Scorecard 

Northern Diamonds vs South East Stars

Charlotte Edwards Cup

Friday, May 31, 2024, 2:30pm

Seat Unique Riverside

Toss: Diamonds won it and elected to bat

Diamonds: Lauren Winfield-Hill w, Leah Dobson, Hollie Armitage c, Bess Heath, Erin Burns, Sterre Kalis, Emma Marlow, Katherine Fraser, Grace Hall, Katie Levick, Rachel Slater. 

Stars: Bryony Smith c, Sophia Dunkley, Phoebe Franklin, Paige Scholfield, Tash Farrant, Aylish Cranstone, Chloe Hill w, Kalea Moore, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Dani Gregory, Tilly Corteen-Coleman. 

Match Summary: Diamonds were consigned to a fourth successive Charlotte Edwards Cup defeat after a remarkable spell of bowling from teenager Tilly Corteen-Coleman propelled South East Stars to a six-wicket win at the Riverside.

The left-arm spinner finished with 5-19 from 3.3 overs, including four wickets in as many balls. 

Diamonds, who were 88-0 at one point, collapsed to 124 all out despite a well made 55 off 46 balls from opener Leah Dobson. 

Leah Dobson

Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Leah Dobson cuts on the way to an impressive 55 off 46 balls.

Stars went on to win for the third time in four matches, with opener and captain Bryony Smith hitting an unbeaten 57, sealing victory with four overs to spare.

Report: The Diamonds, having opted to bat, made the ideal start as Lauren Winfield-Hill cut the first ball of the match for four.

Leah Dobson then started taking the game to the Stars, with the opener hitting three fours from a Ryana MacDonald-Gay over. Dobson continued to find the boundaries, with a lovely cover drive for four off the bowling of Kalea Moore following quickly. 

The opening pair reached their 50 partnership inside the powerplay, with Dobson the aggressor and Winfield-Hill playing the anchor role. 

Dobson reached her fifty – off 42 balls – with her eighth boundary. 

However, just four balls later, Winfield-Hill was out, with the impressive leg-spinner Dani Gregory bowling her for 30 – 88-1 in the 13th over. 

Lauren Winfield-Hill

Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Lauren Winfield-Hill on the reverse en-route to 30.

Unfortunately, the wickets continued to fall, with England all-rounder Sophia Dunkley claiming the key scalp of Dobson for 55. Then Diamonds skipper Hollie Armitage and Erin Burns fell to continue the Diamonds’ collapse.

Bess Heath pulled a Tash Farrant ball into the safe hands of Dunkley for nine. Sterre Kalis then departed, also for nine, before Emma Marlow was bowled by Farrant – 123-7 in the 19th. 

Then came a remarkable last over from 16-year-old Corteen-Coleman, who had struck at the end of the 18th to get rid of Kalis, saw her pick off the Diamonds tail by getting wickets in the first three balls of the final over – four in all across two overs. 

Unfortunately, the Diamonds were 124 all out in 19.3 overs having lost all 10 wickets for 36 runs.

The Stars started nicely in their chase, with Dunkley smashing a Katie Levick ball for six in the third over. 

A bad day got worse for the Diamonds when Smith was dropped in the deep, then Dunkley was dropped a few minutes later, adding to the home side’s woe in Chester-le-Street.

Hollie Armitage

Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Hollie Armitage was the pick of the Diamonds bowler, but it was a case of so near, yet so far today.

The Diamonds made their first breakthrough moments later with Rachel Slater removing Dunkley for 25.

Despite the wicket, the Diamonds continued to toil, with their fielding letting them down. 

They did get a second wicket when Phoebe Franklin departed for 14 after Levick struck, with Armitage then getting Paige Scholfield for five and Tash Farrant for 16 to finish with 2-22 from three overs. 

But skipper Smith played the contest’s key innings, anchoring the chase with her unbeaten 57 off 41 balls as her side won with four overs to spare.

The result means that the Diamonds remain bottom of the Charlotte Edwards Cup standings after four games, with six games still to play in the group stage.

Magic moment: Unfortunately for Diamonds this has to go to the 16-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman, who unbelievably claimed four wickets in four balls across two overs, as the hosts slipped from 119-5 in the 18th over to 124 all out in the 20th. 

Tilly Corteen-Coleman

Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Tilly Corteen-Coleman, hugging number 28 Aylish Cranstone, celebrates taking her fifth wicket.

Turning point: Undoubtedly, the key moment was the dismissal of Leah Dobson. The Diamonds opener was well set on 55, and it was looking like she was leading her side to a competitive total. But Sophia Dunkley bowled the opener with her leg-spinners, swinging the momentum in the Stars’ favour. The visitors never looked back.

Stat of the match: Another one for the Stars inexperienced bowler, Tilly Corteen-Coleman. Her figures of 5-19 were her best in all forms of cricket, including her time in the age groups with Kent. 

What they said – Diamonds coach Dani Hazell: “It was a really good start. To be fair, they did bowl well. But, on self reflection, it wasn’t good enough – and that was pretty obvious in the outcome.

“Promising signs at the minute, but they’re not giving us results. 

“Leah batted really well, and Hollie bowled really well. But it’s an uphill battle at the minute.

“It’s a battle that we’re still in.”

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Diamonds coach Dani Hazell.

What’s next: The Diamonds are back on the horse quickly. They head down to Northampton on Sunday morning to take on Sunrisers in their fifth match, marking the halfway stage of the group phase (11.30am).

It’s part of a T20 double header at Wantage Road with Yorkshire’s men, who face Northamptonshire in the Vitality Blast at 3.30pm.

It’s a must win fixture for the Diamonds.

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