Women's Premier League auction: England camp 'like nothing experienced before', says Kate Cross
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Best shots from Capsey's 51 against Ireland
Bowler Kate Cross says the mood in the England camp during the Women's Premier League (WPL) auction was "weird", "mad" and "like nothing experienced before".
England beat Ireland in their Women's T20 World Cup group match while the auction was taking place in India on Monday.
Sophie Ecclestone, Sophia Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt all learned their fate in the auction before the match, while their team-mates had to wait until the end to discover whether they had landed a deal or gone unsold.
All 15 of England's World Cup squad had put themselves into the auction, with three more - captain Heather Knight, bowler Lauren Bell and all-rounder Alice Capsey - plus travelling reserve Issy Wong, signed during the four-wicket win.
"We'd spoken about it as a group and said we weren't going to let it affect the game because that was the priority, but how do you not let that affect you?" Cross told the No Balls podcast.
"The mood in the camp was like nothing I have ever felt before during a game of international game because of the auction. It was madness."
Cross, who went unsigned, said players handed in their phones when they arrived at the ground around two hours before the start of play, while team-mates had put thumbs up or down in a WhatsApp group to show whether they were happy to talk about their fate.
"There was an elephant in the room because Nat Sciver is the second-most expensive female cricketer on the planet right now," she added.
"It was just a bit tip-toey, walking on egg shells, you don't really want to upset anyone, or break the news to anyone. It was a really weird day.
"It was not ideal that it was in the middle of the World Cup and [the Ireland match] could have been a banana skin game, I am just so pleased that we were able to get through what was a really tough day."
Ecclestone picks up two wickets in two balls
England's players went for a total of around £735,000 with all-rounder Sciver-Brunt sold for about £320,000 and spinner Ecclestone £180,000.
India opener Smriti Mandhana signed for Royal Challengers Bangalore for £340,000 in the biggest deal.
Australia's Ash Gardner was bought by Gujarat Giants for £320,000, joining Sciver-Brunt as the most expensive overseas star, as almost £6m was spent on 89 players.
"It is just crazy," continued Cross. "We knew it was going to throw women's cricket, and even women's sport to some extent, into a different stratosphere, but I don't think I knew what the money would be.
"I had an idea but I didn't allow myself to think it would be that much.
"We'd never had this in women's cricket, maybe even in women's sport, that someone in a country you're not in is able to put a physical value on your head.
"It was an unbelievable day."