Cricket Australia has officially announced the women’s central contracts list for the 2026/27 season. A total of 18 players have been awarded national contracts, with two new players receiving their first contracts.
The announcement comes shortly after the men’s central contracts were revealed last month. The latest list reflects a mix of experienced stars and emerging young talent in the Australian women’s team.
Key Changes in the 2026/27 Central Contracts
Several updates have been made to the new contracts list, including fresh inclusions and notable omissions.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| New contract players | Chloe Ainsworth, Lucy Hamilton |
| Player upgraded | Nicola Carey |
| Players not included this year | Tayla Vlaeminck, Tess Flintoff |
| Total players with central contracts | 18 |
Chloe Ainsworth and Lucy Hamilton have earned their first national contracts after impressive performances at the domestic level. Their consistent performances helped them secure a place in the national contract system.
Nicola Carey, who was upgraded during the West Indies series, has now been officially included in the central contracts list for the upcoming season.
At the same time, fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck and all-rounder Tess Flintoff are not part of the contracts this year. However, both players remain in consideration for future selection.
Australia Women’s Central Contracts List 2026/27
The following 18 players have been awarded central contracts for the 2026/27 season.
| Player |
|---|
| Chloe Ainsworth |
| Darcie Brown |
| Nicola Carey |
| Ashleigh Gardner |
| Kim Garth |
| Heather Graham |
| Lucy Hamilton |
| Grace Harris |
| Alana King |
| Phoebe Litchfield |
| Tahlia McGrath |
| Sophie Molineux |
| Beth Mooney |
| Ellyse Perry |
| Megan Schutt |
| Annabel Sutherland |
| Georgia Voll |
| Georgia Wareham |
Nicola Carey’s Contract Upgrade
Nicola Carey earned her contract upgrade after delivering strong performances in the recent series against the West Indies. Her consistency with both bat and ball impressed selectors and secured her position in the national contract list.
Cricket Australia has also confirmed that players who are not part of the central contracts can still earn upgrades through strong performances during the season, just like Carey did.
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Selectors Welcome New Talent
National selector Shawn Flegler welcomed the inclusion of new players in the contracts list and praised their domestic performances.
He said it was exciting to see Lucy Hamilton and Chloe Ainsworth receive their first national contracts. According to him, their performances at the domestic level showed strong potential and made them deserving candidates for the national setup.
He also mentioned that while Tayla Vlaeminck and Tess Flintoff were not included in the list this year, the board will continue to support their development and they remain in contention for future selection.
Australia’s women’s team has a busy international calendar ahead.
Their first major tournament of the year will be the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England. After the World Cup, Australia will host Bangladesh for a three-match ODI and T20I series in October.
The team will then face New Zealand Women in February 2027 in another important international series.
The central contracts list ensures that Australia continues to maintain a strong core squad while also bringing in young talent for the future.
