Northern Diamonds using strong alliances to keep themselves in Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day hunt

The Diamonds head to Southampton (2.30pm) knowing they have to win their final group game to stand any chance of reaching Finals Day a week later at Northampton’s Wantage Road.

And they have been boosted by the inclusion of England stars Katherine Brunt and Nat Sciver after missing the last two games having got married last Saturday.

Jenny Gunn and Rachel Slater have also returned to a 14-player squad following knee injuries, Gunn for the first time this season.

The qualification picture is as follows. The top team in each of the two groups advances to Finals Day plus the best second-placed finisher.

Southern Vipers (23 points) are already assured of top spot in Group B, with Diamonds second on 14 having won three of five games so far. In Group A, Central Sparks are top on 17 points and South East Stars second on 16.

There are a maximum of five points up for grabs – four for a regular win, five with a bonus point.

The Diamonds need to win, ending the Vipers’ 100 percent five wins from five games record in the process, and hope that either Sparks lose at home to Western Storm today or the Stars lose at home to Sunrisers tomorrow.

A tie or rain (two points) in the Stars v Sunrisers could then bring net run-rate into play.

“It wouldn’t be exciting if it wasn’t that way for the final group game!” said in-form wicketkeeper batter Heath.

“We just have to focus on what we can do, and that is playing our best cricket. We’ve got to do what we can do, control what we can control, and we’ll be just fine.”

The Diamonds head to the South Coast in buoyant mood having won their last two games against Thunder at Headingley on Sunday and Lightning at Durham on Wednesday to maintain hopes of a fourth successive regional final.

Having missed the opening game of the season against Lightning through injury, Chesterfield-born Heath has returned to post scores of 19, 51, 13 and 60, the latter against Lightning on Wednesday at Durham’s Riverside ground.

In that game, she shared an opening partnership of 93 inside 13 overs with Dutch international Kalis, who is her housemate. Only 10 days earlier, at the same venue in defeat against the Vipers, they also added 49 when belligerent Heath scored 51.

Against Vipers, classy Kalis made 18 and against Lightning she made 39.

“We worked together to build a partnership because I had a slow start, and Sterre was there to talk me through it and push me along,” said Heath.

“We provided the team with a good platform, which helped us in the end. We’ve definitely bonded over the last year. Living together certainly helps us on the field.”