Meg Lanning signs for Lancashire in Women's T20 Blast

Meg Lanning, Australia's former captain, has joined Lancashire for this summer's Women's Vitality Blast. Lanning, who was 33 years old when she retired from international cricket in 2023, was the most decorated male or female captain in the history of the International Cricket Council (ICC). She had led Australia to five of her seven World Cup titles. For Australia, she scored more than 8,000 runs, including 4,602 runs at 53.51 in 103 WODIs and 3,405 runs in T20Is. Domestically, she has represented Victoria and Melbourne Stars in Australia, captained the Stars and Delhi Capitals in franchise competitions, and has also captained UP Warriorz in the Women's Premier League. She will continue her time at Old Trafford this summer by competing in the Women's Hundred for the Manchester Super Giants. According to Lanning, "I'm really excited to be joining Lancashire Thunder for the 2026 Vitality Blast." "Lancashire is clearly committed to being at the forefront of the women's game's rapid growth in England. "It would be great to be a part of replicating that in the Vitality Blast this year, as the team won silverware in the 50-over and T20 cup competitions last season. "In a few months, I'm looking forward to arriving at Emirates Old Trafford to contribute on the field, share experiences with the group, and assist the team in that push for success," I said. David Thorley, Director of Women's Cricket, added: "This is a hugely significant signing for Lancashire Thunder, and for the county game as a whole. "Meg is one of the most influential leaders the women's game has ever seen, in addition to being one of the best batters of her generation. She has a proven track record as captain of Australia, and her presence will have an immediate and lasting impact on our team and the Club. "Signings like this send a clear message about where we want to go as a Club. We are thrilled to have Meg join Lancashire Cricket and can't wait to see her perform this summer at Emirates Old Trafford."