Lancashire See Off Kent to Join the Group A Pack
Lancashire beat Kent by six wickets in their One-Day Cup Group A match at Preston on 28 July 2026, chasing down 224 with 13 balls to spare.
Put in to bat, Kent were bowled out for 223 in 46.5 overs. Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond top-scored with 56, but wickets fell steadily throughout the innings. Fast bowler Mitchell Stanley did the bulk of the damage for Lancashire, taking 3 for 43. (BBC Sport)
Lancashire's reply was built on partnerships. Half-century stands for the second and fourth wickets kept the chase on course. Keaton Jennings, who had already posted 64 against Surrey and 135 against Leicestershire earlier in the tournament, added a brisk 31 at the top of the order.
Marcus Harris chipped in with 47 before Rocky Flintoff, unbeaten on 41, steered the side home alongside Joseph Moores — nephew of former England coach Peter Moores. Flintoff struck the winning runs to seal a comfortable finish.
The victory was Lancashire's second in two days, following a win over Leicestershire on Sunday. That back-to-back run has lifted them onto eight points in Group A, level with Somerset, Surrey and Leicestershire. (BBC Sport)
Nottinghamshire stayed four points clear at the top of the group after beating Leicestershire at Trent Bridge on the same day, where the Foxes won the toss and chose to bat first. Notts remain the team to catch.
For Kent, it was a second defeat in three matches, leaving them second from bottom in Group A. Their previous meeting with Lancashire in this competition, at Beckenham in mid-August 2025, had gone Kent's way by 22 runs — a result the home side could not replicate on this trip north.
The One-Day Cup is a 50-over competition — each side bats a maximum of 50 six-ball overs per innings — and serves as the domestic list-A knockout tournament for England's county sides. The 2026 edition began on 21 July, with the final scheduled for 20 September at Trent Bridge. (Trent Bridge)
Lancashire's attention now turns to a home fixture against the group leaders. They are scheduled to host Notts Outlaws at Preston on Thursday, 30 July, in what shapes as an early test of their title credentials. (ECB Fixtures)
