Kate Cross brought the curtain down on her Lancashire career with an emotional reflection after her side’s seven-wicket victory over Yorkshire at Headingley, Leeds, in the 71st match of the 2026 ECB Women’s One Day Cup on September 12. The experienced 34-year-old pacer returned figures of 2 for 54 from nine overs in her final appearance for the Red Rose, dismissing Rebecca Duckworth and Ami Campbell, before Lancashire chased down 211 to end their campaign on a winning note.
Kate Cross’s final Lancashire outing carried significance beyond the result. Having announced her decision to retire from all forms of professional cricket after the conclusion of the domestic season in late August, the England international used Instagram to reflect on a career that exceeded even the dreams she never knew she possessed. “Hard to put all the emotion into words, but Saturday was all of them, all at once about ten times over,” Cross wrote.
The right-arm seamer dismissed Duckworth for six from 27 balls before removing Campbell, who made 26 off 14 deliveries. Lancashire, led by Eleanor Threlkeld, finished fourth in the competition with 35 points from 16 matches, recording eight wins and eight defeats. Kate Cross was their leading wicket-taker, claiming 27 wickets at an average of 23.25 and an economy rate of 4.58. Her campaign also included two four-wicket hauls, underlining the consistency that has defined her domestic career.
“Playing cricket professionally was never something I aspired to do because it didn’t exist when I was a kid,” Cross wrote. “To have fulfilled a dream I didn’t know I had for the best part of 12 years has been everything and more.” Her farewell also carried a strong family sentiment. Cross thanked her coaches, teammates, support staff, fans and commentary teams, while reserving her most heartfelt appreciation for her parents and family members. “But the biggest thank you has to go to my family,” she said. “To mum, dad, Jenny and Bobby, who have seen the very best of times as well as the very worst of times and held me up every single time.”
The Headingley setting added another layer to the occasion. Cross thanked Lauren Winfield-Hill and Yorkshire for making her final game special, admitting that the venue had become her “home away from home” during the previous four years. She also paid tribute to Fi Morris, congratulating her on a distinguished career and celebrating the bond formed during their time with Lancashire.
Cross’s final domestic season also included the Women’s Hundred, where she represented Sunrisers Leeds under Danielle Gibson. Sunrisers finished second in the league stage with 20 points from eight matches, winning five and losing three, before ending as runners-up after an eight-wicket defeat against Ashleigh Gardner’s Trent Rockets in the final at Lord’s on August 16. Cross claimed four wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 9.40.
Since making her international debut in 2013, Kate Cross has taken 14 wickets in 18 T20Is, 101 wickets in 76 ODIs and 25 wickets in eight Tests. She also collected 54 wickets in 49 Women’s Hundred matches and 15 wickets in 28 WBBL games. “As I sit and reflect, I just feel so much pride and gratitude for everything cricket has thrown at me and for how much it has given me,” Cross wrote. Her final words, “cheers to the wobble”, offered a characteristically warm and personal sign-off to an era built on resilience, loyalty and an enduring love for the game.
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