Loughborough Lightning v Northern Diamonds – Loughborough (Haslegrave) on May 14
Diamonds made a dream power play start (57/1 after 6 overs) as Lauren Winfield-Hill bagged top-score-to-date in the first round of the Charlotte Edwards Cup. The highlight of Winfield-Hill’s ‘whirlwind’ 96 runs (from 51 balls) came during Diamonds’ 14th over, when Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce (2/44) was launched for three consecutive ’sixes.’
For Lightning, skipper Tammy Beaumont (59 from 49) and Marie Kelly (46 from 37) dug-in. Both sides had players who threw away their wickets during the closing stages. For background, at least six players are renowned cricketing Alumni named by Loughborough University’s website, including both skippers and Lauren Winfield-Hill.
*Opener Lauren Winfield-Hill posted a second wicket partnership with skipper Hollie Armitage that added 89 runs. Winfield-Hill had one reprieve when dropped by Lucy Higham.
*Eventually, Winfield-Hill mistimed a vertical skier, caught by Beth Ellis – ending Kathryn Bryce’s eventful 14th over.
*Thereafter, skipper Armitage stood firm as three wickets tumbled for single figures.
*Faced by an insurmountable score, Tammy Beaumont (59 from 49) played a skipper’s innings for Lightning, partnered by Marie Kelly (46 from 37.)
*After six overs of power play, Lightning were 41 without loss (vs 57/1); having seen-off New Zealand spinner Leigh Kasperek for 12 runs.
*Kasperek was bought back into the attack just before half-way, at which point Lightning were 78/0 (vs Diamonds 99/1.)
*Needing 100 to win from the remaining ten overs, Lightning’s scoring rate faltered. First of seven Lightning wickets fell when Marie Kelly was clean bowled by Beth Langston (2/22) during the eleventh over.
*As reported by the English Cricket Board, newbie Emma Marlow (2/12) recorded the ‘best bowling figures of the weekend’, taking the prized wickets Kathryn Bryce and Tammy Beaumont.
*Diamonds became ever more confident to win, having bagged Beaumont’s wicket a whisker before the 100 ball (16.4 overs) benchmark: (Diamonds 156/2 v Lightning 124/3.)
*Lightning’s lost four more wickets to single figures, including Australia’s Piepa Cleary, who went for a first ball duck.
*The match reached a bizarre situation when Linsey Smith’s (2/18) final ball hat-trick to Lucy Higham went instead for four ‘byes’ – securing Diamond’s first win.
Result (Group ‘A’): Northern Diamonds Women 177/5 (20 overs) awarded 5 points; beat Loughborough Lightning Women 138/7 (20 overs) by 39 runs
Northern Diamonds (177/5, 8.85 runs-per-over): Lauren Winfield-Hill (96 from 51), Hollie Armitage (40* from 38) Abigail Glen (25 from 17); Lightning bowling: Kathryn Bryce 2/44, Teresa Graves 1/15, Kirstie Gordon 1/26, Piepa Cleary 1/31; Fow 1-56, 2-145, 3-161, 4-162, 5-163
Loughborough Lightning: (138/7, 6.9 runs-per-over): Tammy Beaumont (59 from 49) Marie Kelly (46 from 37); Diamonds bowling: Emma Marlow 2/12, Linsey Smith 2/18, Beth Langston 2/22, Leigh Kasperek 1/37; Fow 1-79, 2-94, 3-124, 4-126, 5-129, 6-134, 7-134
