However, Gibson, 20, said the latest pay offer from Cricket Australia, which would see women’s pay more than doubled, is a watershed moment for women’s team sports in general.

Australian contracted players will see their average pay rise from $79,000 to $179,000 and state-based players, playing both WNCL and WBBL, will see their average remuneration more than double from $22,000 to $52,000 this year.

Cricket NSW led the way into the professional era this season introducing a minimum wage of  $35,000 for Breakers’ contracted players.

Gibson, who played grade cricket with Western Suburbs in the Maitland competition, is contracted with the NSW Breakers and Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League.

“It has been fantastic to be able to concentrate on cricket rather than balance the demands of part-time work, travelling to Sydney from Newcastle and training,” Gibson said from Sydney where she shares a house with two teammates.

“We’ve been able to be in at the SCG almost daily to work on our game and to get in the gym and improve our core fitness.

“I’ve really seen improvement in my game. The time saved from travelling has meant we have been able to begin study.”

She said the most important part of the offer for her was that women were for the first time included in joint negotiations between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association.

“The pay offer is a big step up for us. We will have to see what the ACA’s response is but it is such a breakthrough that we are now part of the joint negotiations with the national and state men,”  she said.

Gibson said it was an exciting time to be involved in women’s sport and was delighted that her younger sister Nell, who was part of the NSW Combined High School teams at the state girls cricket finals in Maitland, would have an easier path if she chose to play professional sport.

Nell was part of the NSW CHS first XI team which defeated NSW Combined Catholic Colleges by seven wickets in the final at Robins Oval on Wednesday.

Gibson said she was confident the women’s cricket pay deal would pave the way for other female team sports to go fully professional.

The National Netball League introduced a minimum wage of $27,000 for its first season, and the inaugural AFL Women’s League had a $5000 minimum.  

”Given the impact the AFLW and the netball have had this year, I think there will be pay increases in those sports and other sports will need to follow,” she said.