Northern Diamonds need heroes to stand up in Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final with Southern Vipers

The Diamonds are super confident that this is their time to shine as they prepare to meet old foes Southern Vipers at Northampton’s Wantage Road (10.30am).

The Vipers are the defending champions in the RHF Trophy, having beaten the Diamonds in last season’s final at Edgbaston.

The pair have since traded blows in this season’s Charlotte Edwards Cup semi-final and the group stage of this 50-over competition, and there is a genuine rivalry developing between the two.

“For us, different people are stepping up at the right time,” said Armitage. “That’s what makes this team really exciting.

“It’s not just one player who’s doing it all the time. It’s a number of players.

“Whoever sticks their hands up on Saturday, it’s going to be really special day for them. And it could be somebody completely different.

“Everybody wants it to be them – I want it to be me.

“I want to be the one who takes this team over the line with the bat. Going forward, that’s what I want to be doing. But if the team’s winning, that’s all that matters.”

Ami Campbell is the perfect illustration of Armitage’s point that anyone could do the job.

Here is a left-handed batter who has struggled for form and fitness through the summer, but she has started to find form during the last couple of weeks and picked the perfect time to hit a season’s best 76 in Wednesday’s semi-final eliminator against the Central Sparks.

“I’m super proud of the girls,” said Armitage in reference to that game. “Our performance just showed what a good team we are. The bowlers set the tone really well. We picked up three wickets in the power play. Then, credit to Ami and Sterre (Kalis), they got us home.”

The Diamonds will make a late call on the fitness of all-rounder Jenny Gunn, who has missed the last fortnight, while Vipers will have batter Maia Bouchier available after England duty.