Cricket star Ashleigh Gardner’s historic $558k payday

Indigenous cricket superstar Ashleigh Gardner has sold for more than half a million dollars at the first ever Women’s Premier League auction*, in a big night for women’s sport.

Gardner was one of 14 Australians picked up in the auction to play in the new competition, which will see five teams compete across 22 matches in Mumbai, India, next month.

The new tournament will last 23 days, from March 4.

The Adani Group-owned Gujarat Giants paid $558,000 to have Gardner on their team, meaning the 25-year-old from NSW will more than double her pay from Cricket Australia for just three weeks’ work.

Gardner was photographed with Australian teammates Megan Schutt and Kim Garth as they watched the auction on an iPhone from the sidelines of St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The Australian team was there training ahead of its T20 World Cup fixture* against Bangladesh.

All-time great Ellyse Perry – one of women’s cricket’s most influential* figures – didn’t even watch her $295,000 payday get announced, the 32-year-old was in the middle of training drills.

It was a huge moment for Gardner who instantly became one of the most highest-profile – and highest paid – female athletes in Australia and indeed the world.

But the financial* rewards in women’s cricket remain much lower than those in the men’s game.

Gardner will earn more in three weeks than Matildas soccer superstar Sam Kerr ($435,000) is paid in the Women’s Super League in the UK.

“I’m excited to have been selected by the Giants in the inaugural* Women’s IPL and look forward to joining the team next month,” Gardner said.

“For now my focus is on Australia at the Women’s T20 World Cup and our next game.”

Australia play Bangladesh in their second World Cup game this week, with a team full of players who have in many cases doubled their earnings.

Reigning* Belinda Clark medallist* and Australian opener Beth Mooney was the next big money earner after Gardner, being sold for $349,000 also for the Gujarat Giants team, coached by Australian great Rachael Haynes.

Haynes stacked her side with Australian stars, with gun all-rounder Annabel Sutherland also signed to the team for $122,000 in the auction.

Tahlia McGrath – the all-round superstar from South Australia who some tipped to go No.1 – was signed by UP Warriorz for $244,000, while Aussie captain Meg Lanning was picked up for $191,000 by the Delhi Capitals.

Six months’ ago Lanning had stepped away from the game unsure if she would return to professional cricket.

Like Perry, Lanning deserves the financial recognition for growing the women’s game to the point it is now where players can finally cash in and earn big money.

Another player in that category is Alyssa Healy, who was sold to UP Warriorz for $122,000.

The Australian wicketkeeper and multiple World Cup winner has helped make the women’s team one of the country’s most successful and popular.

It was heartbreak for Aussie stars Megan Schutt and Alana King who, remarkably, both went unsold.

Cricketer and commentator Holly Ferling expressed the feelings of many. “So, FREAKING AWESOME. A massive day for women’s cricket and women’s sport, globally,” she wrote on social media.

Young Aussie star Maitlan Brown reacted to Gardner’s $558,000 price with “WOAHHHHHH”.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said it was a historic night.

“What a game changer for the whole game,” he said.

GLOSSARY

• auction: a sale of assets to the highest bidder
• fixture: a sporting event arranged to take place on a particular date
• just reward: a deserved outcome or result
• influential: a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events
• financial: relating to or involving money
• inaugural: first
• reigning: currently holding a particular sporting title
• Belinda Clark medallist: the medal awarded to the most outstanding Australian female cricketer of the season

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What was the purpose of the Women’s Premier League auction?
2. Who is Ashleigh Gardner?
3. Why is a price of $558,000 for Gardner to play in the women’s Indian Premier League tournament significant?
4. Name two other players in the Australian women’s cricket team.
5. What country are the Australian women’s cricket team currently playing in?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Women’s cricket win
What could these new opportunities for women cricket players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) do for cricket and women’s sport in general?

Do you think this is a positive step forward for women to start closing the gap between what they earn in sport compared to their male counterparts?

Would you like to be a full-time sportsperson? Why or why not?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links:English, Health and Physical education, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking

2. Extension
Create an advertisement to recruit female players to the sport of cricket. Outline the advantages the sport could offer new players.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links:English, Visual Art

VCOP ACTIVITY
Emotional recount
Imagine being involved in this auction. Who would you like to be? Who wouldn’t you like to be? Why?

The emotions of the people being sold as part of the auction would be all over the place. Pick one of the players involved in the auction and write an emotional recount from either before, during, or after the auction.
Consider how the player would be feeling. Then consider how their body would respond to those feelings. Use ‘show don’t tell’ to help emphasise their thoughts are feelings as you recount their responses.

Remember to re-read your work aloud to ensure it’s clear and makes sense. Then check your VCOP skills to see if you can edit and up-level your work to make it even more impactful to the audience.