England women enter 'professional era' with award of 18 new
contracts  ECB hands women cricketers full-time contracts Squad
preparing for series with India and South Africa charlotte
edwards England's captain Charlotte Edwards, only the second
woman to bve named a Wisden cricketer of the year, is preparing
for a busy summer. Photograph: Christopher Lee/Getty Images for
Royal London  England celebrated "the dawning of a fully
professional era" for women's cricket in this country with the
announcement of the 18 players who have been awarded new
contracts, described by the minister of sport, Helen Grant, as
"a significant step not just for women's cricket, but for
women's sport".  In further evidence of the progress that has
been made in recent years Charlotte Edwards, who leads the group
of contracted players, was otherwise engaged when the
announcement was made, and received equal billing with Stuart
Broad and Ben Stokes at a launch of Royal London's new
sponsorship of the men's and women's games this summer.