Match Preview: Lancashire Women v The Blaze, Metro Bank One Day Cup Women
Lancashire v The Blaze
Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Women
Wednesday June 17, 2026, 10.30am
Blackpool CC, Stanley Park
Squad to face The Blaze:
There is no doubt that 2026 hasn’t gone the way Lancashire would have wanted it to so far. But there has been an obvious positive with the consistent form of emerging fast bowler Grace Potts.
The 23-year-old from Staffordshire is in her second season at Emirates Old Trafford having signed from the old regional Central Sparks team, and she’s very much in the England reckoning.
Potts had a disruptive first season with the Red Rose last year, with a heel injury playing its part. But she ended the campaign brilliantly with three wickets in both the Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-final and final.
This season, Potts has played 15 matches for Lancashire in both the One-Day Cup and Vitality Blast, taking 21 wickets combined. She has failed to strike in only one of those matches and has a Blast best of 5-20 to her name.
That came in a defeat against The Blaze at Trent Bridge last Sunday, and they are Lancashire’s next opponents in the One-Day Cup at Blackpool on Wednesday (10.30am).
Potts will be available for that game as the champions bid for their third win in 10 games before linking up with England A for a limited overs series against their Indian counterparts beginning on Saturday.
Lancashire captain Ellie Threlkeld said: “Pottsy has been been our strike bowler, and every time she's come on she's done exactly what we’ve spoken about and exactly what’s been asked of her in that situation.
“She’s been very threatening, and - to be honest - I’m surprised she’s not taking more wickets for us.
“She’s been really economical, and there are loads of times when I’ve been thinking, ‘You should have walked off with a four-for there, you’ve been pretty unlucky’.”
Threlkeld continued: “I think we're only sort of seeing seeing the start of what she can do, which is really really exciting for us.
“Pottsy is hopefully going to lead our seam attack for future years, and it’s definitely been a great signing for us. She’s a great girl and is so level and calm under pressure.”
Potts’ calmness under pressure was shown in the aforementioned semi-final against The Blaze last September and then the final against Hampshire.
“The thing I love about her is she can bowl at any stage of the game,” added Threlkeld. “She could easily take the new ball, she could bowl in the middle overs and bowl at the death as well. As a captain, it’s so important to have players like that who are versatile and do any job.
“She can be economical but take wickets as well.
“I’ve spoken before about how important our batters were last season in winning us a lot of games, but I think what was overlooked a little bit at times was how good our bowling unit was. I've felt for them a little bit this year in terms of us batters probably aren't giving them enough chances to win us games.”
This is, unfortunately, a clash between two teams who sit bottom and top of the group table respectively.
The Blaze are top of the tree with eight wins from nine so far. One of those successes came against Lancashire at Trent Bridge in April. It was their first game of the summer and the Red Rose county’s second.
While Lancashire were beaten by Warwickshire at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground on Saturday, The Blaze beat Surrey at Beckenham.
They are currently being captained by opening batter Marie Kelly while regular skipper Kirstie Gordon is playing for Scotland at the T20 World Cup.
They have Australian batting all-rounder Charli Knott in their ranks as an overseas player.
New-ball seamer Charley Phillips is the joint leading wicket-taker in the One-Day Cup with 18. Phillips and another Blaze seamer Grace Ballinger are both in the forthcoming England A squad alongside Potts.
The Blaze are also missing key duo, the Bryce sisters - Kathryn and Sarah. They are also with Scotland alongside Lancashire trio Liv Bell, Darcey Carter and Ailsa Lister.
Opposition player to watch
Emerging left-arm spinner Maria Andrews is set for a pretty important few weeks in her career.
With Kirstie Gordon away on Scotland duty at the T20 World Cup, the chances are that the England Under 19s twirler may get an extended run of matches for The Blaze. And she impressed on Saturday in their win over Surrey at Beckenham with 3-40.
Andrews has played Tier 2 cricket for Derbyshire already this summer and is a product of age-groups.
She has played five List A matches for both Derbyshire and The Blaze and has taken 11 wickets in five appearances. She also had a T20 five-for to her name.
Previous meeting
The Blaze beat Lancashire by six runs on DLS at Trent Bridge in mid-April - the Red Rose county’s second game of the 2026 summer.
It was actually The Blaze’s first game of the campaign, and they gained revenge for last season’s semi-final defeat at the same venue.
Lancashire, inserted, were bowled out for 223 inside 49 overs, despite Emma Lamb’s composed 77 off 98 balls. New-ball left-arm seamer Grace Ballinger claimed three wickets for the hosts.
The Blaze had then made it to 91-3 in the 21st over when rain interrupted things with the game in the balance. A revised target of 171 in 32 overs was set before more rain forced the umpires to call things off with hosts at 148-5 in the 29th.
Unfortunately for Lancashire, The Blaze were ahead on DLS.
Opener Marie Kelly top-scored with a measured 44 and Irish overseas all-rounder Orla Prendergast added a more dynamic and crucial 40.
Tara Norris, Hannah Jones, Grace Potts and Lamb all struck once apiece for the Red Rose.
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