MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire Thunder v Essex Eagles
Kate Cross is hoping the fortnight’s break from action will provide Lancashire Thunder with a “natural reset” as they bid to turnaround their Vitality Blast fortunes.
Lancashire Thunder v Essex Eagles
Vitality Blast, Women
Saturday July 5, 2025, 11am
Emirates Old Trafford
Squad news
The Red Rose have significant work to do to make it into the top three places for Finals Day having only won three of their first eight games.
With six to go, including back-to-back fixtures this weekend, and a maximum 30 points available, Cross and company are 13 points adrift of The Blaze in third.
Lancashire host Essex at Emirates Old Trafford on Saturday at 11am, as part of a T20 double header day with the county’s men, before hosting the Bears at the same venue on Sunday afternoon.
The county have not played since losing against The Blaze at Leicester on June 19, the day after they were also beaten by Surrey down at the Kia Oval.
“We didn’t have the start to the campaign that we would have liked,” said England seamer Cross. “But the break was a natural reset where we could recharge the batteries and have the opportunity to go again in the second half.
“That was Chris Read’s messaging when we left Leicester on that Thursday, ‘It’s not started how we’d have liked, there’s still a lot of cricket to go and still an opportunity to get ourselves into the top three’.
“We had a good FA Cup (Vitality County T20 Cup) and won that, we started well in the 50-over stuff, but we just haven’t been able to replicate it and put all three facets of the game together.
“I only came back in for the last three games of the first block, and we had some brilliant moments. Ailsa Lister’s 79 against The Blaze was one. It shows we’ve got the capability to challenge the best teams. But it’s doing it for longer, which is vital in T20 cricket.
“We talk about obviously extending your skill a lot in 50-over cricket, but it's still the case in T20.
“There's definitely the makings to get on a roll, and you've seen it happen. It's not how you start tournaments, it's how you finish them.”
Immediately after England ODI duty against the West Indies, Cross returned to Lancashire colours midway through last month and took 3-21 from four overs in a win over Somerset at Taunton.
That haul included her 200th wicket for all Lancashire teams since debuting for the Red Rose women in 2005 as a 13-year-old. She is now 33 and has also represented teams such as Lancashire Thunder in the Kia Super League and Thunder in regional cricket.
“I reckon I’ve scored the same amount of runs as well,” Cross quipped.
“Seriously, it’s a pretty cool milestone.
“I feel like it’s hopefully an indication of the fact I've always played at Lancashire and loved playing there. I always try to get back as much as possible when I'm not on England duty because I do really enjoy playing for the club.”
That milestone is an indication of Cross’s longevity. In many ways, there are comparisons to be drawn between men’s legend Sir James Anderson in that Cross just seems to be getting better and better as her career progresses.
More short-term, she has struck at least once in each of her last 13 appearances for either England or Lancashire dating back to the start of May.
“That's something that I've kind of almost tried to pride myself on, that consistency,” she added.
“I know I've never really been a blow away an attack kind of bowler. I've never had the pace to do that. But I’ve always prided myself on being reliable for my captain. That’s something I would like to think I’ll be remembered for when I retire in however many years’ time.
“When young kids ask me about bowling, and what's my best bit of advice I could give them, it's just to learn to be consistent.”
Fifth-placed Essex sit just above Lancashire in the table, on 13 points. They have the same won three, lost five record.
They were six-wicket winners last time out against Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside, successfully chasing 102.
Captained by opening batter Grace Scrivens, they have Yorkshire captain and wicketkeeper-batter Lauren Winfield-Hill on loan for this competition only. She is their leading run-scorer with 245 and has been opening with Scrivens.
Twenty-year-old seamer Esmae MacGregor is the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 18 from eight matches.
The Eagles have Australian batter Maddie Penna as their overseas player.
Lancashire’s men face Derbyshire Falcons in their Blast competition from 3pm on Saturday.
Opposition player to watch
Esmae MacGregor is enjoying a breakthrough campaign with the Eagles.
The seamer’s 18 wickets not only put her at the head of the leading wicket-taker’s list in the Vitality Blast, but she is comfortably so. The next most prolific bowler in the Blast is Bears’ spinner Millie Taylor with 12.
The 20-year-old bowls with good pace and skill and has a best of 4-8 to her name in an early-June win over Somerset at Chelmsford.
Sometimes she has taken the new ball, other games not.
She is one of Essex’s own having been born in Colchester and having come through their age-group system alongside that of Suffolk’s as well.
How’s Stat!
Scotland international Ailsa Lister has batted seven times in this season’s Blast and, with her haul of 230 runs, she has an eye-catching average of 57.5.
She is amongst the top 10 leading run-scorers in the competition.
