Having won the second division title in 2005, for the 2006 season Lancashire were playing in the first division of the County Championship. A successful first season for Suttonin which he broke the record for highest score by a Lancashire 'keeper and had a batting average of 61meant that Cross spent most of 2006 playing for the Second XI. However, he was given a chance in the first team when Luke Sutton broke his thumb in July. Cross played three Championship matches before Sutton returned, managing half-centuries against Kent and Sussex. This was the season that Cross made his Twenty20 (T20) debut; he played eight matches for Lancashire, scoring 61 runs at an average of 8.71 with a highest score of 36. Lancashire were runners-up in the Championship and C&G Trophy, although went out in the first round of the T20 Cup.