Lancashire have taken a strong, wide-ranging squad to the National Inter County Finals 2026, with representation in Open A, Ladies, Under 18s, Under 23s, Over 50s and Over 60s. The EPA finals structure means every county starts in the main event and, if beaten, drops into the Cup event, giving each team a second route to silverware across the weekend.
That format has already produced a memorable Lancashire story. The county’s Under 23s have won the National Inter County Cup, the Over 60s reached a Cup semi-final, and both the Ladies and Under 18s have driven deep into the main championship heading into the closing day. It has been a finals campaign built on resilience, depth and genuine quality across the Lancashire programme.
The 2026 finals schedule has been split across two venues. The Over 60s section took place first at Club 147, Leicester on 14–15 March 2026, while the remaining sections were staged at Richardson’s, Hemsby from 18–22 March 2026. The timetable confirms the same overall pattern throughout: teams begin in the main draw and then move into the Cup route if they are beaten.
Lancashire’s teams at the 2026 finals
The EPA entry list shows Lancashire qualified for six sections: Open A, Ladies, Under 18s, Under 23s, Over 50s and Over 60s. Lancashire were seeded in the Ladies and Under 23s, while they were unseeded in Open A, Under 18s, Over 50s and Over 60s. There was no Lancashire team in Open B at these finals.
That spread alone says a lot about the county’s strength. Lancashire were not relying on one standout side. Instead, the county arrived with teams competing across youth, open, ladies and senior sections, giving the Red Rose a visible presence throughout the finals week.
Under 23s lift national Cup silverware for Lancashire
Lancashire’s biggest success of the 2026 finals so far has come in the Under 23s. Their main-event campaign ended in the last 16 with a narrow 11-9 defeat to Staffordshire, but the response was outstanding. Dropping into the Cup, Lancashire beat West Yorkshire 11-5, Leicestershire 11-8, West Midlands 11-7, and then Warwickshire 11-6 in the final to be crowned 2026 Under 23s Intercounty Cup winners.
That sequence perfectly sums up what the finals format is designed to reward. Lancashire took the disappointment of a main-event exit and turned it into a day of composure, belief and momentum. Four straight wins in the Cup bracket is no fluke; it is the mark of a squad with strong character and real depth.
For Lancashire, this is already one of the headline moments of the 2026 National Inter County Finals. Silverware is silverware, and the Under 23s have made sure the county will return home with a national title.
Ladies still in the hunt for the main national title
The Lancashire Ladies have produced one of the strongest main-event runs of the weekend. They opened with a 23-15 victory over Warwickshire in the last 16, then edged a tense quarter-final 23-21 against Cheshire to book a semi-final meeting with Nottinghamshire on Sunday 22 March. The EPA results page was last updated at 19:31 on 21 March 2026, meaning Lancashire remained alive in the title race at that point.
This has been a composed and impressive run. The Warwickshire win gave Lancashire a solid platform, but the Cheshire result was the one that really underlined the side’s nerve. Close knockout ties often turn on one or two key moments, and Lancashire found the extra frames they needed to keep the championship dream alive.
Because Lancashire kept winning in the main draw, the Ladies never had to switch focus to the Cup. That is exactly the position every county wants to be in at finals weekend: still standing in the biggest bracket, still chasing the biggest prize.
Under 18s produce an excellent main-event run
Lancashire’s Under 18s have also had a superb weekend in the championship bracket. They started with a 19-16 win over Cornwall A, then followed it with a 19-10 quarter-final victory over Lincolnshire to reach the main-event semi-finals, where they were due to face Bedfordshire on Sunday 22 March. Like the Ladies page, the Under 18s results page was last updated at 19:31 on 21 March 2026.
This is a particularly strong effort because Lancashire entered the Under 18s as an unseeded team. That usually means a harder path, but the young Red Rose side have handled it brilliantly, taking down quality opposition and earning a place in the last four.
There is something especially encouraging about seeing Lancashire’s younger section thrive on a national stage. Strong youth performances are about more than one weekend; they are often a sign of a healthy county structure and a promising future pipeline.
Open A left to reflect on two close defeats
Lancashire’s Open A side were given a difficult start in the main event and fell to a single-frame defeat, losing 24-23 to Berkshire in the last 16. In keeping with the EPA finals format, that defeat moved Lancashire into the Cup first round, where they then lost 23-20 to Shropshire.
The scorelines show how fine the margins were. One frame separated Lancashire from a place in the main-event quarter-finals, and even in the Cup the county remained firmly in contention. On another day, those matches could easily have swung the other way.
Even though Open A did not progress as far as hoped, this was not a campaign defined by heavy defeats. It was a campaign shaped by narrow losses against strong opposition, and that will make the result all the more frustrating for everyone connected with the side.
Over 50s beat seeded Essex before Cup exit
Lancashire’s Over 50s showed real quality early in Hemsby by defeating seeded Essex 23-21 in the last 16 of the main event. That was one of Lancashire’s most eye-catching wins of the week. The reward was a quarter-final against Worcestershire, but Lancashire were then beaten 23-15 and moved into the Cup quarter-finals, where they lost a close match 23-21 to Staffordshire.
That run may not have ended with silverware, but it still contained a notable statement result. Beating a seeded Essex team showed that Lancashire had both the quality and the belief to trouble any county in the section.
The Cup defeat to Staffordshire was another reminder of how tight these national finals can be. Lancashire were right in the tie and only just fell short of extending their weekend.
Over 60s set the tone with a Cup semi-final run
The Over 60s were first into action for Lancashire, playing their finals weekend in Leicester on 14–15 March. They opened superbly with a 7-4 win over Derbyshire in the main event, before losing 7-2 to West Midlands in the quarter-finals. That dropped Lancashire into the Cup, where they beat Kent 7-4 in the quarter-finals before losing 7-4 to Staffordshire in the semi-finals.
That Cup semi-final run gave Lancashire an early foothold in the finals narrative. It showed the county could compete, recover and keep progressing once the secondary bracket came into play.
Just as importantly, the Over 60s delivered two match wins across the weekend and came within one result of a national final. For the first Lancashire side on the table at the 2026 finals, that was a strong way to start the county’s campaign.
What Lancashire’s 2026 finals campaign says overall
Taken together, Lancashire’s performance at the National Inter County Finals 2026 has already been one of real substance. The county has produced a national Cup-winning team in the Under 23s, a Cup semi-finalist in the Over 60s, a strong seeded-title push in the Ladies, a highly encouraging championship run in the Under 18s, and competitive performances in both Open A and Over 50s.
This is what a healthy county setup looks like: multiple teams qualifying, multiple teams winning on the national stage, and several sections still making an impact deep into the weekend. Lancashire have not simply turned up at the finals; they have shaped the story of them.
Thank you to Lancashire County Pool’s sponsors and trusted partners
Lancashire’s performances at national level are backed by support away from the table too. The support of our Sponsors & Trusted Partners is a great help Lancashire County Pool which currently include Depotnet, inTEC Telecom, UK Pool Hub, Sovereign Snooker Services, and our venue KC’s among the featured partners supporting the county in 2026.
That support matters. County pool depends on strong venues, trusted partners, visibility, practical backing and people willing to invest in the game. Lancashire’s run across the National Inter County Finals 2026 is not only a credit to the players, captains and organisers, but also to the sponsors and partners helping make that journey possible.
As Lancashire continue to push for success on the final day, there is already plenty for the county to be proud of. The Red Rose has competed hard, won big matches, claimed silverware and remained a major presence throughout the 2026 National Inter County Finals.