MATCH PREVIEW: Lancashire v Yorkshire, Women's Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Squad News
Gaby Lewis has returned to Ireland due to injury and won't play any further part in the opening block of Metro Bank One-Day Cup fixtures. We wish Gaby a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming her back later in the summer.
Sophie Ecclestone and Emma Lamb have both been withdrawn by the ECB due to minor injuries.
Lancashire v Yorkshire
Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Saturday April 25, 2026, 10.30am
Emirates Old Trafford
“I've got full belief in the talent in the dressing room that we can go out and go on a run of wins now.”
Lancashire captain Ellie Threlkeld has her frustrations at the mixed start her side have made to this season’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup. But the faith she has in her trophy winners is as strong as ever.
The Red Rose currently sit with a win and two defeats from their first three 50-over matches of the summer, the skipper summing up defeats to The Blaze away and Somerset at Southport last Wednesday and Sunday with the phrase, “Fine margins”.
Now, comes a blockbuster clash with which to bounce back.
On Saturday, the champions welcome Yorkshire to Emirates Old Trafford, starting at 10.30am, for the first ever Roses clash in the professional era of women’s cricket.
You hear it so often across a variety of sports that players, coaches and pundits describe such games as good ones to have when trying to recover from a defeat or two. Does wicketkeeper-batter Threlkeld subscribe to that theory?
“Yeah, absolutely,” she said. “But whoever we’d get next, it’s a really competitive competition. We’re trying to defend our title, and every game is a big game.
“It does have a special feel to it, though, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always going to be a big game against them.”
Just to look back before we look forwards, Lancashire haven’t been at their best during the second half of their batting innings, especially in the last two games which they’ve lost.
Against The Blaze at Trent Bridge last Wednesday, they were 176-3 in the 37th over and were bowled out for 223 in the 49th. Against Somerset at Southport on Sunday, they were 178-3 in the 40th and finished with 259-8.
Even against Durham in the game they won having posted 303-8 from 48 overs, they could have got more having been 211-1 in the 36th over.
“Look, we've said the first three games we've played, we've probably set the game up pretty well and not done as well as we'd have liked in the last 10 overs,” said Threlkeld.
“Myself, I’m a big part of that, losing wickets at bad times, really. We want a set batter in in that last 10 overs to make the most of it.
“We're doing a lot right in the build-up to that, and hopefully players can get in and go big and get really big scores.”
Lancashire and Yorkshire sit fifth and sixth in the nine-team table with five points apiece having each won one and lost two. The Red Rose county are ahead courtesy of a superior net run-rate.
Yorkshire, though, will surely be the happier of the two counties given this is their first season in Tier 1.
They are an emerging side with quality but one which lacks the depth of some other counties, including Lancashire.
Former England wicketkeeper-batter Lauren Winfield-Hill, who has scored two fifties in three matches, is their captain. Former men’s all-rounder Rich Pyrah is their coach.
Australian all-rounder Jess Jonassen is representing the White Rose as overseas, and she was at the heart of Saturday’s win over The Blaze at Headingley with a half-century and four wickets.
England leg-spinning all-rounder Sarah Glenn is yet to debut for Yorkshire having suffered a broken finger during the latter stages of the winter. She had signed on across the Pennines from The Blaze.
This is a clash between the two counties who triumphed in 50-over cricket last season. While Lancashire triumphed in Tier 1, Yorkshire did likewise in Tier 2.
The Headingley county had their arrival in Tier 1 delayed by a year following the ECB’s decision to hand Durham that privilege ahead of them prior to 2025. Glamorgan will follow them for 2027.
“It’s definitely good to have Yorkshire in Tier 1,” said Threlkeld. “The rivalry, Lancashire versus Yorkshire, is one that’s always existed, it’s got a lot of history behind it. And it’s really exciting that it’s existing now.”
Asked what Lancashire learnt from playing against Yorkshire in pre-season, Threlkeld added: “Ultimately, yes they're new into Tier 1, but they've got some dangerous players and can be a dangerous side.
“It's about taking nothing for granted and focusing on ourselves and what we do well.
“We’ll do some analysis on them and also reflect on the games we've had so far, look at what we've done well but also what we need to improve on to get over the line in that game.”
Opposition player to watch
Australian all-rounder Jess Jonassen is Yorkshire’s all-format overseas player for this season and next, and she has made an impressive start.
The Queenslander, aged 33, played a handful of matches for Lancashire Thunder in the 2017 Kia Super League.
She has played 204 times across the formats for Australia but has not graced the international arena since the back end of 2023.
Jonassen has been signed to add skill and experience to an emerging Yorkshire side and was the standout player in their victory over The Blaze at Headingley on Saturday just gone with 67 and 4-18.
She is batting at three in their order and bowls potent left-arm spinners.
Previous meeting
There hasn't been a competitive fixture played between these two counties in the professional era, although they have met three times already in friendly matches in 2026.
Two of those came on pre-season tour in South Africa last month and the other at Moorlands Cricket Club on the outskirts of Huddersfield at the start of this.
Lancashire won all three of those matches.
This is the first of four scheduled meetings between the two counties in both the One-Day Cup and the Vitality Blast this summer.
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