Grace Ballinger: Behind the curtain at The Hundred auction

There was a mix of auction experience and strategy in the room, and ultimately where you came up in the auction sometimes became either a huge advantage or a disadvantage.

Many successful domestic female players went unsold, including some who have historically had successful Hundred campaigns.

There were also a fair few surprise picks, many of whom have never made their Hundred debut.

In some instances players came up at the right time, and probably got over-paid beyond their perceived value, where people were in desperate need for their skillset.

Meanwhile, others came up at unfortunate times, where their role had already been filled.

The entire thing had a really strange feel to it. With salaries exploding following the privatisation of The Hundred, domestic female professionals just haven’t dealt with these sorts of numbers before.

This explosion is probably best reflected through the sale of 18-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman to Southern Brave.

Last summer the teenager played for the franchise for £12,500, but on Wednesday she was purchased by the same team for an astounding £105,000.

While some people were left ecstatic and rightly so – Tilly revealing she was “jumping up and down on the bed”, external with joy – others were left heartbroken and unsold.

As I have mentioned in a previous column, cricket is well within the entertainment industry – and The Hundred especially wants to entertain.

The auction was certainly made compelling viewing, filmed at the iconic Piccadilly Lights in London. Within this entertainment however, there were harsh realities and anxious moments for the players involved.

A tough day for some, yet a momentous day for English cricket and women’s sport in general.

With headlines focusing on the biggest earners and the positives that come with this for those few, it would be easy to forget the players left disappointed and in many cases, somewhat unjustly left out of squads.

An emotionally draining day for all involved, whether your personal outcome was good or bad. Many domestic outfits were probably training while the auction was ongoing, and around 30 players were on an ECB Training Camp in Pretoria, South Africa as it all unfolded.

Managing emotions in a team environment is never easy. Even if you had a good outcome, you were watching hoping your mates within the game got a deal too.

A difficult day for many, and a step closer towards the new beginnings of The Hundred.