Match Preview: Lancashire Women vs Surrey Women, Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women
Lancashire Women Squad to face Surrey:
Ellie Threlkeld (c&wk), Danielle Collins, Kate Cross, Mahika Gaur, Eve Jones, Hannah Jones, Emma Lamb, Ailsa Lister, Katie Mack, Fi Morris, Sophie Morris, Tara Norris, Grace Potts, Seren Smale
Lancashire Women v Surrey Women
Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Wednesday May 7, 2025, 10.30am
Southport and Birkdale Cricket Club, Trafalgar Road
Chris Read has hailed the early-season availability of England’s internationals and believes the move from regional to county cricket has boosted the strength of the English domestic game in women’s cricket.
Lancashire’s head coach, just under 18 months into his role at Emirates Old Trafford, has been speaking about the early stages of the summer, which has seen his side win two and lose two in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup competition.
The Red Rose won their first two games against The Blaze and Somerset before losing the next two against Hampshire and, most recently on Sunday, Essex.
Across the first four rounds, the vast majority of England’s contracted players have been released to their counties, including Red Rose seamers Kate Cross and Mahika Gaur.
Sophie Ecclestone remains sidelined with a knee injury, however.
Lancashire’s next 50-over match is against Surrey at Southport (10.30am) on Wednesday, when they tackle star-studded Surrey, who have Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Ryana MacDonald-Gay at their disposal.
It could be that just under a third of all England’s contracted players feature in the same match.
Read said: “At this point, it's really nice to see the England girls and the England contracted girls being able to play because it makes for a stronger competition.
“If you look at our first few games, it's been a spectacle of considerably higher quality than it was last year where we had very few of the England girls playing.
“It's a really positive thing for the county game because we get the England girls back.
“But, also, I think it's positive for England as well because when the contracted players come back, they're now seeing a really good standard of cricket domestically in the country.
“It's hugely worthwhile, in my opinion, for them to be playing.”
And the former England men’s wicketkeeper-batter went on: “Generally, the competition looks really strong.
“I think the change from regional to county cricket has played a part in that as well.
“The game is growing at a massive rate.
“This is the first year where it's probably considered fully professional. Last year, it felt pretty professional, although we were still carrying, as were many regions, pay-as-you-play players and not a fully contracted staff.
“Now, I think every county in Tier 1 has 15 contracted players as a minimum.
“Ultimately, that’s a really good thing.”
While Lancashire have run into a couple of speed bumps in the last two games - losing against Hampshire at Southport last Wednesday and against Essex at Chelmsford on Sunday, the latter by five wickets as the hosts successfully chased 231 - Read is generally happy with where his squad is at.
“From our point of view, obviously a few changes throughout the winter from one season to the next and areas that we wanted to strengthen,” he added.
“We carry quite a large squad, and I feel it’s in a really strong position to push at the pointy end of the tables across the three competitions we have to play in this summer.
“That's our goal, ultimately - to compete at the top end and to put ourselves in positions where we can get into knockout phases of competitions. I believe we've got the squad to do that.”
Returning to the topic of England, and it would be absolutely no surprise to see either or both of Lancashire’s openers - Emma Lamb and Eve Jones - come into new coach Charlotte Edwards’ thinking ahead of start of the home summer of internationals
England host the West Indies in three T20s and as many ODIs from May 22 through to June 7.
The pair are the two leading run-scorers in the ongoing Metro Bank competition; Lamb with 311 from four matches and Jones with 274. Both have scored a century and two fifties apiece.
They have shared three century partnerships in four matches to date, including 106 inside 20 overs against Essex. It was just a frustration to Read that the Red Rose were only able to post a total of 230-8 from there in defeat.
He added: “We set our innings up well again for 30 overs but really faded quite dramatically in the last 20. Maybe the middle order haven’t had a great deal of match time.”
Surrey were also beaten on Sunday. They hosted Warwickshire at Beckenham and were beaten by three wickets, despite posting 313-7 with an unbeaten 102 for Dunkley.
They have lost three of their four games so far, winning only one.
Opposition player to watch
You could pick any one of Surrey’s England internationals, Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley or Danni Wyatt-Hodge. But we are going to concentrate on emerging seamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay, the 21-year-old who has played all formats for England since debuting last September.
MacDonald-Gay has played five times for England and is definitely one for the future.
She takes the new ball, bowls with good pace and attacks the stumps.
The Kent-born quick has taken five wickets in three Metro Bank appearances so far in 2025, including a best of 3-38 in victory over Durham.
How’s Stat!
Seamer Kate Cross has taken 187 senior competitive wickets for all Lancashire teams, including the Red Rose women, Thunder and Lancashire Thunder.
That tally includes 94 List A wickets for Lancashire’s women, dating back to her debut in mid-2005. The 33-year-old is set for her 89th appearance for the Red Rose in that format.