Brutal knocks from Lauren Winfield-Hill, Hollie Armitage energy Diamonds to victory
Northern Diamonds 218 for 3 (Winfield-Hill 98, Armitage 74) beat Western Storm 186 for 8 (Gibson 52, Levick 2-25, Scott 2-27) by 32 runs
Brutal innings of 98 and 74 from Lauren Winfield-Hill and Hollie Armitage led the Northern Diamonds to a record-breaking whole of 218 for 3 in a landslide Charlotte Edwards Cup victory by 32 runs over Western Storm at Headingley.
Never earlier than in two years of regional cricket had a group posted greater than the 186 for 1 Thunder scored in opposition to Sunrisers at Emirates Old Trafford in 2021, and the Diamonds sailed past that mark inside solely 17 overs underneath the floodlights.
They took benefit of a brief boundary in the direction of the Western Terrace aspect of the bottom and a quick outfield, although captain Armitage hoisted 5 of her six sixes to the longer leg-side boundary in a 36-ball assault. Winfield-Hill batted with extra poise, hitting 21 boundaries in 56 balls.
The Storm, minus England captain Heather Knight – she was absent regardless of being named within the match-day squad, had been spirited in response as they totalled 186 for 8. But nobody may assist opener Danielle Gibson‘s 52 off 30 balls as debutant seamer Grace Hall, Lizzie Scott, Katie Levick and Abi Glen all struck twice.
After inviting the Diamonds to bat in wonderful batting circumstances, the writing was on the wall for the Storm fairly rapidly as Winfield-Hill took Lauren Filer’s seam for 4 fours in as many balls within the second over, shifting the rating to 21 with out loss.
That was the primary of 13 double-figure overs, together with eight in a row from the beginning of the tenth over and two of them over 20.
Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast was the decide of the visiting bowlers as her seam returned 1 for 32 from 4 overs, with Armitage caught at deep midwicket late on.
But the Storm, regardless of solely conceding six extras, had been unable to achieve any management, and their floor fielding grew to become more and more ragged because the strain elevated.
Winfield-Hill dominated a 58-run opening stand with Leah Dobson (25) earlier than sharing 139 inside 12 overs for the second wicket with Armitage.
Both Winfield-Hill, the beneficiary of a missed stumping probability on 49 as wicketkeeper Nat Wraith fumbled the ball, and Armitage posted their career-best scores in all T20 cricket.
There is an argument to recommend that Armitage’s innings was the higher of the 2 given Winfield-Hill was capable of experience the wave after begin within the powerplay. Armitage needed to do all her work with the sector set again.
Unfortunately for the previous, she fell agonisingly wanting a maiden T20 century when holing out to deep midwicket off Chloe Skelton’s off-spin.
In the opening six overs of the chase, Storm stored themselves up with the speed with 66 on the board, although new ball seamer Scott had struck twice to eliminate Wraith – properly caught at deep midwicket by a diving Dobson – and Prendergast caught behind.
That was at all times going to be the issue for Storm, holding wickets in hand, and so they weren’t capable of do it regardless of the Diamonds not being at their greatest with the ball.
Former England batter Fran Wilson was trapped lbw for 16 reverse sweeping at leg-spinner Levick’s fifth ball. Captain Sophie Luff skewed Levick to backward level shortly afterwards earlier than the game-breaker got here when Hall had Gibson brilliantly caught on the run by Chloe Tryon at long-on. At 121 for five after 13 overs, it was all however sport over.
Gibson had been sturdy by means of cowl and midwicket to provide her aspect a glimmer of hope. But it was extinguished with nearly 100 runs nonetheless required.
Alex Griffiths and Filer shared a consolatory 43 for the sixth wicket in entertaining style, with the previous hitting two sixes in 31. But each fell to Glen and Hall within the closing overs.