variation across formats. A new Available research suggests avid Similarly, gender balance was high in female viewership on FTA fans remain connected to the observed at women’s international was offset by content available game, however women and girls and WBBL crowds. only on male-skewed subscription who identify as more casual or new channels. Significant gains were fans remain more neutral. REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN NUMBER TOTAL AVERAGE DOMESTIC DIGITAL OF FEMALE ATTENDEES VIEWERSHIP UNIQUE AUDIENCE PASSIONATE FANS

2017 / 2018 ~ # 39% 36% - 38% 28% 4

2018 / 20191 38% # 4 34% - 39% 28%

At least TARGET At least At least 2022 40% women and girls 40% 30% women and girls women and girls

1. As at February 2019