Kate Cross retires at end of 2026 season after 102 England caps

Kate Cross retires at the end of the 2026 English season, the Lancashire and England bowler confirmed on Friday. Cross is 34. She won 102 international caps and took 140 wickets after making her England debut in October 2013. She will play out the rest of the summer with Lancashire before leaving the professional game.

"This summer is going to be my last playing professional cricket," Cross wrote on her social media account. "It's incredibly hard to imagine ever saying goodbye to playing the sport that has been such a huge part of my life and shaped me into the person I am today. But the final chapter is in sight."

Cross made her senior Lancashire debut in 2005. She was 13 years old. She later became the first woman admitted to the county's academy. She has been there ever since.

Twenty-one seasons with the Red Rose

Sky Sports puts her Lancashire haul at 239 wickets in all formats across those 21 years. That spans professional and non professional teams. She signed a one year contract with Lancashire Women for the 2026 season. The deal now doubles as her farewell.

"Lancashire has been a constant throughout my career, and I'll always be incredibly proud to have represented the Red Rose," Cross said. "Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground has been my second home, and I'm proud to have been part of the growth of the women's game in recent years."

The England record

Her England career began in October 2013. It spanned all three formats. The main entries:

• 102 international caps for England
• 140 international wickets
• Best ODI figures of 6 for 30 against Ireland in 2024
• Eighth England player to reach 100 ODI wickets, against West Indies in 2025
• England captain for the white ball tour of Ireland in 2024
• Ashes retained in Australia in 2014, three months after her debut

Cross took 6 for 70 across the two innings of her debut Test at the WACA, according to the ICC. England won. Sky Sports reports she later rose to second in the ICC ODI bowling rankings. It also credits her with more than 400 career wickets across first class, List A and T20 cricket. The county and international hauls sit side by side below.

The 2025 contract decision

Cross lost her England central contract in 2025. She was dropped during the home one day series against India. The BBC reported that she had conceded 60 runs without a wicket in the opening match. England then left her out of the World Cup squad. The contract news came at an appraisal meeting at Loughborough.

"Within 45 seconds, I found out I wasn't getting my contract renewed so it all happened really quickly," she told the BBC.

Two trophies followed that same year. Cross won The Hundred with Northern Superchargers, the side now known as Sunrisers Leeds, and Lancashire took a domestic title. Sky Sports records that title as the Vitality T20 County Cup. The BBC refers to a One Day Cup win. Lancashire chair Dame Sarah Storey called the season a double.

A last summer at Emirates Old Trafford

"Retiring hasn't been an easy decision, but it feels like the right time," Cross said. "I'm excited to see what comes next, and I hope to stay involved in the game I love. Before that though, I look forward to playing out the rest of the season with Lancashire as we look to challenge for more silverware."

"Kate is a true Lancashire legend who has set the standard for those coming through and should be incredibly proud of the legacy she has created," Storey said. "Achieving a double in her penultimate season as a pro is incredibly special and a rare feat across all sport."

Cross has not named her next role. She hopes to stay in the game. Lancashire's remaining fixtures are her last as a professional.