# 2026 Women's One-Day Cup
The 2026 [Women's One-Day Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/womens-one-day-cup), played as the Metro Bank One Day Cup women's competition, was the second edition of the England and Wales Cricket Board's List A (50-over) tournament for women's county cricket, running from 11 April to 19 September 2026 and won by [The Blaze](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-blaze), who beat [Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/hampshire) in the final at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) • [2](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women) • [3](https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/13476072/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-fixtures-and-dates-for-2026-competition)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | Second; the first was won by Lancashire in 2025[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) |
| Format | List A (50 overs), group stage and knockout[2](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women) |
| Teams | Nine Tier 1 teams, plus nine in the parallel League Two[2](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women) |
| Season dates | 11 April to 19 September 2026; semi-final on 16 September[3](https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/13476072/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-fixtures-and-dates-for-2026-competition) • [4](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4408104/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-fixtures-2026) |
| Final | The Blaze beat Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl, Southampton, 19 September 2026[2](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women) |
| Defending champions | Lancashire, captained by Ellie Threlkeld, coached by Chris Read[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) |
| Newcomer | Yorkshire, promoted to Tier 1 for the first time[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) |
## Format and teams
The competition ran in parallel tiers. Nine professional Tier 1 county teams played a group stage followed by knockouts, and a second division of nine teams, the One Day Cup Women's League 2, played its own schedule with a semi-final on 13 September and a final on 20 September.[2](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women) • [4](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4408104/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-fixtures-2026) The ECB designates the League 2 competition, alongside the T20 Blast Women's League 2, as a Tier 2 women's domestic competition.[5](https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2026/03/24/825994b6-bdb8-46ed-b424-ae0dd3a4ca35/Tier-1-Registration-Regulations-2026.pdf)
The 2026 edition expanded to nine Tier 1 teams for the first time after Yorkshire's elevation, and each side played a 16-match schedule.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) • [6](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-durham-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) The leading teams qualified for the knockout stage: one [Yorkshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/yorkshire) preview states the top three qualified, while an earlier one describes the semi-final qualifying places as the top four.[7](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-warwickshire-bears-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) • [8](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-hampshire-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
The Tier 1 line-up comprised Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Warwickshire, and Yorkshire. Captains included Hollie Armitage (Durham), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Georgia Adams (Hampshire), Ellie Threlkeld ([Lancashire](https://www.edgepedia.org/lancashire)), Sophie Luff (Somerset), Kira Chathli (Surrey), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), and Lauren Winfield-Hill (Yorkshire).[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026)
## Season overview
**Lancashire's title defense.** Lancashire entered as holders of both the One Day Cup and the Vitality T20 County Cup from 2025, and opened with a win at Durham on 11 April, totalling 303 for 8 against a Durham side defending a 304 target in 48 overs; Ireland captain Gaby Lewis, returning as the overseas player, made 131 after a 176-run second-wicket stand with Eve Jones.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) • [9](https://cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/news/2026-news/match-preview-the-blaze-v-lancashire-women-womens-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) Emma Lamb, the leading run-scorer of the 2025 tournament with 794 runs, headed the attack that day with 4 for 29 from eight overs of off-spin.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) • [9](https://cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/news/2026-news/match-preview-the-blaze-v-lancashire-women-womens-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) In September, Lancashire carried a five-game winning streak into the last two rounds, sitting within a point of third place with games against Somerset and Yorkshire remaining.[10](https://cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/news/2026-news/match-preview-somerset-vs-lancashire-womens-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
**Yorkshire's first Tier 1 season.** Yorkshire arrived in the top tier a year later than planned, under head coach Rich Pyrah and captain Lauren Winfield-Hill.[11](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/somerset-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup-preview/) Their season included two wins over Lancashire, one at Emirates Old Trafford in April, and a victory over The Blaze, but also narrow losses, including a tie against Durham at [Scarborough](https://www.edgepedia.org/scarborough) in which they failed to score one off the last ball.[8](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-hampshire-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) • [12](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-somerset-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) In mid-August they sat eighth of nine teams, eight points adrift of third-placed Durham with a maximum of 30 points still available, and were out of knockout contention by early September after a five-run defeat to Somerset at Headingley, where, chasing 131, they collapsed from 121 for 5 to 125 all out.[7](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-warwickshire-bears-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) • [13](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-hampshire-hawks-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) Overseas all-rounder Jess Jonassen, the Australia international signed on a two-year arrangement, was a distinctive presence in the competition.[14](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-the-blaze-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
**Hampshire and The Blaze.** Hampshire, runners-up in 2025 after topping the group stage, again started strongly with four wins from their first six games.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) • [8](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-hampshire-metro-bank-one-day-cup/) The Blaze, second in 2025 but losers of all three semi-finals they reached that year across competitions, were widely tipped to convert their squad depth in 2026, with Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast returning for a third spell and Australian Charli Knott available for fixtures that overlapped the T20 World Cup.[1](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026) The prediction held: The Blaze reached the final and beat Hampshire there on 19 September to take their first title in the competition.[2](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women)
## Final and honors
The final was played at the Utilita Bowl in [Southampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/southampton) on Saturday 19 September 2026, as scheduled in the fixtures released in November 2025.[3](https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/13476072/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-fixtures-and-dates-for-2026-competition) • [4](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4408104/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-fixtures-2026) The Blaze defeated Hampshire, adding the 2026 title to Lancashire's 2025 win in the list of previous champions.[2](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women)
## References
1. [Preview | Metro Bank One Day Cup women's competition 2026, ECB](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4483065/preview--metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-2026)
2. [Metro Bank One Day Cup Women, ECB](https://www.ecb.co.uk/one-day-cup-women)
3. [Metro Bank One Day Cup: Women's fixtures and dates for 2026 competition, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/13476072/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-fixtures-and-dates-for-2026-competition)
4. [Metro Bank One Day Cup women's competition fixtures 2026, ECB](https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4408104/metro-bank-one-day-cup-womens-competition-fixtures-2026)
5. [Tier 1 Registration Regulations 2026, ECB](https://resources.ecb.co.uk/ecb/document/2026/03/24/825994b6-bdb8-46ed-b424-ae0dd3a4ca35/Tier-1-Registration-Regulations-2026.pdf)
6. [Preview: Durham v Yorkshire Women, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Yorkshire CCC](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-durham-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
7. [Preview: Warwickshire Bears v Yorkshire Women, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Yorkshire CCC](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-warwickshire-bears-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
8. [Preview: Yorkshire Women v Hampshire, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Yorkshire CCC](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-hampshire-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
9. [MATCH PREVIEW: The Blaze v Lancashire Women, Women's Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Lancashire Cricket](https://cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/news/2026-news/match-preview-the-blaze-v-lancashire-women-womens-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
10. [Match Preview: Somerset vs. Lancashire, Women's Metro Bank One Day Cup, Lancashire Cricket](https://cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/news/2026-news/match-preview-somerset-vs-lancashire-womens-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
11. [Somerset v Yorkshire Women, Metro Bank One-Day Cup Preview, Yorkshire CCC](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/somerset-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup-preview/)
12. [Preview: Yorkshire Women v Somerset, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Yorkshire CCC](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-somerset-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
13. [Preview: Hampshire Hawks v Yorkshire Women, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Yorkshire CCC](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-hampshire-hawks-v-yorkshire-women-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
14. [Preview: Yorkshire Women v The Blaze, Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Yorkshire CCC](https://yorkshireccc.com/news/preview-yorkshire-women-v-the-blaze-metro-bank-one-day-cup/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Cricket › Cricket competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Years in cricket*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license