Match Preview: Warwickshire vs Lancashire, Metro Bank One-Day Cup Women
Lancashire Women squad to face Warwickshire:
Ellie Threlkeld (c&wk), Danielle Collins, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Mahika Gaur, Eve Jones, Emma Lamb, Ailsa Lister, Katie Mack, Fi Morris, Sophie Morris, Tara Norris, Grace Potts, Seren Smale
In-form opener Eve Jones has already won a couple of trophies in a Lancashire shirt - and she is hungry for more.
Jones returns to her old stomping ground on Wednesday when the Red Rose county take on Warwickshire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Edgbaston (10.30am), aiming to continue their impressive start to the new summer.
The prolific left-hander spent the five-year regional era captaining Central Sparks, while she represented Warwickshire during that period as well.
Shrewsbury-born Jones previously played for Lancashire in the old county structure, also captaining them.
She was part of the team which won the T20 and one-day double in 2017, alongside current team-mates Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Emma Lamb and Ellie Threlkeld.
“I think back to when we won the double, and that was great,” said Jones.
“But I think in the professional game, it would be even more special to win a trophy. We've got three competitions this year, so there's a lot of opportunities.”
And on her move back to the North West late last summer, initially on loan ahead of signing a three-year contract at Emirates Old Trafford, she said: "It was a pretty easy decision to come back.
“I spent five years in Birmingham. But the opportunity to come back to Lancashire, I'm really enjoying it. It's felt like I've just fitted back in really nicely.”
Given Lancashire’s positive beginning to the summer, success is very realistic. They have won four from six so far in the One-Day Cup, most recently beating The Blaze at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday by four wickets chasing 223.
“The way we've started, we're really showing some good signs that we can go all the way,” continued Jones.
“The squad that's been built in the last couple of years, I feel like it’s probably underperformed from what it is on paper. But we had a great winter. There's a great bunch of girls, and the staff are top drawer as well.
“So hopefully now we can put all that together, and we’ve got a good platform now to push on from.”
Jones has been crucial to Lancashire’s excellent start to 2025, contributing 359 runs with a century and three fifties. She has formed a formidable opening partnership with Emma Lamb (405 runs).
They are the two leading run-scorers in the competition having posted partnerships of 34, 151, 185, 106, 53 and 88.
Jones, 32-years-old, has scored eight List A centuries during her 130-match senior career, and she has to be one of the best domestic players in England never to have played international cricket.
There remains, however, room for improvement in her game.
“Over the winter, I'm still working hard on my game, trying to tweak a few things here and there and add a couple of shots in,” she added. “I don't think you're ever the finished product.
“Especially that power game, and probably the T20 stuff, I'm still developing and trying to look to be as positive as I can.”
Talking of T20, Lancashire will face Glamorgan Women at Christ College, Brecon on Saturday (2.30pm) in the third round of the new Vitality County T20 Cup.
It is a six-round knockout competition billed as the FA Cup of county cricket. All three tiers in the new county structure are pitted together, with Glamorgan in Tier 2. They beat Sussex to advance on Saturday.
A traditional Finals Day will conclude the competition at Taunton on May 26.
But first, Lancashire have Warwickshire’s women to contend with in the 50-over format.
The Red Rose are third in the eight-team table on 17 points, two points behind leaders Hampshire. Warwickshire are fifth on 11 points having won two, lost three and tied one. They were beaten at Durham on Sunday.
They are captained by England A off-spinner Georgia Davis.