Northern Diamonds

A brilliant team performance by Northern Diamonds helped them pick up a four-wicket win in their Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy clash with Central Sparks at North Marine Road, Scarborough today. 

Northern Diamonds remain confident they can go out with a bang and end the regional era in women’s domestic cricket as two-time Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy champions. 

England have called up Northern Diamonds’ star Bess Heath for the England Women Vitality IT20 series against New Zealand.

Northern Diamonds rounded off their T20 campaign with victory - by five wickets with 6.2 overs remaining - over arch-rivals Thunder in a low-scoring affair in bowler-friendly conditions at Durham. Thunder were bowled out for a record-low 61, the lowest ever total in the four-year history of this competition, as Rachel Slater struck three times with the new ball, added to two for Lizzie Scott and Erin Burns.

When Rachel Slater bowled Nat Wraith with almost the perfect inswinging yorker on Sunday, ripping out middle stump, it was a significant moment - not just in the context of victory over Western Storm but also in the season of a young bowler who hasn’t always had it easy for the Northern Diamonds.

Hollie Armitage was the key contributor with a stunning 97 off 64 balls as Northern Diamonds clinched their second CE Cup win, beating Storm by 28 runs. 

Katie Levick has paid tribute to a host of trailblazing former Yorkshire women’s players who are returning to Headingley tomorrow to watch the Northern Diamonds in action.

Hollie Armitage grabbed her second fifty of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and passed 200 runs for the tournament on her 27th birthday, but couldn’t prevent Northern Diamonds having their slim Finals Day hopes ended by champions Southern Vipers, who won by five wickets with seven balls to spare. 

There is no hiding away from it, the Northern Diamonds are unlikely to qualify for Finals Day in the Charlotte Edwards Cup having only won one of their seven games so far. But the players and coaches are still placing significant importance on their final three fixtures.

Runaway leaders Blaze won their seventh straight game to qualify for Finals Day, defending a target of 160 to win by 13 runs in a contest which swung back and forth. The Diamonds now have a mountain to climb having suffered their sixth defeat in seven. They must win their remaining three games and hope for a miracle to join the Blaze at Derby on June 22.

Captain Hollie Armitage put in an all-action display in victory against Central Sparks at Edgbaston today, and the Northern Diamonds captain says she is loving the challenge of progressing the different areas of her game.