Northern Diamonds: Katie Levick says more success on horizon after Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Lord's

The Yorkshire and Diamonds’ leg-spin star brilliantly put the icing on the cake of final victory over the Southern Vipers as she defended 13 off the final over to secure a thrilling success by two runs.

Immediately in the aftermath of the victory, stood in front of the Lord’s Grand Stand where the Diamonds were celebrating with friends and family, Levick spoke with joy and emotion about a day she will never forget.

“I’m glad this isn’t an interview on camera because I’ve done nothing but cry since we won,” she smiled.

“It’s what we’ve worked for all season, all three seasons, and in many ways for all our careers. To do it at Lord’s makes it even better. Wow!

“This is probably the best moment of my career. To get to a Lord’s final in itself is incredible. But to win it and be standing here with a medal and the trophy is just amazing.”

Earlier in the week, Levick had taken to social media to politely give an alternative description to a suggestion that the Diamonds were “serial chokers” after losing three regional finals on the trot, including two in the RHFT to the Vipers.

“I prefer the term serial silver medallists,” she tweeted.

Then, after taking 2-44 from her 10 overs to help down the Vipers, she was finally presented with her winner’s medal.

“I can’t believe this medal is silver as well. I wanted a gold one, and I’ve still not got one!” she laughed. “But, no, my family are here as well, and they’ve not always been able to get to away games. It makes it all the more special.”

Levick is a legend of the women’s domestic game in England, claiming 297 List A and T20 wickets for the Diamonds, Yorkshire and the Northern Superchargers.

So she was the ideal candidate to bowl that final over with everything on the line.

“I was thinking, ‘I’d rather have the ball in my hand’. It’s the safest place on the pitch for me,” continued the 31-year-old from Sheffield.

“I’ve bowled a lot of overs in my career, and Hollie (Armitage, captain) just said to me, ‘You’ve done this so many times, it’s no different’.

“The girls put everything on the line to get us over the line, and thankfully we did.

“Everything seems to have not quite gone our way over the years.

"It’s not as if we’ve been hammered in finals, it’s just not gone our way. They’ve all been absolutely nail-biters. But we wanted nothing more than to win a trophy and bring it back North. That definitely helped.”

Looking ahead, Levick is confident of further success.

“It’s going to be hard to beat this, but we’ll certainly try,” she added. “The North has been a sleeping giant in women’s cricket for a few years now.

“We’ve always been so close, and I’m fed up of people saying that we’re chokers. We’ve put that marker down now. No one has beaten the Vipers in 50-over cricket, and we’ve done it twice in two weeks. If that doesn’t make us a force, I don’t know what does.”