MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire Women v Somerset Women
Kate Cross is going for a hat-trick of domestic trophies this summer as Lancashire eye more success in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. And the Red Rose can’t wait to welcome her back following her title-triumph in the Hundred.
Lancashire v Somerset
Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Thursday September 4, 2025
Emirates Old Trafford
Squad News:
Following injuries sustained during The Hundred, Lancashire pair Eve Jones (shoulder) and Tara Narris (foot) will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
Emma Lamb and Grace Potts have both been ruled out of tomorrow's match against Somerset due to short-term injuries.
New signing Gaby Lewis comes straight into the squad and will be available for all remaining matches this campaign.
Legendary seamer Cross has just won the Hundred with the Northern Superchargers, following Lancashire’s early-season triumph in the Vitality County T20 Cup.
Now Lancashire are well placed to further boost their own trophy cabinet, and no doubt Cross’s mantelpiece at home, given they sit second in the 50-over table ahead of the competition’s resumption on Thursday when Somerset visit Emirates Old Trafford (10.30am) for game number 11 of 14 in the group.
In the pursuit of semi-final cricket, Lancashire have won seven games so far and are second in the table on 31 points, one behind group leaders Hampshire and seven ahead of fifth-placed Durham.
“We're looking forward to having Kate back in the environment,” said Lancashire’s director of women’s cricket David Thorley. “She brings a lot to us both on and off the field in terms of how we approach games and her general professionalism.
“So, yeah, we’re really excited to have her back.”
It’s been a strange old few weeks for the Heywood star.
She was left out of England’s squad for the forthcoming World Cup in Sri Lanka and India, starting at the end of the month, but the 33-year-old was superb in the Hundred, taking 15 wickets in 10 matches.
That was the third best haul in the competition and included two wickets in each of the semi-final and final on Saturday and Sunday. The Superchargers beat Southern Brave in the final at Lord’s on Sunday afternoon.
“Crossy’s the ultimate professional,” said Thorley. “She’s obviously going to be incredibly disappointed with the England news, but we’ve seen through the Hundred that she puts it to one side when she steps onto the field.
“The matches come thick and fast now, and it’s something to thrive upon for all our players.
“One thing I really remember from winning the T20 County Cup was Crossy's reaction and the emotions of someone who's been at the club for that long and what it means to her to get her hands on silverware.
“So, I think, for her that's a real driving force, as it is for everyone. We want to go and do it again.”
Lancashire have signed Ireland captain Gaby Lewis on a short-term overseas deal for the remainder of the season.
The 164-time international batter has replaced Australians Katie Mack and Alana King, who played earlier in the competition - Mack at the start, King through the middle.
“We're looking for someone to bolster the top order, and I think with Gaby there's not many more experienced international players out there,” said Thorley. “So we're really looking forward to her joining us.
“She's just had a good spell with the European (T20 World Cup) Qualifiers and a series before that against Zimbabwe, so she's in good form.
“We actually agreed to sign her a couple of seasons ago, but she got injured. So it feels good that it’s going to come true now and she'll pull on the Red Rose.”
Late last month, Ireland played five T20 internationals in Rotterdam - two against the Netherlands, two against Germany and another against Italy. Right-handed Lewis, 24-years-old, posted scores of 29 not out, 66 not out, 42 and 56.
Lancashire have played a couple of warm-up games over the last week ahead of the Somerset game.
They have a few availability issues to contend with, including England opener Emma Lamb dealing with a back issue during the latter stages of the Hundred.
Thorley added: “We’re in a cracking position, second in the table, and all you can ask for is that it’s in your own hands.
“But every match is crucial. They’re all must-win games because of the stage of the season and how tight things are.
“I think it will be a fantastic month. You look at some of the fixtures. On Thursday, Surrey play The Blaze, and they’re both in the top-four with us at the minute.
“There are so many different ways the table can change around. All it takes is one win or one loss for a team and the table looks incredibly different.
“These are the games we've wanted to be in throughout this journey we've been on for five years - the September games where they've got something really riding on them. For us, it’s incredibly exciting.”
Somerset are sixth in the table having won four of 10 games so far. They are six points away from four-placed Surrey and can’t afford any more slip-ups if they are to advance to the semi-finals.
Captained by top-order batter Sophie Luff, long-standing coach Trevor Griffin last week announced that he would be leaving his role at the end of the season.
Opposition player to watch
Somerset captain Sophie Luff has enjoyed an impressive One-Day Cup campaign with the bat, posting 351 runs from 10 appearances to date.
Impressive Luff bats at three and attempts to knit the innings together.
The 31-year-old has posted two fifties and an unbeaten 111 to date and has, this season, gone beyond the 300-game mark in her career across both 50-over and T20 cricket.
Taunton-born Luff has had England A experience to her name.
She has played 140 games in List A cricket and is approaching 5,000 career runs. To be precise, she has 4,584 runs to her name, including eight hundreds.
How’s Stat!
Lancashire’s new overseas signing Gaby Lewis is one of four family members to have played for Ireland, both in men’s and women’s cricket.
The 24-year-old from Dublin has played 164 internationals across ODI and T20 cricket.
Her older sister Robyn played five times across both formats, while her father David and late grandfather William both played men’s cricket for the Emerald Isle.