Match Preview: Somerset vs. Lancashire, Women's Metro Bank One Day Cup
Somerset v Lancashire
Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Women
Wednesday September 9, 2026, 10.30am
The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
Kate Cross can see similarities in the way Lancashire are playing now to the way they did this time last year to get over the line in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
Last season, they won four of their last five games, including the final and semi-final, to claim the 50-over title.
This term, they are currently on a five-game winning streak dating back to before the break for The Hundred to elevate themselves to within a point of the all-important third place for knockout cricket with two games remaining.
It’s likely they will have to win both of those games to advance - Somerset away and then Yorkshire away. The first of those is against Somerset at Taunton tomorrow, starting at 10.30am, the second on Saturday.
“I think it's pretty similar to how we were at the back end of our summer last year when we really had to fight tooth and nail for a lot of our victories,” said retiring seamer Cross.
The former England quick was talking in reference to Sunday’s come-from-behind win over Durham at Farington, with the visitors on top at 140-3 in the 32nd over chasing 169 in 38. They finished on 166-9, with Cross claiming three wickets and brilliantly defending nine off the last over.
Lancashire won by three runs - their seventh win in 14 games, and they are now on the coat-tails of Warwickshire.
“Think back to that semi-final at Nottingham (The Blaze) last year where we were pretty much out of that game and Katherine Bryce scored a hundred and then we were able to go on and win it,” said Cross.
“It's just about how much we're willing to fight, and I thought Durham was a really good example of how much we're willing to put into it. Obviously, to get a result like that is brilliant.
“We've obviously got a big game down at Somerset, but I think we're five out of five wins now in the Metro Bank.
“Momentum is really key in any kind of tournament, and it's been a long season.
“It always feels like you get to this point and you're clinging on, your body's clinging on.
“I think actually the way The Hundred fell for a lot of our Lancs girls, a lot of girls came back a bit fresher from that having probably not played as much cricket in the last month.
“It's just been a really pleasing couple of weeks to get back together as a group and get a couple of wins on the board to just give ourselves the best chance of qualifying.
“I think we were sat in seventh when we came back from The Hundred, so it was always going to be difficult.
“But wins like that (Durham) give you a lot of confidence.”
Four teams remain in the hunt for one knockout spot heading into the final four days of group action.
The top two teams, The Blaze and Hampshire, are already qualified. They can’t be caught. Then come Warwickshire in third on 32 points followed by Lancashire, Surrey and Somerset all on 31. The Red Rose have the edge courtesy of a superior net run-rate.
Surrey face Warwickshire at The Kia Oval tomorrow.
Somerset, meanwhile, were beaten by The Blaze at Trent Bridge on Sunday by six wickets as the hosts successfully chased down 193.
Captained by opening batter Sophie Luff, they are coached by former Australia international Erin Osborne.
They are currently playing without an overseas player.
Lancashire, meanwhile, are set to welcome back Gaby Lewis following the conclusion of Ireland’s white-ball series against England.
Opposition player to watch
Off-spin bowling all-rounder Chloe Skelton is having an excellent 50-over campaign thanks to 22 wickets and 235 runs. She has bests of 4-28 and 77 not out to her name.
Skelton, 25, is closing in on a personal milestone. She needs three more wickets for 100 in her List A career.
She has played county cricket for both home county Gloucestershire and obviously Somerset and was part of the Sunrisers Leeds squad for the recent Hundred competition without playing.
A talismanic figure in Somerset’s push for the knockouts, she claimed that aforementioned 4-28 against Yorkshire at Headingley last Thursday to turn around a game which was lost.
Yorkshire, chasing 131, were 121-5 and crumbled to 125 all out.
Skelton claimed three of the last four wickets, including the winning one - all bowled. She also contributed what proved a crucial 20 not out from number nine in the order to help them recover from 88-7 to 130 all out.
Previous meeting
Somerset beat Lancashire by four wickets at Southport in mid-April, chasing 260 to win with 13 balls to spare.
Half-centuries from Heather Knight 63 and Dani Gibson 60 thwarted their England team-mate Sophie Ecclestone and company.
Ellie Threlkeld and Fi Morris posted scores of 71 off 85 balls and a run-a-ball 52 respectively as Lancashire posted 259-8 from their 50 overs.
The pair shared 88 for the fourth wicket from 90-3 in the 24th over, while Alex Griffiths took the new ball and struck three times for Somerset.
In reply, Somerset had to recover from 83-3 in the 22nd over, which they did thanks to Knight and Gibson, with Ecclestone’s left-arm spin accounting for three wickets for the Red Rose, who were beaten for the second time in three games to start the season.
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