Kate Cross announces retirement from professional cricket at end of 2026 season

Kate Cross has confirmed she will retire from professional cricket at the end of the 2026 county season, bringing to a close a career that has spanned more than two decades at the highest level. The Lancashire and England seamer is 34 years old and made the announcement on August 21, 2026.

At 13, Cross stepped out for Lancashire for the first time in 2005, going on to become the first woman admitted to the Lancashire Academy in 2006. Her England debut followed in October 2013, and she went on to earn 102 international caps across all three formats, taking 140 wickets for her country.

Across all Red Rose teams, Cross has claimed 239 wickets for Lancashire. By 2024, she had surpassed 400 career wickets across First-Class, List A and T20 cricket, a milestone that reflected the sustained quality she brought to the game throughout her career.

"When I look back on my career, I feel nothing but pride and gratitude. To go from playing junior cricket at Heywood to pulling on a Lancashire shirt, and then an England shirt, has been beyond anything I dreamed of as a kid," Cross said as quoted by Lancashire.

Cross established herself as one of the most consistent seamers in English women's cricket. Her Test debut in Perth in early 2014 produced match figures of 6-70, contributing to an England victory in the Ashes. That same year, the ECB awarded her its first central contract for a women's cricketer, a landmark in the development of the professional women's game in England.

By 2025, she had become the eighth player to reach 100 ODI wickets for England, placing her among the most prolific wicket-takers in the history of the women's game in this country. The ICC rankings in 2024 placed her second among ODI bowlers worldwide.

At county level, Cross was part of the Lancashire side that claimed the T20 Blast and the One-Day Cup double in 2025. She also featured for Northern Superchargers, currently called as Sunrisers Leeds, who won The Hundred title that same year.

"I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support throughout my career, and every teammate, past and present, who I've shared a dressing room with. I've certainly had plenty of highs and lows throughout my career and they’ve always been there for me. Thank you to the coaches and backroom staff who have worked with me and helped me improve every step of the way, and to the Lancashire and England supporters who have got behind me and the team throughout my career," said Cross.

In September 2024, Cross led England as captain for the senior white-ball series against Ireland, a role that reflected her standing within the squad. However, her England central contract was not renewed at the end of the 2024 summer, and she was not included in the 2025-26 contract cycle.

She continued her professional career at county level and, in February 2026, put pen to paper on a one-year deal with Lancashire for the 2026 season.