YORKSHIRE were left “surprised and disappointed” today after being overlooked by the England and Wales Cricket Board in the initial “tier one” revamp of the women’s game.

The governing body has awarded new professional teams to eight first-class counties, replacing the regional structure from next summer, but Yorkshire were edged out in what was effectively a head-to-head with Durham.

Both Yorkshire and Glamorgan have been invited to join an expanded top flight in 2027, with funding to help prepare their coaching pathways, but the news met an unhappy response from Headingley on the eve of the new women’s domestic campaign.