MATCH PREVIEW: Durham v Lancashire Women, Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Ellie Threlkeld has urged her Lancashire team-mates to keep things simple as they briefly return to Metro Bank One-Day Cup bidding to strengthen their qualification position.
Durham v Lancashire
Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Thursday July 24, 2025, 10.30am
The Banks Homes Riverside
The Red Rose play two 50-over matches across the next week, before a break for the Hundred to be played.
They are very nicely placed in the search for a top-four finish and semi-final qualification having won six of their eight matches so far to sit second in the table on 26 points and only a point behind league leaders Hampshire.
First up are Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside on Thursday, starting at 10.30am. Next Wednesday, Lancashire welcome Essex Eagles to Sedbergh School.
Captain Threlkeld said: “I think 50-over cricket is a game where the team who does the basics for long periods of time, and is better than the other team, wins.
“Looking back on the first part of the season, we did all of our disciplines so well. And we’ll be looking to do the same again.
“Hopefully we can get a couple more wins under our belt, and when we return to this competition at the back end of the season we’ll be right up there.”
This clash with Durham is the first of six remaining group stage matches, with 30 points to play for. Lancashire are 10 clear of fifth-placed Surrey.
Durham are in the hunt for the semis themselves. They are sixth, having won three of eight games to date and are only three points behind fourth-placed Somerset.
The Red Rose beat Durham last time out in this competition, by 35 runs at Blackpool in mid-May as they successfully defended a target of 240 that day.
Lancashire will have Australian leg-spinning all-rounder Alana King available to face Durham and Essex having featured for the county in the recent Vitality Blast.
She took 16 wickets in 11 Blast matches, added to scoring 51 runs down the order. Her best return was 3-24 in defeat to Durham at Emirates Old Trafford earlier this month.
Unfortunately, that reverse was part of the reason why Lancashire didn’t qualify for Blast Finals Day, finishing fourth in the table and missing out by one place. Surrey, The Blaze and the Bears will contest that showpiece at the Kia Oval on Sunday.
“We were disappointed to miss out on Finals Day,” said Threlkeld. “But I was pretty pleased on the whole with our performances, and the girls are in a good place.
“Having Alana for the next two games is really exciting. She's been a real key asset for us with the ball.
“I know 50-over cricket is her favourite format, so we're looking forward to her having 10 overs to bowl, which will be nice.
“She’s a belter!
“She can bowl at any phase of the game and has tended to bowl the tough overs for us in T20 cricket. It's gone really well, so I guess that proves her quality.”
Durham are captained by England fringe batter Hollie Armitage and coached by ex-England spinner Dani Hazell, who played alongside Threlkeld for Lancashire Thunder in the Kia Super League in 2017 and 2018.
New Zealand batting legend Suzie Bates is Durham’s overseas player. She was the leading run-scorer in the Blast group stage with 439 runs in 13 innings.
Armitage has been Durham’s leading 50-over run-scorer this season with 366 in eight matches, while England A seam-bowling all-rounder Phoebe Turner is their leading wicket-taker with 17.
Threlkeld, meanwhile, is hopeful but by no means certain of having England duo Kate Cross and Emma Lamb back from international duty to play at the Riverside, where the ODI series against India concluded on Tuesday.
Opener Lamb is the leading run-scorer in this season’s Metro Bank One-Cup with 577 runs, and she has topped 1,000 runs in all county competitions in 2025.
Wicketkeeper-batter Threlkeld added: “Fingers crossed we do get them back. It's always a real asset to have them around. If not, I really back our squad depth.”
Opposition player to watch
Phoebe Turner, 21, has taken 17 wickets in this season’s MBODC, more than any other bowler in the competition. And she has been rewarded for her endeavours.
Last month, she played her first two 50-over matches for England A against New Zealand A, taking five wickets in a pair of victories. Turner was also recently picked in the Hundred wildcard draft by the Southern Brave.
Turner is a wicket-taking seamer who can also bat. She scored a century for her county on a pre-season tour in Zimbabwe.
Lancashire know all about Turner’s capabilities. She took six wickets against them in a 50-over match at Southport whilst playing for Northern Diamonds in the old regional structure.
She has a bit of Nat Sciver-Brunt about her, and you would think there’s a good chance she will be playing alongside the England captain in the not too distant future.
How’s Stat!
Should Lancashire reach the semi-finals of this competition, captain Ellie Threlkeld will - barring any injury issues - bring up her 100th career List A appearance.
Threlkeld, 26, has played 93 times in this format to date. And there are six group matches remaining before the knockouts in September.
She has so far scored 1,662 runs added to 89 dismissals behind the stumps; 53 catches and 36 stumpings.