Northern Diamonds v Southern Vipers June 2nd

Neil Whitaker reports

THIRD place Southern Vipers kept their hopes of a place in finals day on Saturday alive with a 16 run victory over second Northern Diamonds at Headingley.


Anya Shrubsole was the standout bowler for the Vipers  with four wickets for 18 in her four overs.  Shrubsole's first victim was opener Lauren Winfield-Hill who she bowled through the gate. Four balls later Lauren Dobson drove Shrubsole to Ella McCaughan at mid off. Shrubsole got her third wicket Diamonds skipper Hollie Armitage cue ended a drive to Georgia  Elwiss at extra cover. She was  taken out of the attack only  to return in the 16th over and got rid of top scorer Sterre Kalis, who hit 62, when she drove her in the air to  Vipers captain Georgia Adams at mid off.



After losing those early three  wickets the Northern Diamonds needed a big partnership to get them back on track.  Their biggest partnership was for the fifth wicket when Kalis added 53 in eight overs with Chloe Tryon. Tryon went  down the pitch to Adams and used the long handle for a six which brought up the 50 partnership off 43 balls. The partnership was broken off the next ball when Tryon tried repeating the shot this time of Ekwiss and found Lynsey Smith at extra cover.  Two balls later Kathryn Fraser chipped Elwiss to Freya Kemp at mid wicket.


Earlier stumper  Bess Heath. was the first to give the Northern Diamonds hope.  She proved Shrubsole was not superhuman by pulling her for consecutive sixes  over mid wicket, which quick started the Diamonds chase.  In the next over she hit Mary Taylor for consecutive fours before hitting her for a big six but the bowler had her revenge at the end of the over when Heath had a big swing and was leg before.


Apart from Abigail Glen, who was unbeaten on 13,the other Northern Diamonds batters failed to reach double figures. With 22 needed of the last over Levick had a big swing at Taylor, missed the ball and set off for a single.  Stumper  Nichole Faltum had time  to walk up to the stumps before throwing them down.



After winning the toss and deciding to bat the Vilers lost two early wickets and were soon in trouble at 14 for two in the second over.   Southern Vipers skipper Adams hit her best score of the season so far with an unbeaten 42 as the Vipers reached 144 for six in their 20 overs.


She   featured in  their two biggest stands.  The first for the sixth wicket with Emily  Windsor produced 43 runs in seven overs. Adams and Windsor came together when the Vipers were struggling on 49 for five in the ninth over.The partnership was broken when Windsor went down the pitch to Levick missed the ball and was bowled for 25.



The second was an unbroken seventh partnership of 52 in four overs with Nancy  Harman.  Harman finished the Vipers innings in style when she hit Glen for a straight six to give the Vipers something to defend.

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