Glamorgan eye One Day Cup glory against Yorkshire

Glamorgan will bid to crown a landmark season by becoming the first winners of the One Day Cup Women's League 2 on Sunday.

They face Yorkshire in the inaugural final at Worcester's New Road.

It has been a breakthrough campaign for Rachel Priest's side, who have reached the latter stages of all competitions.

After a strong run in the T20 County Cup and a semi-final finish in the T20 Blast, they now have the chance to add silverware to an already positive season.

They will travel to Worcester with confidence, having beaten Yorkshire in the 50-over competition earlier this summer.

Balancing cricket with full-time jobs

That result underlined Glamorgan's ability to compete with the best, even against sides with professional players and international experience.

Glamorgan are playing in tier two of the new professional structure in 2025 and 2026 before going fully professional in tier one from 2027.

Head coach Priest, the former New Zealand wicketkeeper, says reaching the final is a fitting reward for a squad who juggle their cricketing ambitions with careers away from the sport.

"I don't think people realise how difficult it is to balance work and cricket. I'm so thankful for how much effort they put in, and also to their families and supporters who allow them to chase their dreams," she said.

Yorkshire test awaits

Yorkshire are expected to pose a formidable challenge, but Priest insists her players are ready.

"They've got some ex-England players and some really good squad players as well," she said.

"But we want our players to be experiencing finals cricket, and whatever happens on the day will happen. For me, it's all about the experience of being there.

"I'm super-excited for the girls. They've done so much hard work and they really deserve to be there.

"Not everyone gets to play in a final or a semi-final, even in their career, so this is a really amazing opportunity."

Rachel Priest was named as Glamorgan's first women's head coach in February

Looking to the future

With professional contracts on the horizon in Wales, Priest hopes the campaign can be a springboard for the future.

She believes the performances this season will help inspire the next generation of players and also strengthen Glamorgan's ability to attract new talent.

"The girls are looking forward to that next challenge," Priest added.

"Having that carrot of professional cricket has spurred them on, and they've shown they'll work really hard to get there. We've also been fortunate to have loan players this year, which has helped us build a winning environment. Hopefully they'll go away and tell others that this is a great place to play."

For now, though, attention is firmly on Sunday's final. With the weather forecast unsettled, Priest knows adaptability will be key – but insists her players are ready for the occasion.

"It's not just any other game – it's the biggest match of some of these girls' lives," she said. "There'll be nerves, there'll be challenges, but we've prepared well and we're just excited to be there."

'Consistent and effective'

Analysis from Nick Webb, BBC Sport Wales cricket commentator.

With two years to prepare for professionalism in 2027, Glamorgan Women have hit their markers in League Two by reaching the final of the One Day Cup after a semi-final appearance in the T20 Blast.

Defeats in both formats have been few and far between for Rachel Priest's side, with victories as well as losses against principal rivals Middlesex and Yorkshire.

A rather slipshod reverse against Kent is the only serious blot, while a match-up with pro side Lancashire Thunder in the T20 Counties Cup showed what Glamorgan have to aspire to.

The top-order batters have been consistent and the spin attack effective, though more seam bowling resources must be a priority and more depth in the batting will be needed.

Glamorgan have consistently benefitted from using the maximum of three loan players from professional tier one sides in each game, with a dozen in all appearing in the daffodil shirts. They will hope to attract some of those to their ranks once they are able to offer pro contracts from June 2026.

Home crowds passed 1,000 for one of the double-headers in Cardiff but have sometimes been sparse, as Glamorgan aim to make sure that the female game is an integral and ideally successful part of the county's offering in future.

But credit must go to the current squad, most of whom are combining jobs or studies with their cricket, with an eye on making the game their living in 2027.