Tom Cant has revealed just how much his Northern Diamonds Academy players embraced the challenge of playing red ball cricket for the first time as a region.

The Diamonds youngsters, including a number of Yorkshire starlets, faced the Sunrisers in a three-day friendly in Bedfordshire last week, winning by 222 runs.

It was third time lucky having had two previous attempts to play in the longer format, both last season and earlier this, were thwarted by the wet weather. 

Cant, the Diamonds senior regional talent manager, said: “When you win any game by 222 runs, you know you’ve played well as a team. There was several great individual performances. 

“For most of the girls, if not all, this was their longest game of cricket, and they thoroughly enjoyed it and the opportunity to bat for long periods of time. 

“It was great to see the way they adapted and set new fields. 

“We even had girls volunteering for silly point and short-leg!

“It was also my birthday on day two of the game, so the girls gave me an excellent present.”

This fixture was played at Flitwick CC and saw Diamonds bowled out for 160 before limiting the hosts to 103 in reply. In the second innings, Diamonds took command with 231 all out to set Sunrisers a stiff target of 289. They were bowled out for 66.

Captain Harriet Robson hit a first-innings 55 before Trudy Johnson, Elicia Pollard and Freya Rook all claimed three wickets. In the second innings, opener Amelia Oliver impressed with 84 – she also hit 47 in the first – before Grace Thompson starred to wrap up victory with four wickets. Lucy Randle-Bissell also added a three-for.

Cant was speaking as he gave a mid-summer update from below senior level.

“We quickly park the red ball and move back to white ball with two 50-over games this week against Southern Vipers at Eastbourne,” he continued.

“It will be a long travel day today, and then play tomorrow and on Thursday. Vipers are always a competitive outfit, and it ended 1-1 in the T20s back in June. 

“The forecast is set fair, so we hope for two good games.

“Next week is the T20 Academy Festival, held this year at Oakham School.

“It’s a great challenge for the girls to keep adapting across the formats as well as spending three consecutive weeks on the road and plenty of time away from home.

“Alongside their Diamonds commitments, our players have been representing their counties at senior level. For those who are still under 18, they have also been playing county Under 18s. 

“It’s been a busy period.”

This is an incredibly important, but also exciting, final two months of the summer says Cant.

“As we enter the last phase of the Northern Diamonds, there is plenty left for the players to aim for this season,” he said. “We’re looking to finish the Diamonds programme on a high and enjoy it along the way before the restructure.

“We have things such as the North v North and the School Games selection on the horizon, with an Under 19s World Cup to aim for in January 2025.

“But, also, looking ahead to next year, with Durham Tier One and Yorkshire Tier Two, senior cricket opportunities may present themselves as well as both counties running their own Academies.

“Unfortunately, our Emerging Players Programme internal game was washed out earlier this month. 

“But we’ve still got games against the National Asian Cricket Council on August 9 at Bradford Park Avenue, Thunder away on August 20 and Blaze on September 8 at Woodlands to look forward to. 

“We hope to fit in a couple more internal games also.”

And, with the Hundred currently taking place, Cant added: “For the senior players not involved in the Hundred, they are currently training with assistant coach Chris Brice.

“There is then a second-team fixture against Blaze on August 15 at Weetwood, which will give them some match practice ahead of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returning at the end of August.”

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