Australia’s evergreen run machine Beth Mooney has cashed in on her enduring excellence, scooping a joint-record pay-day of Stg 210,000 ($A395,000) in the auction for the Women’s Hundred.
The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter was the subject of a feverish bidding war between Trent Rockets and Manchester Super Giants before the Nottingham-based Rockets won the signature of the BBL’s top-scorer for the month-long tournament in July and August.
After Britain’s historic first ever major players’ auction for any sports event on Wednesday, Mooney will enter the tournament as the joint-highest earner alongside New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine, who was also bought by Welsh Fire for Stg 210,000.
Mooney was in such demand that she went for nearly five times more than Australia’s captain Sophie Molineux, who looked like a bargain for the Southampton-based Southern Brave at Stg 47,500 ($A89,000).
Other Aussie allrounders fared better than the national skipper with Jess Jonassen, who stepped down as captain of Brisbane Heat and Queensland Fire this week, snapped up by Sunrisers Leeds for Stg 110,000 ($A206,000), while Nicola Carey went to MI London for Stg 95,000 ($A178,000)
All those players have benefited from India’s vast investment in the competition, bringing fresh riches to The Hundred. Mooney’s jackpot is more than three times higher than the previous top wage of Stg 65,000 ($A122,000).
All those snapped up in the auction in central London on Wednesday joined big-name Aussies who had already been pre-signed, including Ellyse Perry, who will captain Birmingham Phoenix, and Meg Lanning, who will lead the Super Giants.
Lanning, who attended the auction, admitted Manchester had really wanted to sign Mooney. “But we got some good players and filled some gaps,” she said, after they bought quick Maitlan Brown for Stg 40,000 ($A75,000).
Every one of the sides features at least one Australian, while three have a triple-powered contingent, including defending champs Northern Superchargers, who’ve been rebranded at Headingley as the Sunrisers with Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield and Jonassen all six-figure signings.
The auction for the men’s Hundred will follow on Thursday in London.
AUSTRALIANS IN THE WOMEN’S HUNDRED (* denotes bought in auction)
Birmingham Phoenix – Ellyse Perry Stg 100,000 ($A187,436), Alana King* Stg 37,500 ($A70,000), Lucy Hamilton Stg 35,000 ($A65,000)
London Spirit – Grace Harris Stg 70,000 ($A131,000)
Manchester Super Giants – Meg Lanning Stg 95,000 ($A178,000), Maitlan Brown* Stg 40,000 ($A75,000)
MI London – Nicola Carey* Stg 95,000 ($A178,000)
Southern Brave – Sophie Molineux* Stg 47,500 ($A89,000)
Sunrisers Leeds – Annabel Sutherland Stg 130,000 ($A244,000), Phoebe Litchfield Stg 120,000 ($A225,000), Jess Jonassen* Stg 110,000 ($A206,000)
Trent Rockets – Beth Mooney* Stg 210,000 ($A394,000), Ash Gardner Stg 100,000 ($A187,000), Kim Garth Stg 42,000 ($A79,000)
Welsh Fire – Georgia Wareham Stg 100,000 ($A187,000), Georgia Voll Stg 80,000 ($A150,000), Heather Graham* Stg 27,500 ($A52,000)
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