England’s women international cricketers will be paid the same match fees as their male counterparts on the back of record attendances and viewing figures for the Women’s Ashes played over June and July.

“It’s fantastic to see equal match fees,” England women’s captain Heather Knight said. “I’m sure this will make cricket an increasingly attractive sport to girls and young women as we continue to grow the game.”

The move toward abolishing the pay gap between male and female players in England had already been recommended in a report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, which was published two months ago and highlighted deep-rooted discrimination in the English game.

That report said the average salary for England Women players was 20.6 per cent of what players in the men’s team received for limited-overs games.

A total of 1,10,00 people came to watch the drawn Women’s Ashes series between England and Australia, with crowds of around 20,000 at several of the limited-overs matches. More than 23,000 tickets were sold for the five days of the test at Trent Bridge. Broadcast viewing figures of 5.3 million were double those in 2019.

The pay increase will take effect immediately, starting with this week’s Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka.

“We are currently considering all the recommendations made by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, but equalising match fees is one immediate step we are pleased to make now,” ECB chief executive Richard Gould said.

“We all want cricket to be the team sport of choice for female athletes,” Gould added, “and, with the investments we are making and increasingly lucrative opportunities around the world, we are seeing cricketers become some of the highest-earning female athletes in UK team sports.

“However, we know there is still much further to go.”

The International Cricket Council said in July that men’s and women’s teams will receive equal prize money at biggest international tournaments with immediate effect.