Northern Diamonds suffer defeat despite five-wicket haul for Katie Levick

Leg-spinner Levick claimed 5-15 as Vipers fell away after a strong start, posting 126 all out despite an impressive 48 from Danni Wyatt. Bess Heath’s half-century was a lone hand for Diamonds who fell short of their victory target and have now won just one of their three Group B matches.

“A proud moment for me, it’s my first five-wicket haul for the Diamonds and they don’t come around often in T20 cricket,” said Levick. “I am pleased with how I came out and how we did in the first half but ultimately it’s the loss that you remember.

We saw the pitch and thought bat first as it was going to get harder. They stuck to their lines and the game got away from us kind of without us noticing really and suddenly it’s a tough ask for batters to come in and get going out there on that pitch.

“It just turned enough. You don’t want it to do too much but it was nice. One of those pitches where if you stuck to your lines you would be alright.”

Diamonds’ chase got off to a flyer as Heath hit each of the first four deliveries from Lauren Bell for four.

Heath and Sterre Kalis guided Diamonds to 48 without loss after the powerplay but Kalis was run out in the next over for 18.

Heath continued to flourish but Nat Sciver never got going before she was bowled by Anya Shrubsole for four. At the halfway stage, Diamonds were 69-2, needing another 58 to win.

Vipers applied the squeeze but Heath reached an impressive half-century from just 42 balls.

She fell two balls later though, chipping Nancy Harman to Shrubsole for 51 to leave Diamonds 90-3, needing 37 to win from five overs.

Abi Glen, Hollie Armitage and Leigh Kasperek all fell trying to find quick runs on a pitch which had proved very difficult to start your innings on.

Diamonds needed an unlikely 21 runs from their final over and Vipers sealed an impressive win with Linsey Smith bowled from the final delivery.

Earlier, Vipers’ opening pair Wyatt and Georgia Adams made their intentions clear with a boundary apiece in the first over, before the third over – bowled by Emma Marlow – went for 14.

The introduction of Levick paid dividends.

The Vipers lost their last six wickets in 27 balls for just 24 runs.