A thrilling knock of 61 by Bess Heath was the highlight of a frustrating day at Lincoln’s Lindum Cricket Club as bad weather forced the abandonment of Northern Diamonds’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy clash with The Blaze.
Heavy overnight rain and more morning drizzle caused a three-hour plus delay to proceedings, ensuring the players did not take the field until 1.45pm.
And it was Heath who rescued the visitors from the potentially perilous position of 48-4 to help take them to 188-8 at the end of the 26th over when the rain returned in what had been reduced to a 30-over contest.
The England wicketkeeper-batter crashed eight fours and a six in 45 balls.
Heath was well supported by Erin Burns (26) and Beth Langston (20 not out), and this was another very positive performance from the Diamonds, who find themselves second in the table going into the break for The Hundred, which starts later this month.
They took two points from this fixture, and the first of the region’s four remaining games is not played until the end of August. They have a 13-point gap to fifth-placed Blaze in the race for the semi-finals with only 20 more available to play for.
Picture by John Clifton/SWpix.com. Bess Heath today hit her second fifty of the RHFT campaign.
Inserted by the hosts, Diamonds got off to a fast start, seemingly treating the shortened game as a T20, as they raced to 38 before Lauren Winfield-Hill was run out by a direct hit from Marie Kelly, attempting a quick single, for 10.
Blaze struck twice more in the next over when Cassidy McCarthy produced two brilliant deliveries in succession to bowl Emma Marlow for 23 and Sterre Kalis first ball, with the latter a vicious nip-backer which the Netherlands international could do little about.
Visiting skipper Hollie Armitage has been in sparkling form this season, but she was next to fall after skying a Heather Graham delivery high to Tammy Beaumont in the mid-wicket region for just five.
At 48-4, the visitors desperately needed some momentum – and they got it through the fifth-wicket pairing of Heath and Burns, who doubled the score before Burns was bowled by Lucy Higham attempting a sweep.
Blaze were in a strong position – Diamonds at 96-5 in the 15th – but Heath was having none of it.
She continued to score quickly having been joined at the crease by buoyant Langston, no doubt still on a high after her six wickets against Sunrisers at York on Wednesday.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Erin Burns was playing her final game for the Diamonds.
The sixth-wicket pair put on 58 inside seven overs before Heath was eventually caught by Kelly off Grace Ballinger, leaving the score 154-6 in the 22nd. Heath had reached her fifty off 39 balls.
Abi Glen hit a quick-fire 16 off 12 before she became Ballinger’s third victim after the bowler had also accounted for Phoebe Turner for two.
With Langston unbeaten on 20, Diamonds looked very handily placed when the rain came with four overs of the 30 left.
Unfortunately, the game was eventually abandoned at 5pm.
