Women's One-Day Cup (England) 2026/27

The **Women's One-Day Cup** stands as the premier 50-over domestic competition for women in England and Wales. Organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), it operates at the top tier (Tier 1) of the English women's domestic pyramid. The competition was originally established in 1997 as the Women's County Championship, with Yorkshire Women securing the inaugural title. A significant shift occurred between 2020 and 2024 when the top-tier 50-over event was known as the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. This period featured eight regional franchises, such as Southern Vipers, rather than traditional county sides. In 2025, the ECB realigned the women's game to mirror the men's structure, dissolving the regional franchises and restoring traditional county teams as the primary professional entities. Consequently, the Women's One-Day Cup reverted to a county-based format for Tier 1 teams. The current structure involves nine Tier 1 teams, including the eight traditional counties and The Blaze, which represents the Midlands. Yorkshire Women joined the top tier for the 2026 season. Teams play a single round-robin group stage where each pair contests two matches, home and away. The top four teams advance to the knockout stage. This phase begins with a play-off between the third and fourth-placed teams, leading to a final. The championship match is typically held at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton. Unlike the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, which featured multi-county regional franchises, the One-Day Cup features traditional county clubs. There is currently no promotion or relegation between tiers for the 2025–2028 cycle, with movement determined by ECB invitation. Promotion and relegation are scheduled to resume in 2029. The competition is currently sponsored by Metro Bank, following previous partnerships with NatWest and Royal London.

While Kent Women were the most successful team in the pre-2020 era with eight titles, Lancashire Women have won the title twice since the 2025 revival of the county format. Glamorgan Women claimed the 2024 edition during the transition period. The distinction remains clear: this competition focuses on traditional county representation, contrasting with the regional franchise model of its counterpart.