Northern Diamonds fall short in Trophy final

At the halfway stage of an entertaining game at Edgbaston, the Diamonds – representing Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland – looked a good bet to win the 50-over competition.

They had dismissed the Vipers for 231 off the penultimate ball of their innings after Lauren Winfield-Hill put them into bat, recovering well after Vipers had threatened to run amok only to plunge from 150-1 to 191-8.

Katie Levick (3-49) and fellow leg-spinner Hollie Armitage (2-33) led Diamonds’ fightback after Georgia Adams, the Vipers’ captain and daughter of the former England batsman Chris Adams, top-scored with 80.

But after reaching 74-1 in reply inside 15 overs, the Diamonds suffered a similar collapse, tumbling to 110-7 in the face of some excellent bowling from spinner Charlotte Taylor.

Sterre Kalis, the Dutch international, completed the ultimate competition of two halves by recording her third successive half-century after three successive ducks, but her 55 was in vain as Taylor’s 6-34 proved decisive, Vipers prevailing with 7.4 overs to spare to spark joyous celebrations in the Birmingham sunshine.

Those celebrations had seemed a formality after Adams had given her side a flying start on a bitterly cold morning.

The 26-year-old had said that she would have batted anyway, describing it as “a good toss to lose” after Winfield-Hill chose to exploit any early assistance on an excellent pitch.

That pitch, in fact, was a bit of a road, as though a section of the nearby M6 had been dug up and deposited in the centre of the square.

Not that Adams required any such help.

The tournament’s leading run-scorer going into the final, after innings of 37, 55, 44, 89, 154* and 41, her 80 here – made from 102 balls with 11 fours – left her with an aggregate of 500 exactly.

Adams and Ella McCaughan set the tone with an opening stand of 100 in 24 overs, that stand finishing when McCaughan reached for a wide one from left-arm spinner Linsey Smith and was caught behind by keeper Bess Heath.

Adams then added 50 for the second-wicket with Maia Bouchier only for the latter’s departure – pulling a rank long-hop from Armitage to mid-on – to spark the collapse.

Levick, whose first four overs went for 39, battled back valiantly as she had Charlie Dean lbw sweeping before Armitage got Paige Scholfield chipping to mid-wicket.

Levick captured the key wicket of Adams, well-held on the mid-wicket boundary by Armitage, and then pinned Carla Rudd sweeping as she took 3-10 in her final four overs.

After Tara Norris was run out, there was a deserved wicket for Beth Langston, who had Alice Monaghan caught behind.

Sharp fielding from Kalis ran out Emily Windsor (37) with a direct hit from mid-on, Armitage rounding things off when Taylor picked out deep mid-wicket.

Northern Diamonds looked to have things under control only for their reply to be undone by some poor dismissals.

Winfield-Hill, released from England duty to play in the match, saw her good work ruined when she popped a ball into the hands of cover.

A similarly promising contribution from Armitage ended when she picked out point before the middle-order simply fell away.

Ami Campbell was run out. Alex MacDonald struck her own stumps. Jenny Gunn was lbw sweeping. Heath slapped a full toss to deep mid-wicket and Smith was trapped on the crease (110-7).

Kalis and Langston added 49 to raise Diamonds’ hopes, but Langston was also lbw sweeping and when Kalis was ninth out, caught at mid-on, the game was up.

Fittingly, Adams took the last wicket, Phoebe Graham skying to mid-wicket.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson