Match Preview: Lancashire v Gloucestershire, Men's Metro Bank One Day Cup
Lancashire v Gloucestershire
Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Group A
Friday August 7, 2026, 11am
Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground
It showed just how tight the race for knockout cricket is in Group A that Lancashire went into Sunday at Northamptonshire top of the table but dropped down to fourth - out of the qualifying positions - as a result of their 67-run defeat Wantage Road.
Lancashire sit fourth on 12 points from five games, a place away from the knockout qualifying positions, and they are four points behind leaders Leicestershire.
The full picture sees the Foxes lead the way on 16 points from six games, the same record as Surrey but with a better net run-rate. Nottinghamshire are third on 12 points from five, the same record Lancashire have. Again, the Outlaws have a better net run-rate.
Kent are fifth on 12 points from six games.
Lancashire are bidding for a fourth win from six games. Standing in their way are a Gloucestershire side who are bottom of the group with one win and four defeats.
Glos were beaten last time out by Warwickshire at Rugby School on Sunday, a venue Lancashire will visit this coming Sunday.
Opposition
Gloucestershire’s position at the bottom of Group A is somewhat of a surprise given they are the only county who haven’t lost any players to The Hundred competition and also because of their strong recent record in 50-over cricket.
Obviously injuries will mean they don’t have full availability, but they are better placed than a host of other counties.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out for the Bristol side, who are operating under a dual leadership in this competition in terms of their coaching staff.
Regular head coach Mark Alleyne is splitting his time between Welsh Fire men in The Hundred and Gloucestershire, while lead bowling coach Mark Thorburn has taken on a more prominent role with the county.
Captained by batting all-rounder Jack Taylor, they are fielding Australian opening batter Cameron Bancroft as an overseas player.
Former Lancashire seamer Will Williams has been taking the new ball and has struck five times in as many matches.
Lancashire’s new signing for 2027 Ben Charlesworth has not featured in this competition.
Gloucestershire were beaten semi-finalists in this competition in 2023, by eventual champions Leicestershire. Glos beat Lancashire in a quarter-final at Bristol that summer,
They were also beaten quarter-finalists last year.
Opposition player to watch
Lancashire will know plenty about batting all-rounder Ollie Price, who has been Gloucestershire’s standout player in this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
Last May, in a high-scoring County Championship draw between the two counties at Emirates Old Trafford, Price hit a superb career best 253 not out from number three in the visitors’ only innings.
Price, 25, is the young brother of Sussex’s seam-bowling all-rounder Tom.
Ollie is one of Gloucestershire’s brightest talents, if not their brightest talent full stop.
He bats in the top order and bowls useful off-spin and has previously represented England Lions.
He’s their leading run-scorer in this season’s One-Day Cup with 216 runs from five games, including a best of 122 batting at three in their most recent game against Warwickshire at Rugby School on Sunday, a defeat.
He has also taken seven wickets with his twirlers.
Previous meeting
Miles Hammond blazed his way to a superb maiden List A century as Gloucestershire beat Lancashire by eight wickets at Bristol to secure a place in the semi-finals of the 2023 Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
A late August clash saw Gloucestershire, under head coach Dale Benkenstein - he would join Lancashire ahead of 2024, reach a modest 178-target inside 25 overs thanks to a hard-hitting 109 not out from Hammond, who shared in a match-winning stand of 125 with Ollie Price for the second wicket from 21-1.
Hammond helped himself to six sixes and 11 fours in a whirlwind 85-ball knock, while Price contributed 39 in 43.
Gloucestershire's bowlers had earlier set-up a fifth consecutive win in the 50-over competition, dismissing the Lancashire for 177 in 44.3 overs. David Payne, Paul van Meekeren, Anwar Ali and Price all claimed two wickets.
Luke Wells opened with 33 before top-scorer Tom Aspinwall with a career best 47 and Tom Bailey (29) shared 75 for the eighth wicket from 90-7 to at least give the Red Rose bowlers something to work with.
What they said
Disappointment at Wantage Road, for sure, but there was one significant positive in the superb but consolatory 85 from Joe Moores in Lancashire’s pursuit of 348.
Moores, 17, came to the crease at 158-4 in the 29th over and hit 10 fours and three sixes in 58 balls as Lancashire were bowled out for 280.
It was the left-hander’s third first-team fifty - he now has one in each format - and his highest of the lot.
And Lancashire’s assistant coach Will Porterfield was full of praise for the England Under 19s international, who will actually be unavailable for the remainder of the group stage at least having been called into The Hundred by London Spirit as an injury replacement player.
The Irishman said: “It was a pretty special innings.
“It's the maturity that he shows at the crease, his decision-making is on point.
“He seems to take everything in his stride at the minute, and we’ve just got to look after him and keep trying to nurture him. But he's a fantastic talent, and he's shown it again.
“I think he's got a very bright future.
“We’ve just got to keep letting him go out there and do what he can do.”
Porterfield added: “I think across five games, we’ve played some very good cricket.
“We've been in every game, and coming down the back end, we've just got to carry that on and keep looking to improve in little areas. We're in a good space.”
How’s Stat!
Lancashire and Gloucestershire have not played a 50-over match at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground since the Benson Hedges Cup quarter-final of 1996, which Lancashire won and went on to lift the trophy that season.
The two counties have played plenty of matches since in List A cricket, but they have all been 40 or 45-over games at Emirates Old Trafford or 50-over games at Bristol.
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