A landmark day for Irish women’s cricket brought the first professional contracts, a three-year contract extension for head coach Ed Joyce and a 10-match summer fixture list which includes two Twenty20 internationals against World champions Australia in Bready.

Seven members of the squad, as of Monday, become Ireland’s first full-time players, another nine are given part-time contracts and a further four will be on a retainer.

The magnificent seven are skipper Laura Delany, Shauna Kavanagh, Celeste Raack, Eimear Richardson and Mary Waldron who all received two-year deals plus Sophie McMahon and Waringstown’s Cara Murray who were awarded one-year contracts.

Methodist College schoolgirl Amy Hunter, who became the youngest player to hit an international century, male or female, on her 16th birthday last year is one of the nine on part-time contracts along with Gaby Lewis, Leah Paul and Orla Prendergast who are all still at university.

The summer action will begin in Dublin on June 3 with a six-match white-ball series against South Africa – three T20 internationals in Pembroke followed by three one-day internationals at Clontarf which will be the first of Ireland’s eight series in the ICC Women’s Championship when they play all the other Full Member sides, except New Zealand before the end of 2024.

The highlight of the season will be a tri-series with Australia and Pakistan, with each team playing the other twice between July 16 and 24, all at Bready in a tremendous coup for Cricket Ireland and High Performance director Richard Holdsworth who offered the countries match preparation ahead of the Commonwealth Games in England, which start on July 28.

The action will not stop there for the women’s side with the T20 World Cup qualifiers to follow in September and a second series in the Women’s Championship in October.

Joyce had no hesitation in signing the new contract with the fixture list the icing on the cake.

“I probably would have continued with the job because I like the group and feel we are on an upward curve. We have some incredibly talented young players, including Cara and Amy. It’s exciting where they can get to and that there is now a career path for them if they want to go down that route.”

Murray has handed in her notice at Wellington College where she is working and looking forward to what lies ahead.

“My last day at the College is tomorrow and I start with Cricket Ireland on Monday. I was shocked when I heard the news but absolutely delighted and privileged to be in the position I’m in,” said Murray.

Women’s fixtures: v South Africa June 3, 6, 8, T20Is (Pembroke), June 11, 14 17, ODIs (Clontarf); July 16, 23: Australia v Pakistan, July 17, 21: Ireland v Australia, July 19, 24: Ireland v Pakistan All T20Is (Bready).