Final masterclass sets scene for sparkling career
Olivia Thomas is a leg-spin bowling all-rounder who made the move from Lancashire last winter, initially on an Academy contract, and shone across both formats for the White Rose in 2025.
Mancunian Thomas, 21-years-old, broke through into senior cricket during the early stages of last summer and didn’t look back.
In September’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup 2 final against Glamorgan at New Road in Worcester, she shone in a commanding victory thanks to figures of 3-14 from four overs in a 20-over game.
As a result, she was named player-of-the-match, admitting: “I’ll remember this forever”.
Thomas is a skilful, attacking leg-spinner whose ability with the bat is also considerable. Last season, she batted both in the middle order and as an opener.
She came up through the Lancashire age-group system and made her senior debut for the Red Rose county in 2019 before featuring for Thunder sporadically in regional cricket between 2020 and 2023.
Thomas made the move across to the right side of the Pennines ahead of 2025 in search for greater opportunity, and it was a decision which reaped immediate rewards.
In all senior cricket for Yorkshire last summer, including friendlies, she claimed 50 wickets from 28 appearances, including a pair of four-wicket hauls. One of those was in an early-season friendly, the other in a One-Day Cup win over Derbyshire at the County Ground.
In a thumping win, she returned 4-16 from five overs in a successful defence of a 382-target. Earlier in the match, she hit an excellent 63 from number seven whilst sharing a sixth-wicket stand of 194 with centurion Ami Campbell.
It was one of two competitive fifties for her.
At the end of the campaign, Thomas signed a rookie professional contract with the White Rose and will link up with new signing, the England leg-spinning all-rounder Sarah Glenn.
What a combination those two could prove to be in the same Yorkshire team!
Feb 2026.
